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© Lonely Planet Publications 244 www.lonelyplanet.com 245 Johor Lashed to Singapore across the Strait of Johor by a Causeway and bridge, Johor is the Malay Peninsula’s southernmost and most populous state and one of Malaysia’s most economically vibrant regions. Although eclipsed by the dazzling city-state of Singapore, the state capital Johor Bahru (JB) has forged a robust and healthy economy. Travel-wise, Johor Bahru’s squalid central core north of the Causeway is a turn-off, even for those fleeing squeaky clean Sin- gapore, but determined visitors can seek refuge in pockets of interest, not least of all the impressive Royal Abu Bakar Museum and JB’s reputation for tasty dining. But there’s little reason to linger in Johor Bahru and travellers will be quick to trade its urban monotones for Johor’s abundant natural charms. The relaxed fishing village of Mersing on the east coast dispatches legions of wayfarers bouncing over the waters of the South China Sea to the beautiful islands of the Seribuat Archipelago. Most reach dry land at Pulau Tioman in Pahang state, one of Malaysia’s most stunning isles, but there’s a tempting cluster of smaller and less-visited islands to select from in the aquamarine waters. For those seeking sun, sand, snorkelling and all the trappings of an island paradise, there’s little need to go further. JOHOR For those aiming to hit the high ground, Gunung Ledang offers a great escape in the far west of Johor. Further inland, trekkers can penetrate Endau-Rompin National Park and explore some of the last undisturbed swathes of lowland rainforest in Peninsular Malaysia, where excellent hiking opportunities abound and rumours of an elusive apeman, the Snaggle-Toothed Ghost, persist. HIGHLIGHTS Admiring the sultan’s treasures at the Royal Abu Bakar Museum ( p249 ) in Johor Seribuat Archipelago Bahru (JB) Endau-Rompin National Park Clambering up Gunung Ledang ( p255 ), Gunung Ledang Johor’s loftiest peak Mersing Recharging in unhurried Mersing ( p255 ) and launching trips to the breathtaking islands nearby Immersing yourself in the waters and beautiful island panoramas of the Seribuat Archipelago ( p258 ) Penetrating the jungle and pondering the Johor Bahru thundering waterfalls of Endau-Rompin National Park ( p260 ) TELEPHONE CODES: 06, 07 POPULATION: 3 MILLION AREA : 19,984 SQ KM 246 JOHOR www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com JOHOR •• Johor Bahru 247 0 50 km JOHOR 0 30 miles disappeared in the early years of the 20th Johor Bahru is also connected to Kuala century. Throughout the 18th century the Lumpur (KL) by rail and is accessed from Tasik To Kuantan Bera S Bugis influence in the state increased. How- Singapore by rail and road. There are also u n g a 63 S O U T H ever, when the Dutch East India Company boat services to ports in Sumatra from Johor i R om Pulau 11 pin C H I N A Tulai wrested control of Riau (in Indonesia) and Bahru. The airport is 32km northwest of JB, NEGERI S E A Johor in 1784, the era of Bugis domination in Senai. At Ayer Hitam on the Lebuhraya SEMBILAN Kuala Pulau Rompin Tioman of western Malaya came to an end. (North–South Hwy), Route 50 splits off east S e Pulau r In 1819, with the court of the Johor sultan to Mersing. Route 3 in the east connects PAHANG Pulau i b Sembilan Seribuat u a split by Malay and Bugis factions, Sir Tho- Mersing to Johor Bahru. To Seremban; t Kuala Lumpur 12 Kuala Endau Pulau A mas Stamford Raffles succeeded in bringing See transport sections in Johor Bahru Kinchin Penyabong Mertang r 1 Pulau c Timor h about the cession of Singapore to the Brit- ( p252 ), Muar ( p254 ) and Mersing ( p258 ) Harimau i Gemas gai p Sun 3 e Segamat Pulau l Pulau a ish and the pensioning-off of the sultans, for details of connections to destinations Endau-Rompin En Rawa g da Hujung o National Park u Pulau Tengah while actual power went to the temenggong within Johor and to the rest of Peninsular ὈὈGunung Gunung Su Gunung (Malay minister in charge of defence and Malaysia. Bekok n Mersing Pulau Ledang Tiong Kampung g Labis (953m) (1014m) ai Besar (1276m) Peta ng Nita justice). The temenggong continued to ex- Sagil ero Le r b Pulau nggor Kampung ercise proficient rule in the state, the most JOHOR BAHRU ua Sem Tenggeroh Tinggi Tangkak M %07 i gai Jemaluang notable among them being the flamboyant nga Sun Su Kahang Pulau 1 Sibu Abu Bakar, who elevated himself to the po- Capital of the state of Johor, Johor Bahru To Melaka 50 Tanjung sition of sultan of Johor in 1886. Through (popularly called JB) is the southern gate- ὈὈ Leman his contacts with influential people in Lon- way to Peninsular Malaysia, connected to Muar Kluang Gunung don and Singapore, he was able to resist Singapore by road and rail across