JOHOR © Lonely Planet Publications Lashed

JOHOR 245 Seribuat Archipelago Mersing Johor Bahru 19,984 SQ KM : AREA National Park Endau-Rompin Gunung Ledang Seribuat Seribuat POPULATION: 3 MILLION 3 MILLION POPULATION: ( p249 ) in Johor ) in Johor p249 ( Mersing ( p255 ) Endau-Rompin Endau-Rompin Royal Abu Bakar Museum Bahru (JB) Johor’s loftiest peak and launching trips to the breathtaking islands nearby beautiful island panoramas of the Archipelago ( p258 ) thundering waterfalls of National Park ( p260 ) at the Admiring the sultan’s treasures Clambering up Gunung Ledang ( p255 ), in unhurried Recharging and Immersing yourself in the waters the jungle and pondering Penetrating TELEPHONE CODES: 06, 07 06, 07 TELEPHONE CODES: HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

But there’s little reason to linger in Johor Bahru to linger in Johor will be quick to trade its urban and travellers little reason But there’s escape in the a great offers For those aiming to hit the high ground, Gunung Ledang Johor and bridge, Johor is the Malay across the Strait of Johor by a Causeway Lashed to Singapore and one of Malaysia’s most economically southernmost and most populous state Peninsula’s capital the state of Singapore, Although eclipsed by the dazzling city-state vibrant regions. Johor Bahru Johor Bahru’s (JB) a robust and healthy economy. Travel-wise, squalid has forged northfor those fleeing squeaky clean Sin- is a turn-off, even central core of the Causeway not least of all the in pockets of interest, visitors can seek refuge but determined gapore, Royal Abu Bakar for tasty dining. Museum and JB’s reputation impressive fishing village of Mersing on the relaxed The monotones for Johor’s abundant natural charms. of the South China Sea the waters bouncing over of wayfarers east coast dispatches legions in Tioman dry land at Pulau Most reach to the beautiful islands of Seribuat Archipelago. of smaller cluster a tempting one of Malaysia’s most stunning isles, but there’s state, Pahang For those seeking sun, sand, islands to select from in the aquamarine waters. and less-visited little need to go further. snorkelling and all the trappings of an island paradise, there’s and Endau-Rompin National Park can penetrate inland, trekkers Further far west of Johor. Malaysia, in Peninsular some of the last undisturbed swathes lowland rainforest explore excellent hiking where opportunities apeman, the abound and rumours of an elusive Ghost, persist. Snaggle-Toothed www.lonelyplanet.com © Lonely Planet Publications 244 JOHOR and Selat Melakaand Selat (Strait of Melaka), with Johor and Acehfor control of the peninsula thePortuguese, three-way between struggle halfof a The second the 16thcenturysaw of Sumatra alsohadambitions inthearea. impediment totrade inthearea. River),gai Johor despite (Johor thesultans’ its leaders onSun- torule fromtheircapital Johor, butwere content eventually to allow Malay soonattacked states. ThePortuguese as theprotectorsrulers seen of thewestern emerged asthepre-eminent Malay state,its inthe16thcentury,JohorPortuguese Melaka’s. Withthefallof Melaka tothe Johor’s historyisreally acontinuation of 246 History History To Melaka SEMBILAN JOHOR Muar NEGERI The kingdomof Acehonthenorthern tip 1 To Seremban; Kuala Lumpur Tasik Tangkak Sagil JOHOR Bera Gemas Gunung (1276m) Ledang Tanjung 5 Tohor

Su (Strait of Melaka) of (Strait

n g a

Selat Melaka Selat i M uar 11 Segamat 12 Pahat Batu Labis ὈὈ ὈὈ

1 S

u n

Gunung i (953m) R PAHANG

Bekok

Hitam o

Ayer m

n 63

5 (North- Kluang Endau-Rompin

National Park

Gunung (1014m) Lebuhraya South Hwy) South Kinchin Tiong Kuala To Kuantan Pontian Kukup Kecil Pulau

Sun gai Kampung scendants ruled the state until it eventually scendants ruled thestate until iteventually Abdulsultan Jalil, onthe throne. His de- Sulaiman,the sonofstalled the former for just two years, in- when theBuginese in1719. Hiscontrol lastedthe weak sultan of Siak,claimedthethroneand overthrew Kecillowed whenaMinangkabau, Raja Johor, fol- andfurtherpolitical instability in1716weakenedto powerinSelangor) (Ujungcassar Padang) whorose inCelebes groupof Malayseafaring settlersfromMa- p33 ). Awarwith theBugis(awarrior-like alliance totake over Melaka in1641(see of theDutch, with whomtheyformedan into the17thcentury. onJohor attacks continuingwell Acehnese

1 Sun Peta Tanjung Kukup

50 Second Link (Linkedua) En Piai

Johor’s trumpcardcameintheform gai Rompin Kuala da Belumut

Gunung 91

(1010m) Sem Endau u bero

Kahang ng Kulai

Penyabong

n S OUTH S INGAPORE C HINA g ai 0 0 Kota Tinggi S EA International Nita Waterfall

Airport

Mersing

Senai Muntahak Le 3 Gunung nggor (634m) Bahru Johor Sembilan Jemaluang Pulau Mertang Timor Pulau Hujung SINGAPORE

Pulau

Pasir ng Gudang ai Tenggeroh

Seribuat Kampung

www.lonelyplanet.com

Jo Harimau Pulau Kota Tinggi

Straits of Singapore h Pulau Pulau or Besar Pulau Tengah 92

Pulau Rawa

Tanjung S

Leman

Lama Johor e

r Pulau

Tulai i

Belungkur a Tanjung t

Pulau A

Sibu r c

Teluk p Mahkota e

l a g Tinggi o Pulau 89 30 miles Tioman 50 km Pulau Desaru only promoted totherankof cityin1994. was (JB) Johor1948. Thestatecapital Bahru became partof theFederation of Malaya in Ibrahim wasstilltherulerof Johor whenit the BritishResidentsinotherstates. Sultan had powersexercised by similartothose the Britishtoaccepta‘general who adviser’ was lesspowerfulandin1914 forced by Father of Johor. life. Todayheisfondlyremembered asthe the state,whilecontinuingtolive thehigh ambitious programmeof for modernisation its control. Abu alsoundertookan Bakar British attempts under tobringJohor closer don andSingapore, hewasabletoresist withinfluentialpeopleinLon- his contacts sition of of sultan Johor in1886.Through Abu tothepo- himself whoelevated Bakar, amongthembeingtheflamboyant notable proficientercise ruleinthestate,most continuedtoex- justice). Thetemenggong (Malay minister incharge of defence and while actualpowerwenttothe ish andthepensioning-offof thesultans, about thecessionof Singapore totheBrit- mas Stamford inbringing succeeded Raffles split byMalay andBugisfactions,SirTho- of western Malaya cametoanend. Johor in1784,theeraof Bugisdomination wrested controlof Riau(inIndonesia)and IndiaCompany when theDutchever, East Bugis influenceinthestateincreased. How- the18thcentury century. Throughout disappeared intheearlyyears of the20th www.lonelyplanet.com is the maintransport artery tothe north. and KualaLumpur,necting Johor Bahru (North–South Hwy), con- The Lebuhraya &Around There Getting Corporation the other parks,contact of ofpanse jungleinthenorth.For details Rompin ( p260 ), isaremote 870-sq-km ex- Johor’s primenational park,Endau- National Parks to December. the year,wettest months are from May thereing 82%.Although israinthrough to 32°C,withanaverage humidityexceed- The temperature inJohor ranges from21°C Climate Abu successorandson,Ibrahim, Bakar’s In 1819,withthecourtof theJohor sultan ( % 07-223 7471;www.johorparks.com)

Johor NationalParks temenggong . centre, topped with anangled, oblate roof, is tinctively designed international convention centre of investment andconstruction. Adis- growth triangle (Sijori),JB isaburgeoning women. frequent offering sight, nothaircuts,but kedai gunting rambut (barbershops)are a yijing. (Bookof Changes or I-Ching).The divining futures with thehexagramsof the fortunetellersnomical prices;and Chinese healers) magical ‘love selling oil’atastro- elixirs; turbaned promising penisenlargement withtheir by medicinevendors dangling snakes and paid pleasures. Street theatre isprovided maleSingaporeanssent elsewhere fortheir cluding bag-snatching andcartheft)have coupled withaspirallingcrime rate (in- crackdown onJB’sfleshpotreputation, border-townseedy feel, butagovernment JBexudesa ping andexcitement. Central forshop- poreans flockacrosstheCauseway net bigsavings ontickets ( p505 ). Singapore asaregional transporthubcan flying intooroutof JBratherthanusing exotic destinations.Onthepracticalside, ontheway tomorea transitpointforthose travellers linger inJB,andthecityislargely and pockets of interest aside,few foreign southern neighbour. Historicalsignificance comparisons withitssuccessful,plutocratic suffers from JBinevitably long Causeway. Singapore byroadandrailacrossa1038m- way toPeninsular Malaysia, connected to (popularly calledJB)isthesoutherngate- of thestateofCapital Johor, Johor Bahru % JOHOR BAHRU Malaysia. within Johor andtotherest of Peninsular (p258) Mersing and offor details connectionstodestinations (p254) Muar ( p252), Mersing toJohor Bahru. to Mersing. Route 3intheeastconnects (North–South Hwy),Route 50splitsoff east Lebuhraya onthe AtAyerHitam in Senai. Theairportis32kmnorthwestof JB, Bahru. toportsinSumatrafromJohor boat services Singapore byrailandroad.There are also from Lumpur (KL)byrailandisaccessed isalsoconnectedJohor toKuala Bahru A major partof the Singapore–Johor–Riau On weekends and publicholidays,Singa- See transport sections inJohor Bahru transportsections See 07 JOHOR ••JohorBahru bomoh (Islamicspiritual

