Things to do in Johor

Johor Things to Do

For anyone heading to the South of Malaysia, I have come up with a list of things to do in Johor for those who seek some family entertainment in Malaysia's southernmost state.

Since 2010, the Iskandar Malaysia project was conceptualized for future urban development and included several theme parks and entertainment zones.

Within the next few years, you will see a whole new development as it is undergoing massive restructuring and construction.

Things to do in Johor 

The best way to see all these places in Johor would be to self-drive here. Everything is within the Iskandar area, so public transport would be a little tricky at the moment.

At most, from one attraction to the other will only take you a 20 to 30 minutes drive. Here are several things to do in Johor in no particular order.

Entrance to Legoland Malaysia
Legoland Malaysia entrance
1. Visit Legoland Malaysia

Opened in September 2012,  Legoland is Malaysia's first-ever international theme park in Malaysia's southern part.

This modern park measuring 76-acre (31 hectares), is brought together by IDR Resorts and UK-based Merlin Entertainment, costing a whopping RM750 million.

There have been over 1,000,000 visitors to the park, and the number is rising. A must-visit if you have kids and prepare to spend at least half a day there.

Before entering the park, the Medini Mall is where you can find various restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, and even a general store. If not, you can also try the many restaurants inside Legoland Malaysia.

The entrance fees cover all the rides inside the park; you only pay for food and souvenirs. The park is building the Legoland Water Park, which will open in 2013 and the Legoland Hotel in 2014.

You can also see some of my Legoland opening pictures. When I visited here for the official opening of this place. 

Johor Hello Kitty Town
Hello Kitty Town entrance in Johor
2. Visit Hello Kitty Town Malaysia

Update 2021: Hello Kitty Town has been closed since 1st Jan 2020. 

Sanrio Hello Kitty Town is an indoor theme park housed in the Puteri Harbour building in Nusajaya recently opened at the end of October 2012.

Suitable for children and those who love the cute pink Japanese kitten, the Hello Kitty Town is located on the Puteri Harbour building's first floor.

Hello, Kitty Town has also located just a 10 to 15 minutes drive from Legoland, so you can visit both places in one day.

I suggest visiting Hello Kitty Land after Legoland as it is fully air-conditioned here. There are restaurants, cafes, rides, and a large souvenir shop.

The attraction is also about a 20-30 minutes drive from Singapore. For more pictures, directions and ticket prices, read this article on Hello Kitty Town in Johor.

Johor Puteri Harbor
The main entertainment building at Puteri Harbor in Johor
3. Visit Puteri Harbor 

Puteri Harbour is a 60,000 square feet massive indoor facility and is one of the five flagship zones.  in Iskandar Malaysia, Johor.

The entertainment hub will comprise The Little Big Club, designed around HIT Entertainment's famous characters, namely Thomas & Friends™, Bob the Builder™, Angelina Ballerina™; Barney & Friends™ and Pingu™, apart from the most popular attraction here, Hello Kitty Town.

Attractions at Putri Harbor
Puteri Harbor attractions
There is also a unique themed family restaurant by famous local Malaysian cartoonist Lat, where you can savour authentic local Malaysian delight apart from experiencing the attractions.

There are three main attractions under one roof, and Puteri Harbour is also about 10 minutes from Legoland Malaysia and about 20 minutes drive from the Singapore checkpoint.

Johor Danga Bay
Danga Bay at night
4. Visit Danga Bay

Danga Bay in Johor is well known as one of the first projects after the Iskandar Malaysia launch. Teluk Danga in Malay is also the premier waterfront city and the largest recreational park in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

The bay area is spread over 450 acres of land with 25km of waterfront shoreline dotted with residential projects, upmarket condominiums, restaurants, mini theme parks, and modern office buildings.

In the vicinity, there are several hotels and business developments too. One of the prominent hotels here is the Tune Hotels Danga Bay, which is at the highway's main junction.

I stayed at this hotel because it was convenient for me to move around the area. Danga Bay is also about 10 to 15 minutes from the main CIQ causeway to Singapore.

JPO Johor
Coach Factory Outlet at Johor Premium Outlets or JPO
5. JPO or Johor Premium Outlets

Johor Premium Outlets are a must-vis any family visiting the state. This is Malaysia's first international factory outlet store that caters to many branded and top brands.

Shopping enthusiasts will find that this factory outlet offers up to 70% discounts on many branded items. The Johor Premium Outlet is also located about 20 minutes from Legoland and Hello Kitty Town and about 30 minutes from Singapore.

For more pictures, listings, and directions, please see this JPO article. And for those Malaysians heading south for these attractions, I would also recommend you dedicate an extra day to covering Universal Studios Singapore, as it is a short drive across the border.

Conclusion

There are, of course, many other things to do in Johor, namely exploring nature or going on a culinary food hunt. Still, these are currently the most popular attractions catered to mainstream tourists.

If you stay in the central city of Johor Bharu, you will also find some fascinating museums and other places of interest.

And if you love the sea, there are beaches scattered around the state, which I have not put in and will do so in my next article, so I hope you enjoy this list of things to do in Johor.

Malaysia Asia

Blogging since 2007, but writing online since 1997. I belong to the 1st generation of worldwide bloggers, which is of course old-school. Since 2008, I created Malaysia Asia and this travel, flood, gadget and lifestyle blog has won numerous physical awards from tourism boards around Malaysia. (Not those online awards). After 12 years of blogging, I have semi-retired and now blog about things I like, do product reviews and enjoy life. My work has been featured in Lonely Planet, CNN Travel, Yahoo Travel, Wall Street Journal, and many other international publications. Find out more about me and thank you.

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