Malaysia — Johor Bahru — The Zoo, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

In search of the Johor Bahru Botanic Gardens

May 2015

I had seen Johor Bahru Botanic Gardens mentioned on several maps and in several guidebooks, yet I couldn’t find them.

When I first visited Johor Bahru (JB) in 2012, I came across a list of things to do and see in JB. On the list was a visit to the Johor Bahru Botanic Gardens. I asked at the hotel for directions to the gardens, and I was told they were closed.

Then, one weekend in May 2015, I decided to go out and look for the legendary gardens. And I don’t think they exist.

I followed a map to where they should be and saw some gardens behind a big fence and some closed gates. I drove around the perimeter fencing and couldn’t find an entrance.

I did find one open gate, but that appeared to be the worker’s entrance to the gardens. And a guy on the gate said the gardens were not open on a Sunday.

I concluded that the Johor Bahru Botanic Gardens no longer exist, or if they do exist, they are no longer open to the public. If that is the case, it is a real shame because from what I could see through the locked gates and the fencing, they looked pretty good.

I found the zoo instead — Johor Zoo, Jalan Gertak Merah, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia.

I am not a great fan of zoos, and my visit to Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar…