Johor Bahru is the capital of Malaysia’s Johor state, located close across the border from Singapore. Travelling by road from Singapore to Johor Bahru is quite simple. There are many bus routes available, the popular one being the local SMRT bus services and private taxis, that travel between the two cities, with the journey taking roughly 1–2 hours depending on traffic, making it a popular weekend getaway for many Singaporeans, including myself.
Now, that you can see how close it is to the island, you can also imagine the ease of access to the country of Malaysia. Also, includes the heavy inflow of traffic and crowd in both the countries over the weekend!
As usual, before we move to my travel story and experience, if you want to know more about Johor, you can visit the following links and videos.
Amazing Histories — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx2pNvqWyvU
Mr. History — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyzGus2bB08
Travel Time
Weekend in February’23
Regions Covered
Since this was just a weekend getaway, I only spent time in exploring Johor Bahru, you can also do other regions near Johor.
Getting to Johor Bahru
The most common way to get to Johor Bahru from Singapore is by roadways. You have the option of taking a bus, cab, or a private car. I did take the SMRT bus which costed me $2. There are 2 exit points namely the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoint from Singapore. Causeway Link, SBS Transit, and SMRT are among the bus companies that run between the two cities. Alternatively, Singapore’s Woodlands Train Checkpoint links to Malaysia’s Johor Bahru Sentral Station. The KTM Shuttle Tebrau rail service operates the journey, which takes about 5–10 minutes.
It is vital to note that immigration clearance will be required at both the Singapore and Malaysian gates. Beware the checkpoint is very congested on weekends!
Travel Tips
MYR or the Malaysian Ringgit is the accepted currency. For Singaporeans, the usual DBS multi currency debit card works the best and is recommended. Except for the street stores, most of the places accept the cards. It is a very inexpensive place to travel from Singapore and food, drinks and activities are very very affordable! Suited for student budget, hence my travel.
Cabs like Grab are really inexpensive and the best way to travel across the area.
Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Johor Bahru is a city in the southern Malaysia with a lot of activities to do. The Premier Outlets is the most popular shopping mall is one of the largest in the city and offers a variety of outlet stores for all the brands. One of the most popular reasons to visit the region. It is located ~20kms from the city centre. Do visit the places for great offers and discounts.
I’d personally recommend to go offer seasons such as Christmas, 11.11 sales to maximise your savings.
Food and Dining options are very affordable with plenty seafood options available. Banafee Village a very popular 24x7 eatery with really affordable sheesha of S$5 available. You can also get massages from as low as S$20 in the city which are open till really late.
Legoland, Sultan Abu Bakar Royal Palace Museum, and Danga Bay are other popular tourist destinations here.
With this, I conclude my 2 day tour at Johor Bharu. The city is a paradise for economic activities and a quick getaway from Singapore.
The resorts and hotels are very affordable and hence popular on the weekend.
SLPT: Because the checkpoint is very congested on weekends, I always recommend acquiring an e-visa rather than a Visa on Arrival. The process is very simple and can be done by self. Please leave early on the weekend, since the check points are extremely crowded. One quick fix, would be to go on the weekday or off timings.
Anyway, as always, thank you for sticking around and reading my story. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
