Visiting our neighbour (Malaysia) right next door has been a long-time go-to activity for the long weekends. Just a stone's throw away (not literally), Johor Bahru has various fun and oftentimes cheap activities that attract those of us looking for a quick getaway. Did you know that there is more to do there than just shopping malls? We will be rounding down the top 10 activities that you should do for your next trip in Johor Bahru!
PS: You can take a Grab to many of these places!
#HHWT Tip: While you are there, grab some delicious food from our guide here!
1. Bear and Bad Museum
Bear and Bad Museum is giving teamLAB interactive museum vibes, from their light exhibition mimicking the bioluminescence glow of jellyfish to the pastel ball pit with a cannon. It is a perfect place to spend a few hours taking photographs and playing with the exhibition pieces to get away from the hot weather! Besides the Illusion Museum, there is also a Kite Museum within the building that is similar. Just that the whole theme is of kites!
PS: We looked at the museum in more detail here!
Credit: Bear and Bad
There is also a play area just for the little ones! A pastel ball pit that covers the entirety of the room, filled with other activities such as an air cannon, a carousel and other fun activities! It feels similar to WaterWorks at the Singapore Science Centre, without the mess of water.
Admission: RM58 (Adult), RM28 (Child)
Opening hours: Mon, Wed-Sun (10AM - 9PM)
Address: 1413/14/15, Jalan Lagenda 51, Taman Langenda Putra-81000, Kulai, Johor, Malaysia
2. The RUD Karting
Feeling the F1 vibes? Come down to RUD Karting to satisfy your adrenaline cravings. They have 5 go-karts to choose from based on your height. You do not need a driver's license to operate them AND they are way more powerful than they look. Their track is almost 1km long as well and you can have both day races and night races as well.
The rides last around 10 minutes and the prices start from RM55 onwards! They have packages as well that can help you save a few extra bucks.
PS: The minimum height is 130cm to ride their go-karts.
Credit: RUD Karting Medini on Facebook
Admission: From RM55 onwards
Opening hours: Mon-Sun (11AM - 2AM)
Address: PTD 200284, Persiaran Medini Sentral 6, Bandar Medini Iskandar, 79250 Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia
The RUD Cafe and Bistro
If you are a tad bit short, no worries! You can enjoy their cafe goodies and take in the scenery or feel the excitement of a race without participating in it! It is also a great place to cool off or relax after the adrenaline-pumping races. The cafe has an outdoor camping vibe with a modern, minimalistic exterior which will beautify your Instagram page (if you are looking for opportunities such as that)!
The cafe serves up some delicious food that invokes all 5 of your senses, making it an attraction itself. They serve a variety of burgers, pastas and main courses. The cafe serves up dishes like A5 Wagyu Beef (RM339), paired with grilled asparagus, saute baby spinach and a Yorkshire pudding! They have over 10 types of pastas to choose from! Offering dishes such as Chilli Lime Seafood Pasta, and Squid Ink Seafood Pasta (RM38.9)
If you are looking for something light, grab one of their Signature Health Series such as the Morning Gift (RM31.9), sourdough bread with grilled beef bacon, fried mushrooms and roasted tomatoes and eggs (you can choose how you like your eggs!). Or grab The Starter (RM25.9) which is sourdough with romaine lettuce, avocado, a fried egg, grilled chicken breast and beef bacon.
Halal status: 100% Halal-certified ingredients
Opening hours: Mon-Sun (11AM - 12AM)
Address: PTD 200284, Persiaran Medini Sentral 6, Bandar Medini Iskandar, 79250 Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia
3. Angsana Go-Kart
Credit: Angsana Go-Kart on Facebook
Still want that go-kart experience but too lazy to travel far? Fret not! There is one just right next to the Angsana Shopping Centre. They have 2 types of go-karts: Regular and Double Seater, so parents can ride with your kids at the same time! They provide shower caps for hygiene purposes as well as shoes if you did not come with any!
Race around on the almost 1km long race track and cool off in the Marrybrowns in Angsana just next door.
Admission: RM40 (Regular) | RM50 (Double seater)
Opening hours: Tues-Sun (12PM - 12AM)
Address: Car Park C Angsana Johor Angsana Johor Bahru Mall, Jalan Tampoi, Pusat Bandar Tampoi, 81200 Tampoi, Johor, Malaysia
4. Art Jamming@Forever Twenty
This is that one TikTok-famous cafe that brings you back to your childhood art and crafts venture! Do you remember those art shops that were in the middle of the shopping mall with crafts like sand art or liquid painting? Well those can all be found here (and more!) at Forever Twenty. From Decoden Cream to sand art and even BearBrick painting, there is something for everyone to enjoy, no matter your art skills.
There are two main areas of Forever Twenty Cafe: The DIY and the Cafe itself.
The DIY has what TikTok featured: Acrylic painting, Decoden Cream accessories, Plaster Painting, Mirror painting, Beading etc. You can even do a Hand Painting Muji Totebag if you wanted to! Or a Self-service Manicure.
The Cafe has a few more interesting activities to add on. One such is the Toast Jamming craft where you can decorate your own piece of toast with colourful jams and icing. You can bring back your creation or, better yet, eat it straight afterwards! We are unable to confirm if the ingredients are 100% halal-certified so do dine at your own discretion.
You can also take part in the popular Korean/Japanese school uniform rental at the same place. So head down and show off your creations while looking adorable at Forever Twenty Cafe!