a 1038m- Belumut 3 (1010m) British attempts to bring Johor closer under long Causeway. JB inevitably suffers from 5 Gunung its control. Abu Bakar also undertook an comparisons with its successful, plutocratic Ayer 91 Muntahak (634m) Teluk Hitam Mahkota ambitious programme of modernisation for southern neighbour. Historical significance (North- Tanjung Batu Lebuhraya Kota Tinggi the state, while continuing to live the high and pockets of interest aside, few foreign JOHOR Tohor Pahat South Hwy) Waterfall life. Today he is fondly remembered as the travellers linger in JB, and the city is largely Kota Tinggi 1 Father of Johor. a transit point for those on the way to more Kulai Su 92 JOHOR JOHOR 5 ng Abu Bakar’s successor and son, Ibrahim, exotic destinations. On the practical side, Senai ai International Johor was less powerful and in 1914 was forced by flying into or out of JB rather than using Selat Melaka Airport Jo Lama (Strait of Melaka) h or the British to accept a ‘general adviser’ who Singapore as a regional transport hub can Johor Bahru Tanjung Pasir Belungkur had powers similar to those exercised by net big savings on tickets ( p505 ). Pontian Gudang Kecil Desaru the British Residents in other states. Sultan On weekends and public holidays, Singa- 89 Second Link Ibrahim was still the ruler of Johor when it poreans flock across the Causeway for shop- (Linkedua) Pulau S I N G A P O R E Kukup became part of the Federation of Malaya in ping and excitement. Central JB exudes a Kukup seedy border-town feel, but a government SINGAPORE 1948. The state capital Johor Bahru (JB) was Tanjung Piai only promoted to the rank of city in 1994. crackdown on JB’s fleshpot reputation, Straits of Singapore coupled with a spiralling crime rate (in- Climate cluding bag-snatching and car theft) have History Acehnese attacks on Johor continuing well The temperature in Johor ranges from 21°C sent male Singaporeans elsewhere for their Johor’s history is really a continuation of into the 17th century. to 32°C, with an average humidity exceed- paid pleasures. Street theatre is provided Melaka’s. With the fall of Melaka to the Johor’s trump card came in the form ing 82%. Although there is rain through by medicine vendors dangling snakes and Portuguese in the 16th century, Johor of the Dutch, with whom they formed an the year, the wettest months are from May promising penis enlargement with their emerged as the pre-eminent Malay state, its alliance to take over Melaka in 1641 (see to December. elixirs; turbaned bomoh (Islamic spiritual rulers seen as the protectors of the western p33 ). A war with the Bugis (a warrior-like healers) selling magical ‘love oil’ at astro- Malay states. The Portuguese soon attacked seafaring group of Malay settlers from Ma- National Parks nomical prices; and Chinese fortune tellers Johor, but were eventually content to allow cassar (Ujung Padang) in Celebes who rose Johor’s prime national park, Endau- divining futures with the hexagrams of the its leaders to rule from their capital on Sun- to power in Selangor) in 1716 weakened Rompin ( p260 ), is a remote 870-sq-km ex- yijing. (Book of Changes or I-Ching). The gai Johor (Johor River), despite the sultans’ Johor, and further political instability fol- panse of jungle in the north. For details of kedai gunting rambut (barber shops) are a impediment to trade in the area. lowed when a Minangkabau, Raja Kecil other parks, contact the Johor National Parks frequent sight, offering not haircuts, but The kingdom of Aceh on the northern tip of Siak, claimed the throne and overthrew Corporation (%07-223 7471; www.johorparks.com). women. of Sumatra also had ambitions in the area. the weak sultan in 1719. His control lasted A major part of the Singapore–Johor–Riau The second half of the 16th century saw a for just two years, when the Buginese in- Getting There & Around growth triangle (Sijori), JB is a burgeoning three-way struggle between the Portuguese, stalled Sulaiman, the son of the former The Lebuhraya (North–South Hwy), con- centre of investment and construction. A dis- Johor and Aceh for control of the peninsula sultan Abdul Jalil, on the throne. His de- necting Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur, tinctively designed international convention and Selat Melaka (Strait of Melaka), with scendants ruled the state until it eventually is the main transport artery to the north. centre, topped with an angled, oblate roof, is 248 JOHOR •• Johor Bahru www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com JOHOR •• Johor Bahru 249 0 800 m JOHOR BAHRU 0 0.5 miles construction efforts shaking up the area – MEDICAL SERVICES is just east of the tatty grid of streets that Sultanah Aminah Hospital (%223 1666; Jln Skudai) ACB D make up the centre of town.