247 JOHOR JOHOR ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ

JOHOR 248 to be pricklyand Malaysia and Singapore are tions withits southerly neighbour continue face of atonecostlyswipe. Johor Rela- Bahru due forcompletion in2006), changing the antine complex (CIQcomplex; tentatively vast newCustoms, ImmigrationandQuar- the tohouse isset adjacent tothetrain station constructionsite going upwhilea colossal 4 1 3 2 5 JOHOR BAHRU To IstanaBukit Serene (3km) JOHOR •• Johor Bahru JOHOR ••JohorBahru

(Jln Selat Tebrau)

Sultan AbuBakarMosque...... Royal AbuBakarMuseum...... Roufo Gumiao...... Bangunan SultanIbrahim...... United OverseasBank...... Tourism Malaysia...... (see3) Times...... (see 29) Sultanah AminahHospital...... Public Bank...... Popular...... (see 29) Myoutdoor.com...... (see 29) Meeting Point...... (see13) Malaysia Airlines...... Immigration Office...... HSBC...... oo ors nomto ete.A4 Johor TouristInformationCentre.. SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Jln Scudai Jln

Jln Air Molek Molek Air Air Jln Jln 2

(Strait of Johor) of (Strait

Jln Jln

Selat Johor Selat 3 Abd Abd International Persada Johor Convention 200 m

Center

ull ull

ah ah

8 Jln Sung Jln

Ibr Ibr

Jln Abu Bakar Abu Jln

35 a

h h im Persiaran Tun Sri Lalang im Mariamman To Mutiara; 34 19

Jln Ungku Temple (pp249-50) 1 31

Meisan ai Chat ai

Sri

Jln W W Jln Jln Jln

Jln Ibrahim Jln 5

Trus

Trus 11 10

ong Ah Fook Ah ong ong Ah Fook Ah ong 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 15 36 Lot 1ShoppingComplex Puan C5 C5 B3 A4 B4 B5 B3 D3 A3 B4 23 JB WaterfrontCity, 29 13

24 Jln Station B Restoran Medina...... Restoran AlifLaila...... Piccolo...... (see 15) Pasar Malam...... Marina SeafoodRestaurant...... (see20) Kenny RogersRoasters...... (see29) House ofSundaneseFood...... (see29) Tropical Inn...... Top Hotel...... Straits ViewHotel...... Puteri PacificHotel...... Merlin Inn...... Meldrum Hotel...... JB Hotel...... Hotel GrandContinental...... Gateway Hotel...... Compact Hotel...... yt eec...... B5 Hyatt Regency...... EATING SLEEPING 16 Jln Siu

Nam

17 Jln Meldrum Meldrum Jln Jln 6 Johor Bahru

7 Checkpoint Immigration

Causeway

Chin Jln Siu 25

27 Jln Jln Tun Abdul Tun Jln 12 Abdul Tun Jln 21

ὈὈ ὈὈ Mahmodiah 33

Razak Razak Jln Lumb Jln Tanjong a Kuda

Puteri 18 (see the aged Causeway opposite ). still wranglingover anewbridge toreplace Sentral, a major component ofSentral, the colossal –awaiting reinventiontrain station as JB way drive intotheheart of straight JB. The The road andrailwayacross theCause- Orientation 11

Jln Ibrahim Jln Jln Gertak Seri InternationalAirport(32km); (pp251-2) (pp250-1)

Merah To HolidayPlaza(500m);

Jln Abdul Rahman Abdul Jln 25

24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 Kartika Airlines(32km); Andak Riao Airlines(32km); Kebun Bunga Taxi Station(1km); Mersing (133km); Larkin Bus& B3 B3 B3 D3 B3 B4 B3 B3 D4 B4 A5 B3 C3 Melaka 206km)

28 Jln Tun Abdul Razak Abdul Tun Jln Church ofthe TRANSPORT SHOPPING Bus StopforBusesto Kompleks TunAbdulRazak Johor BahruCitySquare...... Best World...... Tepian Tebrau...... Selera SungaiChat...... Restoran Vedhas...... (see22) Taxis toSingapore...... (see36) Orix...... (see 22) Mayflower...... Local BusStop...... Hertz...... Singapore/Immigration...... Avis...... (see 22) D3 Plaza Pelangi...... Plaza KotaRaya...... (Komtar)...... Immaculate Conception

See Enlargement Jln Ling (Inner Jln Yahya Awal Yahya Jln 0 0 ch

To HolidayPlaza(0.5km);

Ring

Abdullah Tahir Abdullah

r an Mersing (133km);

Melaka (206km)

Rd)

Dalam Jln Datuk Jln (FreeZoneComplex;2km); www.lonelyplanet.com 14

Persiaran Tun Sri Lalang 22 Jln Storey Jln 30 Kompleks BebasCukai Sriwani Tours&Travel

Jln Tebrau Quarantine Complex D 32 (p252) 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 Immigration &

Singapore Jln Kuning Jln 4 Customs, B3 B4 B3 B3 B3 D4 B3 C3 B5 A5 Johor Bahru 800 m 0.5 miles To Wisma Persekutuan, JlnAirMolek) it headsawayfromtheCauseway. namechanges several Ibrahim undergoes as Merah.tak Insimilarfashion,themajor Jln becomes JlnYahya JlnGer- Awalasitcrosses the spaceof afew kilometres egJlnAirMolek northwest of thecitycentre, inSenai. International Airportis32km tion. Senai is5kmnorthwestofstation thetrainsta- Tuas inSingapore’s west. jung Kupanginthesouthwestof Johor with Johorbetween andSingapore connectsTan- Link(Linkedua) TheSecond and museum. district withitsparkland,colonialbuildings waterfront, leadingyoutothecity’scolonial JlnIbrahimstretches Causeway, alongJB’s make upthecentre of town.West of the is justeastof gridof thetatty streets that shakinguptheareaconstruction efforts – www.lonelyplanet.com Meeting Point Meeting ping mallsaroundtown(see p252 ). Internet caféscanbefoundinmost shop- ACCESSINTERNET office Immigration IMMIGRATION OFFICES Times Popular BOOKSHOPS Information 10pm) Just south of the Gateway Hotel. 10pm) JustsouthoftheGateway Bahru CitySq,108JlnWongAhFook) Bahru Wong AhFook) Street namesoften change timesin several busandtaxi long-distance The Larkin Pulau Batu Puteh (calledPedra Branca inSingapore). Malaysia and over maritime boundaries, aswellaterritorial dispute over thetinyislandof Singapore over thebridge, amidcontinuedwrangling over thepriceoffresh-water from imports has been canned (see p28 ). Soit’sonceagain backtothenegotiating tableforMalaysia and withtheCausewayfurious thathisbizarre at theborder, half-bridge,linking visionofacrooked 2006 Malaysiatook theboldstep ofcancellingthe bridgealtogether. Mohamadis Mahathir whose veryproject existence coulddependonanewlink) inchingtowardscompletion,inApril odds over Mohamad. offormer Malaysianprimeminister thislong-timepetproject Mahathir and iscrucialtothe economicdevelopment ofJohor,butMalaysia andSingapore have beenat have commuters chewing theirsteering wheels. Anew causeway bridgeisthe obviousanswer, rush-hourtail-backcanOver 60,000carsdailygrindacrossthe Causeway andtheJohorBahru andSingapore stillsuffersthe mainCauseway JohorBahru connecting fromhorrifyingcongestion. The Second LinkacrosstheStraitofJohorfromwestSingapore haseasedtrafficflows,but BRIDGE OVER TROUBLEDWATERS? Despite Johor Bahru’s US$293millionCustoms,Despite Immigration andQuarantine(CIQ) Johor Bahru’s complex(a ( % ( % 221 9134;LotM4-11&M4-12,Level 4,Johor 221 8970; Johor Bahru CitySq,108Jln 221 8970;JohorBahru (59 Jln Meldrum; perhrRM3; (59 JlnMeldrum; ( %

224 4255;1stfl,BlockB, h 10.30am- Mon-Sat) .com.my; 5thfl,JoticBldg,2JlnAirMolek; Bakar in1866,andisopentothepublic Bakar Abuin VictorianstylebyAnglophilesultan wasbuilt Besar Istana ace, themarvellous Once theJohor royalfamily’sprinciplepal- ROYAL ABUBAKAR MUSEUM Sights bag-snatchers. visitors shouldbealerttomotorcycle-riding travellingAlthough inJBisgenerally safe, Dangers &Annoyances Myoutdoor.com TRAVEL AGENTS InformationCentre Johor Tourist Malaysia Tourism INFORMATION TOURIST Bank Overseas United Public Bank HSBC ATMs. Maestro, Plus,MasterCard, andCirrus Visa rates are competitive. Thefollowingallhave Moneychangers infest thecentralareas, and MONEY Hospital Aminah Sultanah SERVICES MEDICAL 24-hour ATM. Specialising in trips to Malaysia’s islands. toMalaysia’s Specialising intrips Bldg, 2JlnAirMolek; Mon-Sat) 4935; 5thfl,JoticBldg,2JlnAirMolek; (Jln Timbalan)(Jln Hasa24-hourATM. (Jln Wong AhFook) (Jln

(www.myoutdoor.com; Groundfl,Jotic h ( % JOHOR ••JohorBahru 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pmSat) 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, (2JlnWongAhFook)Hasa 222 3590;www.johortourism ( % 223 1666; Jln Skudai) 223 1666;JlnSkudai) h (Jotic; (Jotic; h 9am-5pm % 9am-5pm 223

