STATE OF JOHOR, MALAYSIA

PLACES OF INTEREST

Ayer Hitam

Ayer Hitam, which literally means 'Black Water' in Malay, has always been referred to as 'the town that never sleeps', because of the busy town streets where the traffic is endless here, as people would stop here for a meal on their way to Johor Bahru an Kuala Lumpur. It will only take less than an hour to reach here if you travel by car from Johor Bahru.

There are many activities for visitors to participate in, some of them include horseback riding, fishing, and camping.

Visitors can purchase anything ceramic here, as Ayer Hitam is famous for it. One can buy vases, flowerpots, porcelain, jars, photo frames, and ready-made customized souvenirs.

Not only can visitors browse through the quality souvenirs, visitors can also sample some local food. Among the famous food that is sure to satisfy your stomach are prawn crackers, tapioca chips, steamed corn and the must-have 'otak-otak'(steamed coconut-milk based fish cake). The food are freshly made and prepacked for visitors

Air Papan

Air Papan, located at 15km to the North of Mersing, this village is surrounded by many trees of different types. The beach is to take note for, as it is incredibly beautiful here, perfect for picnics. The water is clear blue, and the scenery around is sure to make visitors never want to leave the beach. The beach is especially famous on holidays and weekends, as family and friends comes to the beach to picnic often.

When the weather is beautiful, one can see the silhouette of islands such as Pulau Tioman and Pulau Rawa, and other islands nearby.

If you're going to visit Air Papan on the 1st of May for the "Pesta Air Papan", prepare to book the chalets early, because visitors local and foreign would come to stay and celebrate. There are many happening performances and activities to take part in on this event.

