Things to do in Johor

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.