249 JOHOR JOHOR JOHOR rene counter closes4pm)– adult/child$US7/3; Ibrahim; tive building. impression isthatof acolonialadministra- British clocktowers,semble andtheabiding (principally Victorian).Theminarets re- the magnificent district of greenery andfinebuildings. part of theoldcolonial/royal Johor Bahru, West of isthemostattractive themuseum OTHER SIGHTS as the (State Secretariat Bldg; Bukit Timbalan) Bldg; Bukit (State Secretariat Ibrahim) tects, theimposing lan, designedby Palmer &Turnerarchi- museum. the waterfront, 5kmwestof theAbu Bakar iton open tothepublic,youcanglimpse features not ArtDecoinfluences. Though of Johor. Thepalacewasbuiltin1932and Conception Singapore.attack tress bytheJapanese as they prepared to the citylandmark wasemployedasafor- and indigenous design. Completed in1942, melange of colonialpomp,Islamic motifs Try to get here for theTamil feast of Pon- freshing relief streets. fromJohor’s searing 250 industrial backside. the strait,untiltheysmackintoSingapore’s and messycity.Goodviewsunfurlacross vide agreat breathing spaceinthiscramped entry) are beautifullymanicured andpro- and antelope-leg ashtrays. including elephant’s-foot umbrella stands days whenwildlife wasthere to beshot, has somebizarre exhibitsfrompukka sahib and chairs fromFrance. Thehuntingroom and adazzlingfull-sizedcrystal-glasstable woodenpiecesIndian andMalay carved Japanese,superb exhibitsembraceChinese, asthepalace. The as itwaswhenserved isarranged much themuseum possessions, and privilege of andhousinghis thesultan laysia, conveying thetremendous wealth (atabadexchangepayable inringgit rate). With a32mstonetower, Under constructionfrom1892to 1900, Sitting magnificentlyatopBukitTimba- Church of the Immaculate Churchof theImmaculate The Catholic The 53-hectare palacegrounds(free ofThe finestmuseum itskindinMa-

(Jln Skudai) (Jln JOHOR •• Johor Bahru JOHOR ••JohorBahru isamixture of architectural styles Muzium Diraja Abu Bakar DirajaAbuBakar Muzium ( % istheresidence of thesultan 224 3034; 9 Jln Gereja) 224 3034;9 JlnGereja) Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque Sultan AbuBakar the admissionfee isalso Bangunan SultanIbrahim h 9am-5pm Sat-Thu, ticket Istana Bukit Se- Istana Bukit ( isamighty % provides re- 223 0555;Jln

(Jln (Jln

d RM40-50,fRM60; d RM71.50; interior. adorn thetempleacters effigies whose Shangdi andWeitian Dadi,allTaoist char- dedicated toHongxianDadi,Yuantian RM55/66; within thechurch. colour isheld festival service ful harvest gal inmid-January, whenanintriguingly in thispricebracket. hygienic, animprovement onotherhotels shared shower/toilet)are spaciousand the towncentre. Cheaperfandoubles(with and cleanfurniture atthisgoodchoice in tiled-floor, large showerroomswith TV, with coffee- and tea-making facilities, TV, with coffee- andtea-making facilities, TV, but rooms are well-furnished andspacious rather slack. Theground-floor baris noisy, here can be facing the Straitof Johor, service .jaring.my; 1-D JlnScudai;tw/dRM95/105; .jaring.my; Friday, Saturdayand Sundaybyabout 10%. Hotels inthispricebracket inflate priceson MIDRANGE net caféMeeting Pointisnearby. andattachedshower.TV inter- Theuseful citycentre,tatty allroomshere comewith money thanotherhotels crammedintothe d RM70; destinations onthepeninsula. visitors inSingapore stay toother orflee areprice tags forMalaysia, high andmost Meldrum, inthecentre of town.Budget midrange hotels clusters onandaroundJln The mainzoneof cheap andlow bracket BUDGET otherwise. clude private showerorbath,unlessstated hotel roomsmentionedhereGenerally, in- Sleeping Trus) modation andis reasonably comfortable. centrally located hotel has roomyaccom- and passable showerrooms. and passable Allhave curtains). phone tatty air-con, TV, offers rooms(albeitmusty,with acceptable The Chinese RoufoGumiao The Chinese Gateway Hotel Hotel Gateway Meldrum Hotel Meldrum Top Hotel JB Hotel Straits View Hotel Hotel Straits View , nearthecentre of town,isashrine a Book accommodationBook online at www.lonelyplanet.com a a ) Offering slightly better slightly valuefor Offering ) Thisambitiouslynamedhotel ( % ) Scowling service aside, this Scowlingservice ( % 223 4989;80-AJlnWongAhFook; a

224 4755; 12 Jln Meldrum; s/d224 4755;12JlnMeldrum; ( % ( % ) Air-con doublescome ( % 223 5029;61JlnMeldrum; 227 8988;1JlnSiu Nam; 224 1400;straitsvhjccg@po www.lonelyplanet.com (Roufo Temple; Jln a ) Perched Book accommodationBook online at www.lonelyplanet.com coffee- andtea-making facilities. RM99 (RM30more gets youafridge and roompricestoaround counts clipstandard Nonsmoking floors are offered, anddis- ern furniture, shower roomandhairdryer. mod- work desk,broadband,phone,TV, clean andneat,withplastic-woodfloor, offering goodvalueformoney. Roomsare hotel cleanandmodernhigh-rise fortable, a .com.my; 18JlnWongAhFook;dRM130,juniorsteRM150; popular with kids.Promotional rates hover pool isanattraction, itswaterslides highly and wifi access inthelobby. Theswimming (including thePiccolo, p252 ), cafés,bars centre, restaurants tennis courts andseveral Rooms are fullyequipped, there’s afitness city centre, overlooking theStraitof Johor. breakfast RM175; Dato Sulaiman;dRM410; tennis andsquash courts. restaurant)Chinese and facilitiessuch as of finerestaurants (includingthebasement benefits fromattentive, arange polite staff, time of writing),thiscentrallylocated hotel (underconstructionatthe vention Center modern Persada Johor International Con- RM310, withbreakfast; d RM188,stefrom Ibrahim; pacific.com; JlnAbdullah is recommended. rant here, ( Restaurant Marina Seafood p252 ), phone andcleanshowerrooms.Therestau- www.lonelyplanet.com Mutiara TOP END prices start atRM125. prices start floors, soviewsare excellent;promotional con. Hotel roomsare onthe17thto24th bathtubs,andpowerfulair-with long,deep cold-water juginfridge, cleanbathrooms value, withcoffe are Tropical the slig as JlnSungaiChat;d/ste RM440/850; bahru.regency.hyatt.com; Polo Lounge. is recommended; there’s live musicinthe restaurant,hotel’s Chinese Meisan ( p252 ), minibarandhairdryer.satellite TV, The Rooms are andallcomewith comfortable hotel, located 2kmnorthof thecitycentre. ing foradeluxe optionshouldconsiderthis Tropical Inn Compact Hotel Hotel Compact Pacific Hotel Puteri ) Hyatt Regency Hyatt Regency Right intheheartofRight JB,thisisacom- ) The excellentHyatt iswestof the ( % 332 3800; www.mutiarahotels.com; Jln 332 3800;www.mutiarahotels.com; a ( % e- and te e- and ( ) % Standard roomshere Standard at 224 7888; 15 Jln Gereja; s/dwith 224 7888;15JlnGereja; as as

( 221 3000;www.compacthotel % ( htly tatty, butgood % 222 1234;www.johor ) a-making facilities, a-making facilities, Justsouthof the 223 3333;www.puteri ) Travellers look- h Hotel GrandContinental Hotel breakfast). at aroundRM280(rates quoted include chicken orvegetables), biryaniandcurries. fordable af- excellentandhighly restaurant serving Javanese influencehere. drenched showing the inathicksauce), coconut flavours); and ties includeJohor pore’s foodcourts.Localspeciali- sanitised provides anauthenticalternative toSinga- side theHindutemple,market thisnightly h meals RM10; Restoran AlifLaila Restoran RESTAURANTS HAWKER CENTRES forcheapthe evenings seafood. in poreans alsodriftacrosstheCauseway recommended.around townishighly Singa- ating yourselfatoneof thehawker venues mostappealingactivities,andsati- Bahru’s –is one of JohorDining –especiallyseafood Eating Inn Merlin views overlooking theStraits of Johor. ing upacatch-all of Malaysian food.Ithas serv- andstalls (grilled fish),otherseafood, is celebrated foritsexcellent specialising in centre seafood this otherwell-patronised One kilometre westof Tepian Tebrau is naan (bread baked in aclay oven). ofwell as aselection meat-free dishes and chicken,dishes, dhal curryandtandoori as and northern Indianmeals – ries, andispopular withlocals. very goodvalueinitsrange of rotiandcur- ting, thischeap andfriendlyoutfitoffers what youareon displaysoyoucansee get- RM7; Tebrau; s/dRM253/276; as s&dwithbreakfast RM200; Meldrum; 10 JlnBukit Tepian Tebrau Also recommended: Restoran Vedhas Restoran Selera SungaiChat Selera Pasar malam Restoran Medina Restoran lunch &dinner) breakfast, lunch&dinner) h ) Centrallylocatedandgoodvalue. breakfast, lunch&dinner) murtabak (rotifilledwithmutton, ( % h 276 5522;[email protected]; 24hr) (night market; JlnWongAhFook) (night market; Reasonably priced southern Reasonably ikan bakar. ( % JOHOR ••JohorBahru

Busyandvery popular (Jln Abu Bakar; mealsRM7; Abu Bakar; (Jln as laksa (cnr Jln Meldrum &JlnSiu Niam; (cnr JlnMeldrum 226 0445; 57 Jln Meldrum; meals 226 0445;57JlnMeldrum; (1 Jln Gereja; mealsRM10;(1 JlnGereja; (Jln Abu Bakar; mealsRM20) AbuBakar; (Jln ( % (noodlessteepedin mee rebus (noodles ) This foodcentre 332 3999;799Jln With allitsfood dum biryani ikan bakar Out- 251

JOHOR JOHOR JOHOR laiman; mealsRM45-50; meals RM40-50; RM10) andotherIndonesianfavourites. spicy chicken; RM9), RM39), seabass; for setting pleasant Johor Bahru CitySq Johor Bahru Kenny Rogers Roasters RogersRoasters Kenny dishes. eagerfor those toavoid thepricieràlacarte and fullof flavour. are meals available Set rather expensive, butauthentically spicy this fineSichuan (Szechwan) restaurant are dinner) Wood-fired roastchicken. Sq, JlnWongAhFook;dishesaroundRM32; Square ping centre. of Thebasement Razak Razak with foodcourts.Trythe The shoppingmallsabout townare littered QUICK EATS TGI Friday’s Restaurant Seafood Marina are and Carrefour are inthenorthof town. and afarbetter range. Branches of Jusco for mostgoodsSingapore hasbetter prices some shopping– petrolandgroceries–but tination. Singaporeans docomeacrossfor asa majorJB promotes itself shopping des- Shopping pleks Tun Abdul Razak pleks Tun Abdul Razak dishes, endless soft drink refills and ESPN sports TV. refills andESPNsports drink dishes, endlesssoft meals RM25-30; Coffee Bean are onthegroundfloor.Coffee Bean (wifizone)and cafés; forcoffee, Starbucks Japanesenese, andWestern restaurants and centre include Plaza Pelangi Other large malls tothe northof the city dinner) View Hotel,1-DJlnScudai;mealsRM30; Sunday from9pmtomidnight. strong winelistandlive music Tuesdayto steaks) doublingasapoolsidebar,with a ing alfresco restaurant Italian (pizza,pasta, Plaza Kota Raya oflevel thePlazaKotaRaya h CitySq,108JlnWongAhFook;mealsRM20; Johor Bahru 252 Piccolo Also recommended: Major shopping centres in central JB Meisan Meisan House ofSundaneseFood lunch &dinner) Plaza Kota Raya Plaza Kota Raya JOHOR •• Johor Bahru JOHOR ••JohorBahru

(Komtar; JlnWongAhFook) (108 JlnWongAhFook) ( ( % ( % % h h 222 1234; Hyatt Regency, JlnSungaiChat; 222 1234;HyattRegency, 332 3800; Mutiara Hotel,JlnDatoSu- 332 3800;Mutiara 221 3380;UnitL2-01,BangunanJotic; lunch &dinner)BurgersandWestern dinner daily,lunchSat&Sun) Popular restaurant witha ayam bumburujak (Jln Ungku Puan) Ungku (Jln (Jln WongAhFook) (Jln h (3rd fl, 108 Johor Bahru City (3rd fl,108JohorBahru (Komtar; Jln WongAhFook) siakap bakar (grilled lunch &dinner) satay sunda is stuffed withChi- isstuffed ( (Jln Ungku Puan) Ungku (Jln % Kompleks Tun Abdul ( (Jln Tebrau)(Jln % and theupper 224 1400;Straits Johor Bahru City Johor Bahru h 226 6788;3rdfl, , theflashier h lunch & andKom- Meals at (sixfor lunch & , (mixed Holiday shop- Invit- . Abdul Razak) a ferry terminal (see below ). Complex). Thecomplexalsoincorporates refer toitbyitsEnglish name,Free Zone (locals is about2kmeastof theCauseway Plaza departure park.The regular SBS (citybus) ticket at counter 37at therear, facing the bus buy your 10minutes). every AtLarkin, night, Singapore RM2.40/S$2.10, 6.30am tomid- pore–Johor Express (fromJB/from Bahru cost RM8).Most convenient istheSinga- should to/fromtheCauseway the city(ataxi inconvenientlystation, located 5kmnorthof bus Stbus terminalQueen andJB’sLarkin Frequent Singapore’s run between buses BUS Kukup, Sumatra (see p254 ). southwest of JB,toTanjung also in Balai, sia. Additional boatsdepartfromKukup, way RM82),bothonSumatrain Indone- (one wayRM57)andTanjung Pinang(one tickets tomostdestinations. Tours&Travel Sriwani Cukai, about 2kmeastof theCauseway. Ferries leave fromtheKompleksBebas BOAT Airlines Riau Airlines Malaysia Airlines Kartika Air Asia Airline Offices ( Airport International bytheSenai JB isserved AIR &Away There Getting Sultan, StulangLaut) Cukai, 88 Jln Ibrahim Sultan,StulangLaut) 88JlnIbrahim Cukai, northwest of JB. Flies fromJBtoSurabaya(Thursday). bang (Saturday)inSumatra. FliesfromJBtoPalem- Senai) International Airport, Senai from Singapore. are muchlowerthan Penang Prices andKotaKinabalu. Kuala Lumpur, KualaTerengganu, Kuantan,Kuching,Ipoh, PelangiMenara Bldg,JlnKuning,Taman Pelangi) Flights to Kinabalu and otherdestinations. Kinabalu cost flightstoKL,Ipoh,Penang, KotaBharu,Kuching, eans, the % There are dailydepartures Ampar toBatu Designed specificallytocater toSingapor- 599 4500;www.senaiairport.com) (Jln Dato Sulaiman) (Jln ( % . Kompleks BebasCukai 1300 889933;www.airasia.com) Haslow- ( % (Senai International Airport, Senai) Senai) InternationalAirport, (Senai ( 599 4500; www.riau-airlines.com; 599 4500;www.riau-airlines.com; duty-free shoppingcentre % 334 1011/3310036;1stfl,

( andBestWorld % www.lonelyplanet.com 221 1677;KompleksBebas in Senai, 32km inSenai, (88 Jln Ibrahim (88 JlnIbrahim handles (Jln Tun(Jln 4494) – h taxis cannot cross theCauseway. taxis St terminal costing around RM30.Local city of toOrchard town, withtaxis RdorQueen the (RM270) andMersingKuantan (RM100). Melaka (RM200),KualaLumpur (RM280), (RM120),Kukup(RM60), include Desaru and costs(share with four passengers) taxi amman Temple. destinations Regulartaxi on JlnWongAh FookneartheSriMari- (5km northof town);ahandier terminal is busstation within town–isattheLarkin train station onJlnTunAbdultrain station Razak. Tower’s ground-floor agents opposite the JB, youcanbuytickets fromtheMerlin (RM6.30,twohours).and Desaru Incentral Tingi toKota buses (RM3.80,45minutes) hours).ganu (RM36,eight There are also (RM25,fivetan hours) andKualaTereng- two hours), Pekan (RM25, 2½hours), Kuan- emban (RM25,3½hours), Mersing (RM20, nonstop), Ipohhours), (RM38,eight Ser- hours), KualaLumpur(RM24,fourhours, toMelaka (RM14.50,2½ nies runservices and otheroutlets–numerousbuscompa- of hawker restaurants, stalls, clothesshops another one. your ticket, too,to avoid having topayfor bus after clearingimmigration;hangon to your luggage asyoumaynotboardthesame with Foreitherbus,disembark Causeway. ing Malaysian immigrationjustbefore the Abdul andboardthebusafter clear- Razak the agents onJlnTun facingthetrainstation migration). IncentralJB,buytickets from (afterjust before clearingim- theCauseway onthebus.Youcanboard can bepurchased Tickets 13inLarkin. departing fromstand 10 minutes5.21amand12.44am, between terminal (RM1.70/S$1.30)inSinga pore every San andBan Larkin 170 alsorunsbetween www.lonelyplanet.com JB’s mainlong-distancetaxistation TAXI clogstheroad. way acrosswhentraffic well asbeingfree of charge, thisis thefastest both directions (25minutes oneway).As in It’s possibletowalkacrosstheCauseway ON FOOT Registered toSingapore taxis depart from There isa –afranticsprawl busstation At Larkin 7am-11pm) Plaza Seni TaxiPlaza Seni Terminal blue cabstravel outsidetown, red at Larkin bus station. busstation. at Larkin counter left-luggage

(Jln Trus) (Jln in thecentre (per bagRM2; ( % 223 Trus) Trus) Inatower blockbehindRuofo Temple. .senaiairport.com) venient totake abusortaxi. to Singapore (55minute Bharu.Kuala LipisandKota Trainsalsorun gle train’forJerantut (forTaman Negara), soyoucanboardthe‘jun- furcates atGemas Ipoh, Taiping andButterworth. Thelinebi- TapahSentral, Highlands), Rd(forCameron Tampinthrough (forMelaka), KL Seremban, City Airport Lounge the newCityAirport (RM8,45minutes) thatrunfrom tle buses linked tothecity centre byregular shut- Avis prices are inclusive of insurance andtax. RM1900) foraProton Wira1.5lautomatic; begin ataroundRM168 perday(permonth lows cars toenter Singapore. hire Car prices in Singapore, butcheck thatthehire firmal- hireCar inJBisconsiderablycheaper than CAR front of thepostofficeonJlnIbrahim. town, themostconvenient beingthestopin stopsaround operate fromseveral Local buses BUS JB’s TO/FROM THEAIRPORT Around Getting the oldtrainstation KL (9.23am,1.54pmand11.34pm)from press time,three dailyexpress trainsrunto isbuilt.At JBSentral, and thenewstation, tion andQuarantinecomplex–iscompleted padu project –thenewCustoms,Immigra- Berse- and whenthehugeSelatan Gerbang willbecomedefunctif The oldtrainstation TRAIN Orix Mayflower Hertz .my; on traffic. 30to45minutes,RM35, taking depending in Singapore (RM1.70). Lounge Street toQueen orWoodlandsRd (RM1) ortheSBS (citybus)170fromCity low BusfromCityLounge toKranjiMRT LinkYel-natively jumpontheCauseway central Singapore costsaroundRM30;alter- .com.my; Level 2A, Plaza Seni, JlnTrus) .com.my; Level 2A,Plaza Seni, A taxi between theairport andJBis between A taxi ( ( . A taxi fromtheCityAirportLounge. Ataxi to h Senai International Airport International Senai % % ( % booking office8.30am-9pm) booking 224 4824; G1, Tropical Inn, 15 Jln Gereja) 224 4824;G1,TropicalInn, 15JlnGereja) 224 1215; G9,Tropical Inn,15 JlnGereja) 223 7520; Podium 1-1 C, Menara Ansar 65,Jln 223 7520;Podium 1-1C,Menara ( % is32kmnorthwestof town, 224 1357;www.mayflowercarrental JOHOR ••JohorBahru ( % s), but 223 4727;www.ktmb.com (Kotaraya IIterminal,Jln . The line passes . Thelinepasses

( % it’s more con- 599 4500;www

253 JOHOR JOHOR JOHOR river buildings of turns up several note. near thebusstation. rus, Plus andVisa), a 24-hour ATM (MasterCard, Maestro, Cir- Muar River, there branch with isanHSBC On JlnMaharani, which runsalong the Parade shopping mallinthecentre of town. crop of churches. inthe town’ssizeable community isevident AlargeJohor Christian Bahru. Chinese for aninteresting Melaka stopbetween and commercialcentre.an important Itmakes bustling Chinatown,Muarwashistorically Malaysian inmoodand withthefeel of a A lethargic riverside town,languorously % Muar kampung (villages). of aseries quaint fairly scenicandpasses Thecoastroadispineapple plantations. productive region of palmoil,rubberand Roads northtoMelaka a runthrough JOHOR BAHRUTOMELAKA Kukup Feri calltheferrydetails operatorAgensi return RM50/70)inIndonesia. Formore terminal andTanjung (oneway/ Balai persons) allthewayto/fromJBcostsRM60. (RM10).Acharteredtake ataxi (forfour taxi Pontian Kecil (RM5,2½hours), andthen draws astratumof businesstypes. idyllandthegolf course it’s nosecluded atweekends. Thefoodisgood,but masse munchies,the prospectof arrive seafood en over thewater. Singaporeans, fired upby onstilts set sumed inopen-airrestaurants prawns andchilli crab),which are con- (mostnotably is knownforitsseafood of Melaka, thefishingvillage of Kukup About 40km southwestof JB,ontheStrait % Kukup AROUND JOHORBAHRU sightseeing. can behired ataroundRM25perhourfor with anaverage tripcostingRM7.Taxis gally required them.FlagfallisRM2, touse Taxis inJBhave meters, and drivers are le- TAXI 254 The graceful colonial district bythe An internet caféislocated intheWetex Ferries Kukup’sferry run dailybetween To reach Kukup,take bus3fromJBto 06 07 JOHOR •• Around Johor Bahru JOHOR ••AroundJohorBahru ( % 696 1888) . wooden doors. vegetables andgarlic;RM4).Lookfor the RM2.50) anddelicious soup; RM3),tomato JB’s Sultan AbuJB’s Sultan Mosque. Bakar inmuchstyleas Victorian fantasy thesame school (builtin1914)andMasjid Jamek, a thehigh thecourthouse, customs house, Walk aroundthearea andlookoutforthe net access per hour is RM2.50. net accessperhourisRM2.50. and-ham buns(RM1.50)andcoffee. Inter- sticks(RM1),cheese- upbuns,cheese serves the wayfromKampung Nyonya,Delikateza can befoundinthismall. 10pm) discounts). the bus station. the busstation. of isjusttothe right station tion. The taxi one hour)operate from thelocalbussta- (RM3, hour), andGunung Ledang/Segamat hours). to/from Melaka Buses (RM3,one four hours) and Singapore (RM15,three hours),(RM42, eight Mersing (RM17.50, ban (RM11.80, two hours), Butterworth river. Less-frequent runtoSerem- buses bythe busstation the Muarlong-distance and KL(RM12.30,2½hours) departfrom toJB(RM11.70,2½hours)Regular buses THERE&AWAYGETTING Café Delikateza EATING this very simplehotel. Budget travellers mayhave tofallbackon Leewah Hotel SLEEPING (RM5), favourites, currychicken includingBaba arange andNonya of seafood place serves RM10-15; as RM96; RM80/150, 8.30am). you get ferries for Dumai (oneway/return facilities andsatellite TV. newspaper,coffee- andtea-makingtary Roomshave complimen- helpful service. mall, thissmarthotel hasacrispfinish and Wetex Parade shoppingmall Wetex Kampung Nyonya Kampung Hotel Classic Hotel The Hotel Riverview Agoodfoodcourtandasupermarket a ) ferry terminal Next totheWetex Parade shopping h chap chai chap ) Has modern,cleanrooms(and 10.30am-3pm &5.30-10pm) ( % ( ( % % 952 1605;44JlnAli;dRM35-40; 952 0409;33-1JlnAli; 953 3888;69JlnAli;s/dRM105/125; ( ( % soup(mixed vegetable % (68 JlnMaharani) (tomato and egg; telor (tomatoandegg; 951 3313;29JlnBentayan;d 954 0088;39JlnSayang;meals www.lonelyplanet.com sayur goreng(green

(Jln Ali; (Jln i This clean iswhere h ) Across Across 10am- a ) transfer fromthere. andtheresort canarrangetrain toSegamat Resortyoucantake theGunung Ledang are atthe furtherconnections.Ifstaying leaves at5.30pmandfrom Tangkak there of themainroad;lastbustoTangkak wait atthebusstoponopposite side ofstart the falls.Onyourreturn toMuar, It’s a1kmwalkinfromthemainroad tothe signnearthebusstop). ‘Gunung Ledang’ (there’sbe letoffatGunungLedang alarge (RM3, 30minutes) fromMuarandask to trail. adetailed contains lished byLongmanMalaysia in1985,which John Briggs’ climbers shouldaimtoget holdof acopyof aswellguides.Serious to themountain, expeditionsand programsrelatingganises commodation andgoodfacilities,or- Negara. don’t have timeforlonger treks inTaman is recommended travellers forthose who and troduction totropicalmountaineering to thesummit.Thisclimbisagoodin- camp sites alongtheway)cantake trekkers demanding two-dayroundtrip(there are toadmiremountain thefalls,butavery slopes. Many visitors climb part-wayupthe presence tostillpermeate issaid thejungle amythicalprincesswhose Gunung Ledang, Ophir; 1276m),isthefabledhomeof Puteri in Johor, According tolegend, mountain thehighest (formerlyMtGunung Ledang Gunung Ledang www.lonelyplanet.com their tails). Theretheir tails). are some goodrestaurants digenous Malaysian catsall have akink in tens andcats scamper aboutthe streets (in- The river bustleswith fishingboats,and kit- makes and relaxing for a pleasant stopover. but thetownismore than atransitarea and Mersing barely register theirwhereabouts, Archipelago. Travellers passingthrough Tioman and otherislandsof theSeribuat the hopping-off point forboatstoPulau weretial blipontheroad toKuantan itnot of Johor, Mersing wouldbeaninconsequen- A peripheral fishing village ontheeastcoast % MERSING as Tangkak; cabinsRM50,twstandard/deluxe RM150/200; www.ledang.com; Sagil, salesoffice:BT 28,JlnSegamat, To get there, bus65 take Segamat-bound The 07 ) at the base of hasac- at thebase themountain Gunung Ledang Resort Gunung LedangResort Mountains of Malaysia, pub-

( % 06-977 2888; (MasterCard, Maestro, Cirrus,Visa,Plus). Maestro, (MasterCard, 8am-noon & 2.45-4.30pm Fri, 8am-12.45pm Sat) 8am-noon &2.45-4.30pmFri, 5212; JlnAbuBakar; Sights & Activities Sights &Activities &Tours Value Travel Pure Sun &Sand TRAVEL AGENCIES InformationCentre Tourist Mersing TOURIST INFORMATION Post Office POST Public Bank Maybank Bank Bumiputra MONEY Café Eddy Internet Café Easy Internet ACCESSINTERNET Police EMERGENCY Information centre of gravity. streets astheydiverge, formingthetown’s banks are clustered two these onorbetween The lion’sshare of hotels, restaurants and similarly forkseastfromtheroundabout. the eastandleadstojetty.JlnIsmail 3. JlnAbu branches fromhere Bakar to at thetown’smainroundabout onRoute From thenorthorsouth,youenter Mersing Orientation some Chinese characterssome Chinese announcing ‘Holy and below upper limbs.To thegoddess’ right, here theeffigy sports onlyeight although a Qianshou Guanyin (1000-armGuanyin), of Guanyin (Goddessof Compassion) called rear of theshrineisasplendid, gildedstatue year-old Taoist andBuddhisttemple. Atthe Hock SoonTemple (Fushun Temple) isa95- There inMersing islittletosee The itself. lers cheques. h h Bakar) Opposite thejetty. Bakar) Adjacent totheHotelEmbassy. without feeling distinctlyoutof place. knockbackafewand youcaneven beers 9am-11pm) 8.30am-midnight) ( % (Jln Ismail) Cancashtravellerscheques. (Jln 799 2222;JlnSultanah) (Jln AbuBakar) (Jln (21-22JlnSulaiman)Hasa24-hourATM ( % 799 4995;3JlnIsmail; (Jln Ismail) Thisbankcancashtravel- (Jln h (Jln Abu Bakar; perhrRM2.50; Abu Bakar; (Jln (12 JlnDatoTimor; perhrRM2; 8am-1pm &2-4.30pmMon-Thu, JOHOR ••Mersing ( % 799 6811;7JlnAbu h (Metic; (Metic; 9am-5pm) %

255 799 JOHOR JOHOR JOHOR the leftof Guanyin. ofeffigy ZhushengNiangniang, placed to Womenhopingforchildrensea. entreat the lives whose are and those connected with the Heaven) herself,worshipped by fishing folk Mother Tianhou’, Tianhou stands of (Queen a one-night, two-day tour, completea one-night, with person RM360, minimum two people) is Tour(perequipment. Omar’sOverland and includes transportand snorkelling three Archipelago islands of theSeribuat mum of fourpeoplerequired) takes youto (the costperperson isRM50,withamini- tourday-long island-hopping speedboat Omar’s Tours 256 4 1 3 2 15

MERSING

Route 3 Route Jln Jln Endau Jln Endau(38km);

