Hi,

I'll be in SIN for six nights, was wondering if there's anything worth seeing across the causeway in Johor. I visited there in 1980 and there wasn't much, although it was another stamp in the passport. Is it worth the trip for a half-day or so?

thanks.

Well, the answer is easy........NO.
Don't waste your time going to JB, it's still the same old dump eventough there are a few new malls. Though nothing compared to SIN.

The only reason to go to JB is for the stamp in your passport - or cut-rate (and very questionable) cosmetic procedures.

The only reason to go to JB is for the stamp in your passport - or cut-rate (and very questionable) cosmetic procedures.


I used to remember a place called Satay House in a small strip mall a short taxi ride from the causeway. Anyone know of any other places worth grabbing a bite in JB?

I used to remember a place called Satay House in a small strip mall a short taxi ride from the causeway. Anyone know of any other places worth grabbing a bite in JB?
Here's a list of some (very) local-style but tasty places:

http://wikitravel.org/en/Johor_Bahru#Eat

Don't expect much in the way of decor or even hygiene though, and locating many of these is a b*tch. I'm pretty obsessive about good food, but it's not very often that I find it worth the effort to cross the Causeway. (But if somebody knows where I can get decent Johor laksa in Singapore I'm all ears...!)

(Does not apply to OP because he/she's been to JB before)

I'm in the the band of travellers who enjoy seeing how local people live their lives and go about their ways.

I think that if you have the time, it is always worthwhile to go to JB for this reason alone; I just wouldn't spend a whole lot of time there. The culture is markedly different from Singapore in some respects so that in itself is interesting.

I would take the bus (170. Route info here (http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/journeyplan/srvceno.aspx) ) from Singapore to Larkin Bus Terminal (in JB), wander around for an hour or so and take the 170 right back. Right smack into the hurly-burly of bus touts, and people rushing to go somewhere.

Alternatively, you could take the KTM (http://www.ktmb.com.my) trains to one of the small outlying Johor towns (Kulai, Kluang etc), get off, explore the environs of a small town for an hour or two, hop on back for a train back to Singapore. On the train and as you pass sleepy towns, you'll see a cross-section of Malaysia come to life.

Both options above require perhaps half-a-day diversion from Singapore but will give you a broader sense of what South East Asia is about apart from a somewhat antiseptic Singapore.

Similarly, you could do Batam and take a ferry from the World Trade Center

Note: I wanted to add that the last time I did the train thing, the train broke down, then restarted except there was no airconditioning, couldn't get a seat so I stood all the way. Which was fine except mrs. tide was with me and then she broke down saying she couldn't take it anymore. So we ended up taking a taxi back to Singapore. And we had just gotten to the JB train station from Singapore. :p

i think tide has the best idea, use jb to go someplace else

Personally I was reasonably impressed with the makeover the downtown JB area had received the last time I went through there. Certainly still not a must see, but definitely nowhere near as seedy as it once was. There's some semi-interesting places to look around if you're so inclined - the Sultan's Palace was alright, and as jpatokal mentioned there's plenty of good food around (though I also agree that it's tough to find by yourself - if I didn't have a friend in JB to show me where to find it I'd never stumble across it either).

Shopping in JB can be cheaper than in SIN too, especially for clothing, though not so much for electrical goods. As I'm sure you're aware, six nights in SIN is more than enough to see all the local highlights, so a trip across the causeway can be worthwhile just for the change of pace. Definitely a preferable destination in my books than a trip over to Batam anyway (which falls squarely within the definition of seedy - especially Nagoya! :eek: ).

Judging from all that's been written, I gather that a one-nite stay is more than sufficient for JB? I hear there's some outlying islands - Are they worth a visit?

Judging from all that's been written, I gather that a one-nite stay is more than sufficient for JB? I hear there's some outlying islands - Are they worth a visit?
Yes they are. In short its worth your time just for food. But you need someone who knows the place. Its a maze, there are enough security issues, etc.