Desaru Beach  Located at the south-eastern corner of Johor, Desaru is the ideal beach destination with over 25km of white sandy beaches fringed by palm trees and casuarinas. Here, enjoy a myriad of water sports including snorkelling, water-skiing, canoeing, wind-surfing and sailing. Other forms of recreation include learning to fly an ultra-light aircraft; go-karting; jungle trekking; horseback riding, archery and off-road adventures. The annual sporting extravaganza Desaru International Triathlon attracts participants from throughout the region. Just a few kilometres away, discover more about the lifestyle of local fishermen at Tanjung Balau Fishermen's Museum. Some 10km south of Desaru is another excellent stretch of beach known as Teluk Ramunia. Accommodations include hotels, budget chalets, dormitories and camp sites. Most notable is the luxurious Desaru Golf and Country Club resort, which has a 36-hole international standard golf course. Getting There By Road Desaru is easily accessible via public transportation from Johor Bahru (the capital of Johor), Kota Tinggi or Tanjung Belungkor. Buses to Johor Bahru are available from Kuala Lumpur. By Sea There is a ferry service from Changi Point in Singapore to Tanjung Belungkor, where transport to Desaru can be arranged Johor Bahru Johor Bahru is located at the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia and is the state capital of Johor Darul Takzim. Sultan Abu Takzim established state capital of Johor in 1855. Johor is connected to Singapore via road and railway, and thus Johor represents Peninsula's southern gateway. The state provides miles of golden sand beaches and offshore islands with clear water, a wide variety of local cuisine, a wide mix of races, and many more exciting things to see! Visitors can explore and visit several famous historical buildings. Among them are The Royal Sultan Abu Bakar Museum and the Grand Palace. Visitors may want to visit the Johor Art Gallery as well, as displayed here is a wide array of historical and traditional artifacts. If you'd like to do some shopping, there are always shopping places available to visit, both modern and traditional. Some famous products include clothes and lovely handicraft products that is eye catching. One place that shoppers might want to visit is the Johor Baru Duty Free Complex, where branded designer wear overseas can be found here. It is located at the International Ferry Terminal. When you're hungry, head on over to the food stalls and vendors and order a plate of the popular local dish, the Laksa Johor. Johor Lama (Old Johor) Johor Lama, situated 27km from Kota Tinggi and about 2 hours drive from Johor Bahru, is a quiet village no the banks of the Johor River. Johor Lama was the royal seat of the Johor Sultanate until 1587. All that is left here are fragments of a fort built in 1540 during the raid on Johor Lama by the Portuguese. After the battle, the state capital moved to Johor Bahru. The fort, in the end, was destroyed by the Portuguese army despite it being defended by 8,000 Sultanate's warriors with only 500 men in 1587 Kota Tinggi Waterfall The Kota Tinggi Waterfall is located 62km away from Johor Bahru, and 16km away from Kota Tinggi.The waterfall, which is 36m high, originates from the top of Mount Panti. Try swimming at the base of the waterfall for a quick, refreshing change from the hot, tropical heat. The waterfall area is a great place to have family picnics, but the place can get crowded during the weekends. The scenery is perfect as you watch the water cascading down with the view of the 600m high Gunung Muntahak in a distance. For accommodation, one can always go to the Swiss style chalets built near the falls and stay overnight, equipped with cooking facilities. There are public changing rooms and camping grounds at the base of the waterfall. There is also a restaurant nearby that provides both Chinese and Western food. Food stalls are set up here as well. A camping ground has also been opened for those who wish to camp out. There are parking spaces available for cars, buses and motorcycles as well. Kukup Kukup, near the south-western tip of the peninsula, 20km from Pontian, is a well-known fishing village with most of its houses built on stilts. It is famous for its fish farms and several popular seafood restaurants which serve famous local delicacies like crab, fish and prawn. Visitors can also take a trip to the nearby aquaculture centre to see many types of fish and other seafood that are bred in captivity, including the king crab. The aquaculture centre is housed on seakelongs, which are farms built on raft-like structures floating in the middle of the ocean. Visitors can tour nearby Pulau Kukup or Kukup Island by hiring boat operators to take them to the mangrove island which is as a significant ecological site. Muar The historical town of Muar, located on the Muar River, is a favourite stopover for travellers of Johor Bahru-Kuala Lumpur as Muar provides beautiful sunsets The strategic location of Muar on the river helped on its economical growth as many years ago, Muar was once an important trading hub. There are many different opinions to where the name 'Muar' is reputed from. Some say that the town was named after the name 'muara', which means river mouth. Another says that the name is derived from a the Hindu word for three, which is 'muna' and 'ar' which means river. Also it was said that the town was named after the three rivers, Muar River, Pahang RIver and Serting River. Muar, which is also known as Bandar Maharani or Empress Town, has a striking resemblance to the town of Malacca, historically, culturally and geographically. The name was given by Sultan Abu Bakar in 1884. Muar is famous for its 'Ghazal' music, which originated from Persia, and 'Kuda Kepan', a traditional dance where dancers sit astride mock horses according to the beat and rhythm of a percussion ensemble. Visitors should not forget to try Muar's all famous "Mee Bandung Muar". Even looking at it is enough to get your stomach grumble for food immediately! Also recommended are the oysters here, scrambled with eggs and chives. Take a stroll along Jalan Tanjung and you will see mosques, government buildings, and old colonial houses. Participate in our homestay tour packages and visit the Sarang Buaya village, Kesang Village, Pulau Penarik Village, and Ulu Pagoh village to truly understand the malay lifestyle and culture Tanjung Piai Tanjung Piai, one of the largest mangrove habitats in the world, is also the home to many different species of birds , beady-eyed mudskippers, multi-coloured mangrove crabs, and crab-eating macaques. Also found here is the tree-climbing and scavenging macaque monkeys. Situated in Mukim Serkat, and about 90km from Johor Bahru's city centre, Tanjung Piai offers a scenic view of the Straits of Malacca. There is also a National Park there for visitors to observe the habitat of the mangrove dwellers. Experience the lifestyle of a typical Malay kampung community and see the process of how 'Gula Melaka' is made using the traditional way. Whenever you're hungry, you can always head to one of the many seafood restaurants available there for a meal. The restaurants are perched on wooden jetties. Enjoy the beautiful evening sunset, and perhaps, when the sun sets, fireflies would appear and turns the swamp into a beautiful lightshow continue... source: cuti.com.my