Jemeluang Kuantan (191km) Green House(1.5km); Guesthouse (1.5km); To Kali's JOHOR •• Mersing JOHOR ••Mersing Singapore (135km) ( % To JohorBahru; 24 9 INFORMATION Sun &Sand...... (see13) Pure ValueTravel&Tours...... Public Bank...... Moneychanger...... Centre(Metic)...... Eddy InternetCafé...... Easy InternetCafé...... Bank Bumiputra...... Mersing TouristInformation B4 Maybank...... AC 13 799 5096, 019-774 4268; Jln Abu Bakar) 799 5096,019-7744268; JlnAbuBakar)

Jln Abu Bakar 26

7 Jln S 11 Sungai Mersing 12 ulaiman 20 1 14 Morning Market

Jln Ismail 6 21 4 19 2 3 17 16

Jln Sultanah Jln Jln Abu Bakar5 25 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Sports B3 B3 B3 A4 B3 A3 A3 Field 23 B SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES atCatHtl...... A3 East CoastHotel...... Seri MalaysiaHotel...... Omar's Backpackers'Hostel...... New MerdekaHotel...... Hotel Timotel...... Hotel GoldenCity...... Hotel Embassy...... Country Hotel...... Plaza R&R...... Omar's...... (see 17) Hock SoonTemple...... SLEEPING To PulauTioman(51km,2hrs); 8 22

Jln Ibrahim Jln Abu Bakar Other Islands 10 Jln Hussein

Jln Ahmad R&R the ticket counter nearthemainjetty. the competition. You canalsobuytickets at aroundtown andlittledistinguishes houses chased at mosttravel agents and guest- Omar’s Backpackers’ Hostel. also See palm oilandrubberplantations. local trek jungleandstopsat through National Park. OmaralsorunsaRM50 and accommodation,toEndau-Rompin transport, guide,insurance,permit, food gnis p255. Agencies, other touroperators in Mersing, Travel see busticketwell aslong-distance offices. For ages tosome of thesmaller islandshere), as of the islandresorts (youcanbook pack- Ferry tickets totheislandscanbepur- (Jln AbuBakar) (Jln

10 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 Jln Ismail Jln 9 0 0 A3 B2 A4 D4 B3 B3 A3 A3 A3 Restoran Al-Arif...... Port Café...... Mersing SeafoodRestaurant...... Loke TienYuenRestaurant...... Kedai KekKilei...... Dragon PhoenixRestaurant.....(see13) Long-Distance TaxiStation...... (see26) Long-Distance Bus...... (see10) Local BusStation...... Seafood Stalls...... TRANSPORT SHOPPING EATING iiMr...... B4 Mini Mart......

houses theoffices of houses most

Jln

Nong Yahya www.lonelyplanet.com S OUTHCINA Hospital Mersing S EA D To TelukIskandar 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 A3 A3 B4 B2 A4 A3 B3 Inn (4.5km) 0.3 miles 0.5 km Plaza Book accommodationBook online at www.lonelyplanet.com d RM30-50,air-contr/q RM55/65; r RM25-35; Bakar; sRM10,dRM25-35; Bakar; at thissimplehotel. large andcomewithbalcony (albeittatty) owners are pleasant. New Merdeka isafrugalchoice, butthe shuts at midnight. shuts atmidnight. National Park andPulauTioman. Door treks, andoffer packages toEndau-Rompin (Rocky andAnwar)give adviceontripsand sitting area. Informative andhelpfulowners café, internet (perhourRM4)androoftop there are cheap four-bed dormshere, on-site packer-oriented hotel. Cleanandwellkept, aboutthisfriendlyandrelaxedto say back- 4268; Jln Abu Bakar; dm/dRM10/20) 4268; JlnAbuBakar; are recommended duringthepeakseason. Omar’stours, (see opposite ). Reservations (April onwards)ortrytheoverland treks aboard thenamesake island-hoppingtour and thelocalarea ismuch forthcoming.Jump knowledgeable adviceconcerningtheislands Rooms are cleanandthere’s abalcony,and and popularpitstopenroute totheislands. Hostel Omar’s Backpackers’ BUDGET good optionstosuitdifferent budgets. ortwoinMersing.spend anight There are son) canplayhavoc somany withsailings, weather(duringthemonsoonsea- Rough tide. Boats headtotheislandsonlyathigh Sleeping www.lonelyplanet.com midrange hotels can bebooked solid. New Yearnese and otherholiday periods, as Avoid arrivinginMersing during theChi- MIDRANGE RM10/15/25; dm/s/d [email protected]; 43AJlnAbuBakar; prices andbasicrooms. of budget, GoldenCityhasno-nonsense restaurant downstairs. a goodrange of roomsandahandy Chinese ifyouwantto avoidtise ascalding.There’s hot/cold water mixcan take abitof prac- air-con andcleanshowers, the although efficient doubles are have bright, cableTV, d RM30-50; Hotel Embassy Hotel East CoastHotel Country Hotel Country Hotel Hotel GoldenCity Hotel New Merdeka Hotel New Merdeka a a i ) Ontwofloors, theChinese-run ) Its staff isdour,butroomsare Its staff ) Travellers have chirpy things ( % ( % ( 799 3545;1st&2ndfl,2JlnIsmail; ( % % 799 1799;11-E,JlnSulaiman;

( % 799 5028;1stfl,23JlnAbu 799 3546,012-7624983; )

At theno-frills end 799 3506;27-AJlnIsmail; ( % a A frugal,cheap 799 5096,019-774 ) The air-con 12E; d/fRM30/85; early breakfasts ifyouhave an earlyboat. furnished andspacious.Thehotel canarrange value, qualityhotel. Doublesare clean,well- across the bridge over theriver, thisisagood Guesthouse, Green House serves appetising Green serves Guesthouse, House fast, lunch&dinner) stranded intheeastof town. tothejetty,butit’s and ashuttle busservice has asmallkidney-shapedpool,karaoke age branch Malaysia of theSeri chain. This lang; meals RM10; side roadfor100mtoreach theguesthouse. signpost onthemainroadandwalkdowna abusboundforEndau).Lookthe taking day). It’s1.5kmnorthof town(reached by Thursdayfrom 6.30pmtomidnight toTues- upatKali’s corneropposite are (open served and toweringtrees infullleaf.Western grills shower) amongthepotted plants,bamboo on stiltsandbungalows(allwithattached commodation comprisingattractive chalets Kali,the affable thepaceisrelaxed withac- alternative tothehotels intown.Runby throw fromthebeach makes thisachoice drenchedsetting ingreenery andacoconut’s puffs, coffee and crisps. coffee andcrisps. puffs, sardine youup withdoughnuts, that canset owned inexpensive coffee andcake shop Opposite thepostoffice,thisisaChinese- Kilei Kek Kedai Eating flat bread; 60sen), there isnosignuntilyouare uponit. head awayfromMersing, iseasytomiss as The hotel, ontheleftsideof theroadasyou ers canprepare Malay mealsbyarrangement. are large shower). The and airy(allwith own- 4.5km southof town.Thetwo-person rooms well-groomed spotisquietandsecluded, onthebreeze,just thesoundof this thesea sloping allthewaydowntobeach, and .my; 839JlnEndau;s/dwithbreakfast RM150; s/d withbreakfast RM130; .com.my; Lot TTB 641JlnIsmail;dRM120; .com.my; LotTTB most popular placesintown. and scrummy Indianfood, thisisoneof the RM1.40), nasiegg; (friedrice;RM3) goreng Teluk Inn Iskandar Seri Malaysia Malaysia Seri Restoran Al-Arif Al-Arif Restoran Hotel Timotel Hotel Kali’s Guesthouse Kali’s Green House Green (Jln Abu Bakar; snacksRM3; AbuBakar; (Jln a ( h % Serving uproti canai (flaky, Serving ( % (44 JlnIsmail;mealsRM8; ( ) % dinner) Awell-cultivated garden ( 799 7601; 38 Jln Endau, Kg Sri La- 799 7601;38 JlnEndau,KgSri % a ( 799 1876;smmsg@serimalaysia % roti telur( 799 5888;www.timotel.com JOHOR ••Mersing 799 3613; Kampung Sri Lalang Lalang Sri 799 3613;Kampung ) 799 6037; 1456 Jln Sekakap; 799 6037;1456JlnSekakap; With alovely garden Not far from Kali’s as roti h a h with an 8am-7pm) 8am-7pm) ) Aver-

) Just Just break-

257 JOHOR JOHOR JOHOR Plaza R&R restaurant.nese the cornerof JlnSulaiman. congregate stalls Jln Ismail,andseafood on rants. Largesupermarkets canbefoundon h (Jln AbuBakar) (Jln departfromPlazaR&R buses Long-distance &Away There Getting Tien YuenLoke Restaurant the beach. overThai dishes,withlongviewsouttosea 258 equipped Pulau Tioman, actually belongs and most popular of islands, airstrip- these laysia’s most beautifulislands. Thelargest of Johor, is aconstellation of someof Ma- cluster of 64 islesscattered coast offtheeast The Archipelago, madeupofSeribuat a % SERIBUAT ARCHIPELAGO dinner) RM13; Leman (RM50). Leman toTanjungboats toSibuIsland, take ataxi runtoEndau (RM3,45minutes). For buses Endau (RM20)andPekan (RM80).Local (RM120), (RM120),Kuantan Johor Bahru destinations andcosts(percar) include tion isonJlnSulaiman,neartheriver. Taxi to Cherating,travel first toKuantan. hours, twicedaily).Forbuses (RM25, seven hours, twicedaily)andKualaTerengganu Melaka Bharu (RM17.50),Kota (RM35,10 (RM15,threeKuantan hours, twicedaily), (RM8.80,2½hours, twicedaily),Bahru (RM13.50, three hours, twicedaily), Johor (RM23, 5½hours, fourperday),Singapore tickets are sold.DestinationsincludeKL such as andspicySichuancoconut sauce dishes fish sliceandvegetable soup,prawnswith place offers good-value dishes,including thisrestaurants specialisinginseafood, RM13; Dragon Phoenix food Restaurant: There’s musicanditkeeps late hours. mixed andMalay grills,pizza,pasta dishes. Mersing Seafood Restaurant Restaurant Seafood Mersing The local bus and long-distance taxi sta- taxi The localbusandlong-distance Café Port For Chinese fareFor Chinese similartoMersing Sea- lunch &dinner) 07 JOHOR •• Seribuat Archipelago JOHOR ••Seribuat h h This breezy cafe next tothejettyoffers mapo doufu. lunch &dinner) lunch &dinner) (Jln Abu Bakar) (Jln , nearthejetty,which iswhere (Jln Abu Bakar; mealsRM30; Abu Bakar; (Jln Restaurant Restaurant One of several Chinese One of Chinese several Mersing’s oldestChi- isfullof cheap restau-