Admission:
- Decoden Cream (RM28 - RM58)
- Sand art (RM58)
- Muji Totebag (RM58 - RM88)
- Fluid Bearbricks (RM26 - RM319)
- Plaster painting (RM15 - RM48)
- Self-service manicure (RM18)
- Korean school uniform rental (RM30)
- Toast Jamming (RM24 to RM28)
Opening hours: Mon-Sun (11AM - 6.30PM)
Address: 22, Jalan Harmonium 35/2, Taman Desa Tebrau, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Instagram - DIY |Instagram - Cafe |Facebook - Cafe
5. Goodtimes DIY
In the same crafting sphere, we have Goodtimes DIY which are now offering activities such as Rug Tufting, Pottery and Painting. Rug tufting and pottery has been a super popular activity, with many friends and couples opting for classes to create a craft that they can display in their home. You will be lured in by the colourful threads that line a whole wall, all ready for tufting.
For tufting, their prices are based on the frame size that you will be doing your rug on! For pottery, there are 2 different types of pottery to choose from: Wheel Throwing or Hand Building. You can also choose to paint the pottery that is already available!
They provide classes and guidance so you do not have to worry about having to learn these crafts on your own. Just enjoy the process and bring home your cute creations!
Head down to the store and create your next piece!
Admission: Pottery (From RM145 onwards) | Tufting (From RM140 onwards)
Opening hours: Tufting (10AM, 2PM, 6PM) | Pottery (11AM, 2PM, 5PM)
Address:
6. Roller Coast@Eco Palladium
It's giving Dua Lipa's heel roller-skates moment, it's giving 1970s disco-era vibes. Roller Coast is the perfect place to let your hair down with your friends and skate your way around the dance floor. The atmosphere in Roller Coast is fun and mimics those old roller skate dance clubs back in the days! If you rented their skates, they also light up which adds on to the atmosphere!
Their prices include skate rentals, socks (if you did not bring any), safety gear and the facilities. If you BYO (bring your own) skates, it will be a little cheaper!
Admission:
- Skate rental - 2 hours: Adult (RM45) | Child (RM35)
- Skate rental - 1 day: Adult (RM65) | Child (RM55)
- BYO Skates - 2 hours: Adult (RM35) | Child (RM25)
- BYO Skates - 1 day: Adult (RM55) | Child (RM45)
Opening hours: Mon-Sun (12PM -12AM)
Address: Eco Palladium, B02-06, Blk B, Jalan Ekoflora 7/1, Pusat Perdagangan Ekoflora, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
7. Energy X Park
Want to do high-octane activities but away from the sun and heat? Energy X Park is the place for you! With more than 16 games and activities, run around and break a sweat with your friends and family. Take part in Trampoline Wipeout as you try to dodge the obstacles in your path, or test out your ninja skills on their Ninja Obstacle Course.
Become Spiderman as you climb your way on their Spider Web or slide down on their gigantic slide in Tubby Ride. There's also a Go-Kart too!
Admission: Go-Kart (RM30) | Peak (RM58) | Off-peak (RM48)
Opening hours: Mon-Sun (10AM - 10PM)
Address: Sunway Big Box Retail Park
Johor Bahru
8. X Park Sunway Iskandar
Credit: X Park
Tons of outdoor fun can be had at X Park Sunway Iskandar. Those social media posts can only provide so much information on the countless activities that they offer.
Credit: X Park
They have an Aquawalk, where you are given a diving helmet in order to walk around underwater. There are also a bunch of sports such as Badminton and Archery which you can partake in.
One of the most exhilarating activities you can take part in would be the High Ropes (which you can cross on a bicycle!), as well as Paintball! it definitely is a haven for those seeking more adventurous activities to do in JB.
They offer a chalet within the vicinity so you need not head back to your own hotel or accommodation if you are planning to spend more than a day at the park! The chalet provides you with the basic amenities such as 2 single beds, air-conditioning, a television and toiletries too. There is also a car park where you can park at if you drove to the place! Check in is at 3PM and check out is at 12PM. You can request for housekeeping if needed.
Admission: From RM20 onwards. Check out their pricing here!
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs (2PM - 12AM) | Fri-Sun (10AM - 12AM)
Address: Jalan Medini Selatan 2 Medini Zone F, Bandar Medini Iskandar, 79250 Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia
Website | Facebook | Instagram
9. Pasar Malam: Pasar Karat (JB Bazaar)
Looking to fill up on some street food? This pasar malam is only a few minutes away from custom and a great place to stop by before heading back home. There are a variety of food and drinks that you can grab with a mix of cuisines all culminating into one area. There are even cakes being sold in plastic containers! Quench your thirst with the popularised bucket drinks. One of those can last you your entire trip back home on the Causeway.
For all you thrifters out there: There are many street shops that are selling clothes, shoes, bags, eyewear, hats and many more. Some even selling at a low price of RM5! Many of the items are also in good condition and is a great place to grab some goodies.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun (6PM - 2AM)
Address: 26, 20, Jalan Segget, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
10. HOME By Tales Of Paws Cat Cafe
This huge pet cafe has two storeys that are dedicated to both dogs and cats! If you're a cat lover, head up to the second floor where adorable critters await you! It's a calm and cozy environment with over 10 cats. They have a ton of furniture and playthings that are specifically designed for the cats' enjoyment and comfort! A huge ferris wheel sits at a corner of the room where the cats are able to lounge around and get away from the crowd high up it if they want. Do remember to book a slot! You can drop a text on their Instagram or walk-in to book a timeslot!
Admission: RM68 (90-minutes)
Opening hours: Mon-Sun (10AM - 7PM)
Address: 121, Jalan Serampang, Taman Sri Tebrau, 80050 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia