Johor Bahru, Malaysia: Tips for First Time Travelers

By the end of this month me and a group of my friends shall be boarding a plane bound for Singapore, part of our one week itinerary is to get the chance to visit Asia's Theme Park Capital which is Johor Bahru in Malaysia just across the borders of Singapore. We are all pretty much excited to get the chance to visit the recently opened theme parks such as LegoLand and of course Sanrio's Hello Kitty Town, but on the side we would also like to check out what else Johor Bahru has to offer travelers like us who are giddy about doing a cross country tour.

The first thing on my research agenda was to check out what Johor Bahru has to offer and the best place to do that is go directly to the source - Johor's Official Tourism Website. Here you'll get to see all of the current events and promotions that Johor has to offer and it even provides things to do and places to visit which are recommended by the locals and other visitors of Johor. I particularly got drawn to the shopping tab (The website is neatly arranged by topics which is represented by tabs - making navigation simple and easy to use) which highlights the addresses of the most recommended shopping hot spots, its addresses and even contact information. This would be particularly helpful as I can get to use my Navigator Application to help me get around easily.

The next site I would be visiting would be the trusty TripAdvisor site and here one can get to see the best places to visit based on user experience. You can also download the TripAdvisor's travel Application if you want to get your information about a particular destination, which in this case is Johor on the go. Here I am also able to get information on how to get there from let us say Singapore from people that have already attempted to do so before.

If you’re traveling to Johor Bahru for the first time, you might want to pick up a little reading to help you plan your trip and get you through it with a minimum of fuss.

There are no guidebooks specifically for Johor Bahru, but several good ones for Malaysia in general. These can help you plan your trip to the city and if you decide to take a few day trips out of the city, can help with that as well.

Consider picking up a copy of an ever-reliable Frommer’s guide, such as “Frommer’s Singapore and Malaysia”, which provides you an in-depth look at travel to the two exotic countries. From an expert’s point of view, you’ll understand what makes these countries tick, what you must see and do, and interesting and unique places to eat.

If it’s your first trip to Malaysia, you might want to pick up a copy of “Culture Shock! Malaysia: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette”. It’s important to understand the culture of any new country you might visit. In Malaysia, this is particularly important, so understanding the various customs and expectations can make your trip a much smoother one.

One very notable traveler has logged his 5 day travel itinerary of Singapore and Johor which I feel first time visitors should definitely check out - Ambot Ah Singapore and Malaysia Itinerary. Here you'll get to see how the author was able to go around and see what one can expect every step of the way. Coupled with very visually stunning photos it is definitely an easy read. 

Hopefully all of these can be useful for those that have decided to take on the challenge of traveling from Singapore to Malaysia and back. I'll be logging my own experience here in Sidestrip and hopefully get to share a few tricks along the way.

Till Next Time...

-Metz-