(2 JlnIsmail;mealsRM15; (55 Jln Abu Bakar; meals (55 JlnAbuBakar; (56 JlnIsmail;meals h lunch &

Plaza R&R around theresorts’ offices inMersing’s and compare pricesforpackages, scout is an(expensive) option.Toshoparound own boats.Alternatively, chartering aboat ahead totheresort manyruntheir because heading totheresorts, phone otherwise in Mersing andwaitforaplaceonboat Mersing. arrange private transporttotheisland from package withoneof theresorts, which will islands itisgenerally tobooka necessary resorts anddive operators. Tovisitthese islands are largely thedomain of private butmanyother scheduled ferry service, ping tour( p256 ) inMersing. lands aspossible,joinOmar’sislandhop- less-visited. asmanyis- Ifyouwanttosee that are hardertoreach andsubsequently there are otherislandsinthearchipelago December). monsoon(Novemberduring thehigh and canbepatchy, especially so ferry services the monsoonfromNovember toFebruary, are frequently whippedintofoamduring more. Thewaters aroundthearchipelago barracudas, giantclams,cocklesand butterfly fishandparrotfish,toyoung arrayofand astartling marinelife, from and diving. –excellentsnorkellinggo withoutsaying suasively seductive beaches and–itmay ofquillity, arelaxing solitude,per- sense of Tioman, buttheycanoffer more tran- not aspire tothestunningnaturalscenery The smallerislandsof thearchipelago may along withthearchipelago’s otherislands. clusively) reached fromMersing inJohor, to Pahang, butistypically(albeitnotex- clear, azure waters where reefs of finecoral islapped by cluded beaches, Pulau Besar east coast layingclaimto acoupleof se- tive white-sandbeach and itsisolated Its western shore fringed withanattrac- % BesarPulau RM5/2), soldatthe jettyinMersing. a Marine Parks entryticket (adult/child Pulau Tioman) are requested topurchase It is, however, possibletobideyourtime It is,however, Pulau Tioman mayhave aregularly In additiontotheislandslisted below, Divers excellentcoral canexpecttosee Visitors to the Seribuat Archipelago (and Visitors totheSeribuat 07 (Jl AbuBakar) (Jl . www.lonelyplanet.com chalets RM175; s/tw RM255/185; lets RM170/205; transfer isRM60;thesecluded RM120; Resort rant; roomscomewithhotwater. on theisland,withapool,barandrestau- chalets: recommendedtion options,includingthese good choice of well-equipped accommoda- hasa 7km and1kmwide,PulauSibuBesar superb coralonitsnorthernside. Around Theislandhassome in Julytolaytheireggs. turtles thatcrawlashorenow hometosea refugeeonce tobeaVietnamese camp,is Tiny PulauSibuTengah, which happened there are somefinebeaches andgoodcoral. may notbeasarresting asotherislands,but Singaporean visitors. Theislandterrain lar archipelago destination,especially with popu- Sibu Hujung),Pulauisahighly , Pulau SibuKukus A cluster of islands( several % SibuPulau Island Resort beach onthewestof theisland. have vanished. itsjungle tosnortandcrashthrough used Island),butthe wildswinethat (Big Boar Besar and wasonceknownasPulauBabi is4kmlongand1kmwide ing, PulauBesar thrive. Oneof islandstoMers- theclosest www.lonelyplanet.com and 161) ( 30km southof town. from thejetty atTanjung around Leman Pulau Sibu donotdepartfrom Mersing, but Friday, Saturday andSunday. Ferries for prices for mostaccommodation goupon cess), minibarand colourTV. Note that rooms allequipped withphone(IDDac- operation withpool and121chalets with Tengah, theSibuIslandResort cost) anddiving courses. OnPulauSibu RM55. around theclock. ing RM30);note thatair-con isnotavailable modation anditsownjetty(boattoMers- s/d chaletswithfullboardRM240/180) % Most of theresorts are situated alongthe Most resorts offer divingtrips(atadded 07 , single(one-way)boattransfer isRM25; 010-714 7495;s/dchaletswithfullboardRM207/ Sibu IslandCabanas

a ( % Resort GypsyVillage Sea ) has simplechalet-style accom- 799 5979/29;A-framesRM30-40;chalets as ( % a as 603-4252 6686;www.dcoconut.com; ) Pulau SibuTengah andPulau , return boattransfer is ) is )

isacomplete resort one of thebestresorts ( % 331 7216;tw/trcha- Pulau SibuBesar, , return boat Rimba Resort Resort Rimba ( ( % % D’Coconut 223 1188; 799 3124; Nirwana

RM420; .rawasfr.com; twhillside/beachfrontchaletsRM230/ (RM35). is connected toMersing byadailyferry ily). Outsidethemonsoon,PulauRawa ing toamemberof theJohor royalfam- Pulau Mensirip (aprivate islandbelong- two nearbyislands,PulauHarimau and resort canarrange divingtrips(RM80)to will costyouabout RM250(oneway).The ing aroundRM60;chartering aspeedboat ferry transfers fromMersing cost- toRawa ties. Packages are onoffer, withround-trip and awiderange of facilitiesandactivi- chalets; there’s arestaurant, divingshop andthe beachfront, includinglonghouse tion scattered over thehillsidesandon Pulau Aur & Pulau Dayang &Pulau Aur Pulau Island Inn supply budget accommodation. resort-style, somelocalsmay although Besar.Sebirah Accommodation islargely Kampung Pasir Panjang andKampung ulations, atKampung Tanjung Balang, means‘tall’). extinct volcano(tinggi –it’san fromadistance whenseen sight ing, jungle-cladTinggi isanimpressive kilometresThirty-seven southeastof Mers- % TinggiPulau 16km fromMersing. pokestiny islandof outof Rawa thesea ing bandsof sunseekers andsnorkellers, the Edged byafinewhite-sandbeach, andlur- % Rawa Pulau Water Chalets Water and resort operationsinclude chaletthe Pinnacles. OnPulauAur, several the Rock,Pulau Pinangand including Rayner’s Pulau Aur boastsgoodopen-water dive sites, lent coral.Withsunken wrecks offitscoast, azureAur hascrystal-clear water andexcel- kilometresEighty fromthemainland, Pulau % 180; of town. the jettyatTanjung 30km south Leman, take aferry fromMersing orspeedboat or to aturtlehatchery. Toreach PulauTinggi, galows, aJacuzzi andarestaurant. It’snext The islandsupportsthree village pop- IslandResort Safaris Rawa 07 07 07 a a ) hasgood-qualitychalets andbun- JOHOR •• Seribuat Archipelago JOHOR ••Seribuat ) ( hasavarietyof accommoda- %

65-8103 1319inSingapore; twRM160- ( % 65-6557 0016) ( % 799 1204;www , Bluewater Friendly Friendly Dreamz

259 JOHOR JOHOR JOHOR hala and ( alike.sightseers water isbeautiful,enticingsnorkellers and of newbornchildren). the tosay, Needless a female vampire whofeasts ontheblood Kampung Pontianak(thelastnamedafter Kampung Buau,Kampung Pak Kelah and threetion dividedbetween smallvillages: Pulau Pemanggil supportsasparsepopula- the distinctive peakof Buau,beautiful Batu around five hours byboat–andcapped Forty-five kilometres eastof Mersing –or Pemanggil Pulau Holiday Resorts 260 Near Kampung Pak Kelah, attached shower)atKampung Pak Kelah. fers lodgings(fanand simplelonghouse Pasir Putih. beach at from PulauAur,isavailable atthescenic tion onPulauDayang,acrossthechannel to thefarsideof PulauAur. Accommoda- walk (approximately onehour)takes you a varietyof lodgingoptions.Across-island Chalets commodation. AtKampung Buau, variety of andsuite chalet, ac- longhouse % Pak Mazlan’s Chalet Pak Mazlan’s your camera ready – and public, but note: ifyou encounter afugitive Yeti-like creature stumblingfrom thebushes,have praise ofthe US-basedBigfoot ResearchOrganisation. Cynicssee nothingbuthype and agullible government protection for thecreature, hassince announcedtotal state-heritage winningthe feverish hopes. Tahan (Taman Negara)in2001,butitsremains were fuelled destroyed byloggers,have further whileclaimsbyazoologist thata and GunungMuntaha, Bigfoot wasshotdeadaroundGunung ing jungle. Frequent sightingshave beenmadeontheslopes ofGunungPanti, GunungSisek downthe lostYetiin tracking tribethat theybelieve isbeingcoaxed out ofhidingbytheshrink- continues toflourishintheoxygen ofanecdote andhearsay. far, expeditionstouncover the woollyhominidhave returned empty-handed,sothecreature zoologists placingmotion-sensitive camerasdeepwithinthejungle ofJohorandPahang. So the 3m-tallbrown-haired ‘missinglink’–aswellthediscovery ofoutsized footprints–have by labourers. in thejunglearoundKotaTinggi, whenanentire familyofprimates wasreportedly glimpsed astheelusive Yetisame evolutionarycul-de-sac or Sasquatch,wasspotted in2005nearariver jarang Ghost).The camera-shycreature, gigi(Snaggle-toothed aprimate possiblystuck inthe Recent sightingsofatall,hairybipedhave resuscitated totrackdownJohor’sfamed efforts ON THETRAILOFJOHOR’S SNAGGLE-TOOTHED GHOST 799 3793; 3-day & 2-night package RM268) 799 3793;3-day&2-nightpackage JOHOR ••Endau-RompinNationalPark In March2006came newsoftheallegedcapture ofababyBigfootinKotaTinggi. The Johor Undeterred ofconcrete bythedearth continue tomarshalresources evidence, wildlife experts The primate unsuccessfullyfordecades,butrecent hasbeentracked OrangAsli sightings of (dm RM10) Aur Holiday Resort HolidayResort Aur Dayang Island Resort Dayang IslandResort ( % has cheap longhouse beds. hascheap longhouse 799 4072) ( % 799 1649;rRM45) inKampung Ber- no sudden movements ( % Lanting Resort in Kampung 799 5696) Dagang hasa , with

