Johor Bahru
The Malaysian End Of One Of The Busiest Land Border Crossings On Earth, With A Sultan'S Mosque Of Victorian Moorish Invention Above The Strait · Johor Bahru, Johor
SOMETHING APPROACHING A QUARTER OF A MILLION PEOPLE CROSS BETWEEN JOHOR BAHRU AND SINGAPORE ON AN ORDINARY DAY, which makes the CAUSEWAY one of the busiest land border crossings anywhere on earth - a fact that shapes everything about this city. Malaysians work in Singapore; Singaporeans come here for food, petrol and dentistry; and the queue is a permanent feature of life. WHAT JB HAS IN ITS OWN RIGHT IS BETTER THAN ITS REPUTATION SUGGESTS. THE SULTAN ABU BAKAR STATE MOSQUE, finished in the 1890s, sits on high ground above the strait in a VICTORIAN-MOORISH STYLE that should not work and entirely does. THE ISTANA BESAR AND ITS ROYAL MUSEUM hold the Johor sultanate's collection. AND THE OLD CHINATOWN around Jalan Tan Hiok Nee has been properly restored rather than themed, which is rarer than it sounds. Johor's weekend is Friday and Saturday, which catches almost everyone out, and the border queues run to hours at weekends and at the ends of the working day.
Johor Bahru, Johor, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
JOHOR BAHRU HAS AN AIRPORT AT SENAI and is connected to Singapore by the CAUSEWAY and the SECOND LINK - EXPECT QUEUES AT ANY HOUR and particularly at weekends, on public holidays and at the ends of the working day, when waits of hours are normal. THE SULTAN ABU BAKAR STATE MOSQUE welcomes visitors OUTSIDE PRAYER TIMES with modest dress and robes provided; Friday midday is prayers. THE ROYAL MUSEUM AT THE ISTANA BESAR keeps daytime hours and HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR EXTENDED PERIODS - check before going. THE OLD CHINATOWN around JALAN TAN HIOK NEE is walkable and its cafes keep their own hours. JOHOR'S WEEKEND IS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, like Kelantan's, which catches visitors out. It is hot and low-lying; mornings and evenings are best.