Johor Bahru is the start of the Malaysian peninsula and the natural beginning of a road trip rather than a destination to fly into and out of. Hire cars are cheap, the North-South Expressway is excellent, and within three hours there are rainforest, islands, hill stations and the east coast. Travellers who find Johor Bahru flight deals on Traveloka should treat the city as a starting point.
East to Desaru and the South China Sea
Ninety minutes east, Desaru has a long beach on the South China Sea, a waterpark and a fruit farm, and the coast road continuing north passes through fishing villages and oil palm. The sea here has a different character from the Melaka Strait side: bigger waves, cleaner water, and a monsoon from November to February.
Mersing and the islands
Two and a half hours northeast, Mersing is the ferry port for Tioman, Rawa and Besar islands, which have some of the best diving and clearest water in peninsular Malaysia. Tioman is the main destination and needs at least two nights. Ferries do not run reliably during the northeast monsoon, so check the season.
Endau-Rompin National Park
Inland from Mersing, one of the oldest rainforests in the world and considerably less visited than Taman Negara, with river trekking, waterfalls and genuine wildlife including Sumatran rhino tracks historically. Access requires a permit and a four-wheel drive or a boat, and it is a two or three day proposition rather than a stop.
North to Melaka
Two hours up the expressway on the western side, Melaka is the obvious cultural stop: Portuguese, Dutch and British architecture, Peranakan food and the Jonker Street night market at weekends. It makes a comfortable overnight on the way to Kuala Lumpur, and the drive is dual carriageway the whole way.
Kluang and the inland route
The road north through Kluang and Segamat runs through plantation country and is both slower and considerably more interesting than the expressway. Kluang is known across Malaysia for its railway-station coffee shop, which has been serving kopi and kaya toast on the platform since 1938 and remains a genuine pilgrimage for Malaysian food writers.
Driving conditions
The expressway is tolled, well maintained and uses a Touch n Go card that rentals supply. Lane discipline is loose and motorcycles use the shoulder constantly. Fuel is inexpensive. Rest stops on the expressway have good food courts. Driving at night on rural roads means wildlife and unlit vehicles, so avoid it.
Practical notes
Senai airport is twenty-five minutes from the city and hire cars are available there. The northeast monsoon from November to February affects the east coast and islands but not the west. Grab is cheap for the city itself. Traveloka consistently has the cheapest hotel booking prices in Southeast Asia.
Head east to Mersing and the islands if the monsoon season allows it, or north to Melaka if it does not. Johor Bahru is an excellent place to collect a hire car and a poor place to spend a week.