of-

possible to make anindependent visit, tours arranged byprivate operators. Itis The vastmajority of travellers arrive on Endau-RompinNationalPark Exploring kelisa Endau sustain rarely spotted. Thewaters of theSungai Rompin isalsoatiger buttheyare habitat, roam onlythepark’sremote areas. Endau- of the they Sumatran rhinoceros,although circularleaves,serrated are evident. stona endanensis, aspeciesof palmwith characteristic fan-shapedleaves, and enormousumbrellathese, palms,with their harbouring uniquevarietiesof plantlife. Of sular Malaysia andhave identifiedas been lowland forests are amongthelastinPenin- peninsula after Taman Negara. Thepark’s Endau- 870-sq-km Rompin isthesecond-largest parkonthe old, million-year 260 Straddling theJohor-Pahang border,the ENDAU-ROMPIN NATIONAL PARK the BlackHornbillandGrey Wagtail. or hear arelikely tosee theRedJungleFowl, species, see p63 . Amongbirdsthatyouare perate. Formore informationonendangered fishing bansallowstocksof otherfishtorecu- freshwaterprized ornamental fish;periodic Dragon Fish),anendangered andhighly The parkisalsoMalaysia’s lastrefuge ( scleropages formosus; www.lonelyplanet.com hantu Livin-

Ὀ ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ Ὀ within thepark todestinations including (RM20) andfurther (daily) permits totravel Further charges include fishing-rod permit (RM10; extra forcamping) isalsorequired. Apark entrypermitdrive fromBekok). pung Kemidak (which isabouta40-minute tion each respective area. in inthewest,andsticktosights Selai Rompin atKampung Peta intheeastorat Jasin camp,soyoueitherenter Endau- base EntrypointandtheKuala camp ortheSelai ing theforest LubukTapah between base worth notingthere isnowayof travers- falls atTakah TujuhandTakah Tinggi. It’s falls alongtheriver, includingthesplendid toexplore water-follow theSungaiSelai Tapah campinthe westof base the park Kuala Jasin camp.Treks base fromLubuk trip uptotheJaning plateau, near the Barat falls alongthewayandfour-hour return rivers, withstopsattwoimpressive water- ally involve treks alongthebanks of these SungaiJasin.taries, Tripstotheparkusu- banks of SungaiEndauandoneof itstribu- to theparkinconvenient toarrange. and theisolated locationcanmake transport workoutanycheaper but itwon’tnecessarily provided youhave yourowncampinggear, www.lonelyplanet.com Selai office or atitsSelai at theparkheadquarters atKampung Peta, park. Guidescan be hired forRM50perday require thatyouhire aguideto explore the ENDAU-ROMPIN NATIONALPARK ὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈ Officials ofOfficials the Most visitors explore theparkalong ( Takah Tinggi;SelaiEntryPoint; To LubakTapah;TakahTujuh; % Sengongong Kampung Kemidak 07-788 2812;www.johorparks.com) (703m) Bukit Sangkut Falls Buaya Johor NationalParks Corpora-

Sungai Sempanong (

07-922 2875) Sungai Anak Jasin Anak Sungai

Buaya Endau-Rompin National Park

Sangkut inKam- generally Trail Dirt Track Hampar Batu Guling Upeh Falls first hill slog.Soonaftertheclimb, the starting or so,thensteepensintoachallenging up- the woodsopposite thepathtocamp. behind thecamp;lookforitheading into at the dirttrack camp.Thetrailstarts base plateausandstone southeastof Kuala Jasin The Janing plateau isa500m-high Barat JANING BARAT PLATEAU Walks Sangkut; those with time for only two nights withtime foronly twonights Sangkut; those reach waterfall thehighest on theriver, Buaya time for three in theparkcanusually nights Jasin from KualaJasin with camp. Those base The main walkinthepark followsthe Sungai SANGKUT FALLS WALKING THETRAIL TOBUAYA ing yourselfforatrek. the boxed text, p486 , foradviceonprepar- (Novembersoon season toFebruary). See falls, andtheJaning plateau. Barat the BuayaSangkutandUpehGulingwater- is aquickone-hour downhillhike. The return camp fromtheplateau tobase few hundred metres and thenturnaround. trail; simplywalk acrosstheplateau fora pointofis nothingtomarkthehigh the which sproutfromtheforest floor. There keep aneyeout forpitcher plants,manyof the terrain outandbecomesmarshy; levels either sideof thetrail.Onceonplateau, Sungai Endau Kuala Marong Tasik Air Biru JOHOR ••Endau-RompinNationalPark The trailclimbsgently forthefirst 100m The parkisshutduringtherainymon- Trail Kuala Jasin Livinstona endanensis

Sungai Jasin Sungai Bong Sungai

Janing

Sungai Marong Sungai Trail

Barat

Dirt

Plat Track eau (Park Headquarters)(10km); 0 0

To KampungPeta Endau (80km) Plateau Janing Barat are visibleon

(9km); Kahang(65km) (Park Headquarters) To KampungPeta 0.5 miles

Ὀ Ὀ Gunung

Janing 1 km Barat

261 JOHOR JOHOR JOHOR 262 bed RM10,chalet RM60toRM120)and condition, available inKampung Peta (dorm sure tobringsomemosquito coils. at KualaJasin andKualaMarong –justbe underthecoveredsheet picnicplatforms ferred option,butyoucanspread aground tentmote is thepre- location.Alightweight Buaya Sangkutisthenicestand most re- HamparBatu andat Upeh Guling.Ofthese, You cancampatKualaJasin, KualaMarong, Sleeping campatKualaJasin.to thebase From thefalls,retrace yoursteps toreturn the fallsotherthanonedescribed here. guide mayknowawaytothebottom of camp intheclearingabove thefalls.Your rocks canbetreacherous. There isroomto extremea better view,butuse cautionasthe work yourwaydownthesideof thefallsfor 40mdropoftacular themainfalls.Youcan over ridges tothetopof several thespec- Sangkut isachallenging three-hour slog this hike withaguide. thepathisquite faint, onlyattempt Because HamparBatu tothefallsatBuayaSangkut. Sangkut. Note thatitisatleast4kmfrom Hampar campatBatu wise, oratBuaya all thewaytoKualaJasin inoneday.Other- continue ontotheBuayaSangkutandreturn before noonandare very fit,it’spossible to dipterocarp trees. Ifyoureach Hampar Batu somehuge umbrellayou’ll see palmsand camp site of Hampar. Batu Alongtheway gentle 40-minute hike to theflatrocksand up SungaiJasin. FromUpehGuling,it’sa at UpehGulingare afurther10-minute hike smaller SungaiMarong. Theimpressive falls the confluenceof SungaiJasin andthemuch Marong),known asLembah acampsite at jungle fortwohours toKualaMarong (also terrainthe level alongtheriver bankthrough first day’shike crosses Sungai Jasin tofollow rocks orthefallsatUpeh Guling. Hamparmust usuallyturnaroundatBatu There are fandormsandchalets, ingood The hike Hampar fromBatu toBuaya After at anight Kuala Jasin camp,the base JOHOR ••Endau-RompinNationalPark site atLubukMerekek. at LubukTapah camp,withacamping base simple chalet accommodationisavailable simple A-frames atKualaJasin. AtSelai, around RM500. are aroundRM400; three-night tripscost person forall-inclusive trips two-night tours (see p256 ) andpermits.Prices per Kampung Kemidak ( to theparksite office(forregistration) at followedbytransport station, to Bekok entrypoint.Takepark viatheSelai atrain possible toenter adifferent region of the 15km (aroundthree hours). campatKualaJasinbase oryoucanwalkthe to take youthefinal10kmupriver tothe per boatforunderfive persons; 45minutes) per person forfive persons ormore, RM120 At Kampung Peta, youcanhire aboat(RM22 to Kampung Peta, thepark’svisitorcentre. drive over roads(4WDisadvisable) rough Malaysia –fromwhereBahasa it’sa56km turn-off isatmilemarker 26’in 26–‘Batu 5km eastof thesmalltownof Kahang (the Johor isalongRoute 50inJohor toaturn-off The mainentrypointtoEndau-Rompinfrom &Away There Getting Hostel place toarrange this; travellers goonatour. Mersing isthebest your owntransportintothepark, most boundary. dirt tracktoKualaKinchin onthepark andthenbyfollowinga26km Seladang, Rompin inPahang alongapaved to road Lubok Tapah, a4WD. youwillneed at LubukMerekek campat andthebase to take yourvehicle totheparkcampsites butifyouwant you candrive ontoSelai, via Chaah.FromBekok drive toBekok (North–SouthHwy)andthe Lebuhraya hills of GunungTiong. fore inthefoot- entering theparkatSelai, For visitors comingfromthewest,itis Because of inarranging thedifficulties Because The parkisalsoaccessiblefrom Kuala If driving,take theexitatYongPeng on ( % Book accommodationBook online at www.lonelyplanet.com 07-799 5096,019-7744268) % www.lonelyplanet.com Omar’s Backpackers’ Omar’s Backpackers’ 07-922 2875),be- canarrange www.lonelyplanet.com the above - ‘Do the right thing withour content.’ the above -‘Do theright thetermsand conditionsonour siteforalongerway ofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,massemailit to only. Inother words,please don’t uploadthischapter toapeer-to-peer In return, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseit forpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasierforyoutouse, accesstothischapterisnotdigitally Tomake