Johor Bahru travel and tourist guide
The southern Malaysian city of Johor Bahru has acquired quite a bad reputation in recent years as a crime-ridden bordertown over the water from affluent Singapore. There is certainly a little truth in this pronouncement and tourists rarely stop here, instead travelling straight to the more hospitable tourist resorts nearby.
If you find yourself in Johor Bahru for a short time, however, there’s more than enough to hold some interest, along with opportunities for eating and drinking. One of the main reasons why Malaysians flock to Johor Bahru is for the shopping. The city is a major manufacturing base and electronics and textiles in particular are great buys.
 | Attractions & activitiesAlthough Johor Bahru is certainly not on the tourist trail, there are enough sights, activities and shopping to keep any visitor entertained for the length of their stay...more |  | HotelsYou will not find any of the backpacker hostels of Singapore or KL in Johor Bahru, yet there are good options for midrange and high-end hotels that cater mainly to business travellers...more |
 | Restaurants & barsJohor Bharu has a diverse dining scene with all kinds of exotic influences, which explains why many Singaporeans come over the border in the evening for a tasty meal...more |  | TransportationAs a major transport hub for the Malay Peninsula’s south, Johor Bahru has superb connections to all Malaysian cities, along with its own airport and shuttles over the causeway...more |
Johor Bahru guide - shopping and dining over the causeway
Johor Bahru, or JB as it is known locally, is joined to Singapore by a one-kilometre-long causeway that is used by more than 50,000 commuters each day. Many people work in Malaysia’s rich neighbour (to the south) but save on living expenses by living north of the border in JB.
There are excellent transport links from Johor Bahru to Melaka and Kuala Lumpur, as well as up the east coast for ferry access to the resort islands of pulaus (islands) Sibu, Kapas, Tioman and Redang. Senai Airport is located just to the north of Johor Bahru and offers cheaper domestic flights to popular Malaysian destinations than travelling direct from Singapore.
A recent clean-up programme made Johor Bahru more accessible to foreign visitors by establishing green areas and covering the open sewers, which previously ran through the centre of town.
Although the place has largely been cleaned up and there are many things to do and see, along with plenty of hotels, those stopping over in Johor Bahru should take special care of their belongings, look confident when out and about on the street (as if you live there), and avoid wearing flashy jewellery, especially at night.
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