Johor Bahru (Jawi: جوهر بهرو, Chinese: 新山) (also Johor Baru or Johore Baharu, or just JB) is Malaysia's second largest city, and the state capital of Johor. The city is surrounded by suburbs, industrial parks and long waterfront areas, in the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Johor Bahru is the second largest city in Malaysia and a fast-growing city. The city has about 860,000 inhabitants (2020), and its district has about 1.7 million. Johor Bahru is mostly suburban and lacks a condensed metropolitan environment. Given its relatively large land space, the city is not as dense as many other cities in the country. Many of the world's top electronics manufacturers have at least one plant in Johor Bahru. Due to its proximity to Singapore, Johor Bahru is frequently visited by Singaporeans looking to take advantage of its much lower prices, particularly on weekends.
If you wish to explore Johor Bahru by bus, the main bus terminals of the city are Larkin Sentral, 7 JB Sentral, 8 Taman Johor Jaya and 9 Ulu Tiram. From these terminals, buses going to almost major suburbs of Johor Bahru as well as Kulai, Iskandar Puteri and Pasir Gudang. The destination also serves Pontian Kechil, Ayer Hitam and Kota Tinggi in the neighbouring districts of Johor Bahru. Public buses are operated by BAS.MY Johor Bahru, easily identifiable by their bright pink livery. These buses accept Manjalink cards (a local pre-paid card), ManjaPay, contactless cards (Visa and Mastercard only!), and cash. No change is provided. The last of these buses leave JB Sentral at around 11PM.
Johor Bahru has a well-mixed balance of things to see from historic, traditional and modern landmarks, cultural and religious places, sports and entertainment venues, as well as nature from city parks and seafront places. Most of the tourist places are well spread throughout the city. So if you plan to go to any corner of the city, you will always find something interesting to see, to do or to enjoy. 2 Chinatown, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee (walk from JB Sentral bus terminal or train station). This historical Chinese community area is located mostly along the Tan Hiok Nee Street.
Johor's top theme park, Legoland Malaysia, is some 20 km away in the satellite town of Iskandar Puteri and covered in that article. It can easily be visited on a day trip from JB. 1 Legoland Malaysia, 7, Persiaran Medini Utara 3, ☏ +607 597 8888, info@legoland.my. 9:00 AM - 6:30 PM. Has 40 interactive rides and attractions and is the first Legoland in Asia. There are public buses from JB Sentral, Larkin Bus Terminal, Johore Premium Outlets, Gelang Petah, the Second Link and Senai Airport. (updated Jun 2025) 2 Austin Heights Water and Adventure Park, No.
Johor Bahru offers local delicacies of Malaysia to Western and Asian choices of food. Dining venues range from budget and mid-range eateries to high-end restaurants with various price ranges. Many of them are in restaurant and entertainment districts, shopping malls, along sea fronts, hawker centres, pedestrian zones, food courts, stand alone food stalls or even food trucks. Alternatively, you can always use food delivery apps from your mobile phone to get your favorite foods delivered straight to your accommodation from major restaurants in the city. Halal-certified logos are displayed at many restaurant entrances.
In some particular areas, the nightlife scene in Johor Bahru can be quite an adventure with many choices available on the ground. The most popular inland nightlife areas within the Johor Bahru metropolitan area, are the Mount Austin and Sutera Utama areas for younger crowds, where it features nightclubs, pubs, bars, restaurants, cafes, karaokes, gaming centres, shops and an occasional night market. A well-known concentrated drinking area along the coast is The ZON at Stulang Laut. It features The ZON Duty Free shopping mall selling alcoholic beverages tax-free, but you must pay upon exiting the area through the customs. It also features many pubs and nightclubs within the duty-free precinct.
As of 2025, Johor Bahru has become the city in Malaysia with the second lowest crime rate. However, it used to have a bad reputation, due in part to sensationalised reports by some foreign media of crimes committed against their citizens; the proximity to super safe Singapore hasn't helped perceptions. Having said all that: Do not carry a handbag when walking around town. Snatch thieves have been known to snatch handbags away while their victims are walking on the street, using a motorcycle.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Aug, Johor Bahru typically sees ~31°C daytime highs and 24 rainy days.
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