If you ever run out of places to visit and things to do in Singapore, remember that Johor Bahru, brimming with food, fun and so much more, is just a hop, skip and ride away.
Here's how you can save time planning your trip early and splurge those extra hours frolicking around with your little ones!
1. Finding Your Way to Johor Bahru
With Johor Bahru right next door to Singapore, there are plenty of ways to cross the border, the best one being driving into the state yourself. When you are travelling with ah gong, ah ma and your little tykes, not needing to get off the vehicle to clear customs can be a huge help. But if you’re not familiar with the terrain, we highly advise against driving by yourself.
Instead, you could hop on a train that’ll transport you from Singapore to Johor Bahru in a mere 5 minutes. It could be a novel experience for the young ones and possibly a nostalgic one for the elderly.
If you would rather prefer the convenience and comfort of driving into Johor Bahru without actually driving by yourself, you can also hire a private car. Your options are aplenty, all you have to do is make an advance booking.
Services-of-interest:
2. Kicking Back at a Hotel
A castle-like structure that looks like it was made of building blocks, ferocious dragon to guard your sleep, a hotel lobby that feels more like a whimsical wonderland with its different play areas, and rooms that bring little moppets through the adventurous worlds of knights and ninjas, pharaohs and pirates, is why we love Legoland Hotel. The hotel in itself is an adventure waiting to be explored!
In the city center, there is KSL Resort. Huge, connected to a mall and you’ll get to go splashing in their Dinosaur Water Theme Park. Additionally, they also provide shuttle bus and tickets to Legoland.
Hotels-of-Interest:
3. It’s All Fun and Games
My, my, all the fun things you can do in Johor Bahru.
Pass on the usual zoo trip and instead take a trip to a farm for a much more up-and-close experience with the animals. While looking at tigers from a far is fun, we think your little munchkins will love feeding carrots to rabbits and petting goats.
Indoor playgrounds and theme parks scattered around the state provide a bit more of a stimulation for little tykes. To list a few, there’s the Angry Birds Activity Park at KOMTAR JBCC, Austin Heights Water Park and Legoland Malaysia. You can’t go wrong with Legoland, especially if you have kiddos of different ages.
Places-of-Interest:
- UK Farm
- Angry Birds Activity Park
- Puteri Harbour Indoor Theme Park
- Austin Heights Water Park
- Fanpekka Indoor Playground
4. Soul Soothing Food
You’ll find a smorgasbord of food at Johor Bahru, whether you need to fill your tummy, need a bite between meals or simply want to indulge your taste buds in a morsel of munchies. Trendy cafes for your daily dose of caffeine as well as to satisfy your sweet cravings and restaurants serving up international fares such Korean, Japanese and Western are almost everywhere.
For a truly sedap! experience, try chomping on local cuisine. You’ve got a plethora of choices, from roti canai, Teochew Kway Teow, laksa, and wonton noodles, to spicy prawns, braised duck, and fish head curry. Yum, yum, yum, so much yum!
Eateries-of-Interest:
- Bukit Chagar Roti Canai
Jalan Tengku Azizah, Bukit Chagar, Jalan Jim Quee, 80300 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia - Restoran Tua Thow
Susur 4, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia - Salahuddin Bakery
26, Jalan Dhoby, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia - SS Banana Café
51, Jalan Pulai Perdana 11, Taman Sri Pulai Perdana, 81110 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
5. Retail Therapy
Known to be a shopper’s paradise, a scarcity for malls and shops is something you won’t encounter in Johor Bahru.
If you’re looking for a really good place to go on a shopping spree, we would recommend dropping by the Paradigm Mall. This mammoth of a mall with its seven storeys has everything, from fashion to lifestyle outlets, including a gourmet supermarket. Additionally, the indoor skating rink, rocknasium and playground adds more excitement to your shopping trip.
You also have the option of the ever-popular City Square Mall, located close to the checkpoint. For a little change from the usual, you can hit up KOMTAR JBCC right beside it. And if you’re a fan of brand names like Skechers, Marks & Spencer, and Addidas, you’ll love this spacious mall.
Malls-of-Interest:
This article was originally published on BYKidO's blog.
BYKidO helps parents discover places to go and things to do with their families by providing relevant information to help families make better decisions on where to go and what to do. Visit us @ bykido.com