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John o'Groats

John o'Groats (Gaelic: Taigh Iain Ghròt) is a village in the former county of Caithness on the far north coast of Scotland. With a population of about 300, it makes its living from tourism, as it's the traditional north terminus of the British mainland road network.

Understand
Jan de Groot was a Dutchman who came here in 1489 with his brothers and set up a ferry service to Orkney. Legend claims that he built an octagonal house with eight doors so the brothers could enter independently with no "After you, Alphonse - no Gaston, after you I insist" time-wasting, but the legend is tosh and no trace of such a building has been found. What was real was a boost in travellers, who might be held up for days by bad weather, so they'd need accommodation. The Orkney Islands were Norwegian until ceded to Scotland in 1472, in lieu of the unpaid dowry of Queen Margaret of Denmark. Trade and pilgrimage then increased across the narrow but dangerous Pentland Firth. Another legend says that the fare was a groat (a third of a shilling or four pre-decimal pence), but the ferryman's name means Jan the Great or Big John.

Not much else happened here for another 500 years. The prehistoric dwellings and medieval castles of Caithness gradually succumbed to storms and the sea, but were not built over, and these and the scenic cliffs are the main attraction once your 20 minutes around the tourist signpost are up. The big conflicts and battles were away south, but in the 18th century these prompted construction of military roads that became the backbone of the Scottish Highland main roads. The network was formalised in 1923, with routes radiating from the main Post Office in Edinburgh: A1 to London, A7 to Carlisle, A8 to Glasgow, and similarly A1-6 radiating from London. The A9 ran from Edinburgh via Falkirk, Stirling and Perth to Inverness but was soon extended to Wick and John o'Groats. In 1982 the section just north of Inverness was improved and shortened by the opening of Kessock Bridge. Traffic to the far north was mostly to Thurso, for the car ferry to Orkney, so in 1997 that road was re-designated A9 and the former last stretch through Wick to John o'Groats became A99.

So John o'Groats is the British mainland's most northerly, um, what? Not the most northerly point, which is nearby Dunnet Head. Most northerly settlement? That could be disputed by the little places around Castle of Mey, you can probably buy ice cream and souvenir tea-towels further north; and in any case such claims only apply to the mainland, and are trumped by Shetland. North terminus of the UK mainland highways is about the best that can be said. It was invented as a tourist destination in the 1960s, as a series of long-distance walkers, wacky vehicles and fund-raisers made the journey from John o'Groats to Land's End (less often the reverse), filmed by the media in grainy black-and-white. (Yes, including Jimmy Savile, hero of the hour.) In 1964 a private company set up the famous signpost and charged you for a photo, as they did at Land's End, and made a notorious tourist-tacky mess of both sites. They quit in 2013 and now you see it for free.

The spelling used on this and related pages is "o'Groats" as o' indicates "of" or "the" - O'Groats (capitalised) would imply a member of Clan Groats, which doesn't exist. Local businesses and signage mostly give it the capital letter.

Visitor information

 * Visit John o'Groats website
 * The Tourist Information Centre is next to the big car park,, open Apr-Oct: M-F 10AM-4PM. They can advise on travel, accommodation and other local sights. The ferry ticket office is next door.

By car
Follow A9 north through Inverness. Historically this ran to John o'Groats, but nowadays the last leg is A99, branching off at Latheron village and passing through Wick. The road is a good undivided highway, but it's a long way. Reckon 280 miles from Edinburgh or Glasgow, and 110 miles (say 2 hours) from Inverness. How are you doing for fuel?

From the west follow A836 through Thurso. You come that way if you follow the North Coast 500 route clockwise.

Park at the large free car park at the edge of the village.

By bus
Bus 77 runs from Wick to John o'Groats, three times M-F taking 30 min, and in summer a couple of extra buses continue to Gills Land for the ferry.

Bus 80 runs from Thurso every couple of hours M-F, taking 55 min via Dunnet and Mey. Thurso is the best railway connection, with trains from Inverness.

By boat
There are three routes from the Orkney Islands:
 * John o' Groats Ferries used to sail from Burwick to John o' Groats May-Sept twice a day, 40 min. In 2024 the business is for sale, and the ferry is not expected to run.
 * Pentland Ferries car ferry sails from St Margaret's Hope to Gills Bay, one hour.
 * Scrabster near Thurso has ferries from Stromness.

Get around
The village is tiny and only takes a few minutes to walk around. You need wheels for the outlying sights, though Bus 80 is just-about frequent enough for Castle of Mey and Dunnet Head.

In the village

 * is the end of A99, and compulsory photo since the rest of the settlement is ho-hum. The first signpost, with pointers to Land's End, Orkney and Shetland, Edinburgh and New York, was a catchpenny affair installed on private land in 1964. You paid to have your photo next to it, and more to customise it with a pointer to your own home town. (You were paying the same company that made a tacky mess of Land's End, and tried for other iconic sites until howled down.) That was replaced in 2015 by a freely accessible signpost. This is not customisable, though there's nothing to stop a member of your group juxtaposing a sign, like a hitchhiker at an on-ramp. But please don't climb or swing on it, as some idiot did in 2020, and inevitably a pointer snapped.
 * The Orkneys are clearly visible from anywhere along this coast, until the rain and mist set in. Hoy is the cloud-wreathed island well north and to the west. South Ronaldsay is to the east, low-lying and pastoral. Swona is the islet just west of its tip, uninhabited and with no transport. See below for the two islands close to John o'Groats: Stroma (larger and west) and Muckle Skerry (tiny and east) - both part of Caithness not Orkney, but the sheep don't care.

Further west and north

 * is where the Queen Mother attended when at Mey. Jan de Groot the ferryman lies in the graveyard.
 * is the little harbour for the ferry to St Margaret's Hope on Orkney. It was first used as a port from 1724, when kelp was valuable for soda ash, and was also a base for ships pilots through the Pentland Firth, and for fishermen. A larger pier was built in 1905 with the intention of creating a commercial port for steam ships, ignoring the obvious: the bay is rocky and exposed, only suitable for small craft in summer. There are other boat trips, and shepherds cross to Stroma to tend their flocks.
 * is a scenic headland. There are scraps of machinery from the 19th century herring trade, but the 7th / 8th century chapel is barely visible.
 * Weird waves: "Men of Mey" and similar wave formations are sometimes seen from the coast hereabouts. There's a tide race through the Pentland Firth, as the Atlantic floods then drains the North Sea, especially dramatic during "wind-over-tide" such as the ebb tide meeting a howling westerly gale. Then they tower up into columns, the "men". Heaven help any mariners caught in this maelstrom, or the lifeboat crews who attempt to save them.
 * Weird waves: "Men of Mey" and similar wave formations are sometimes seen from the coast hereabouts. There's a tide race through the Pentland Firth, as the Atlantic floods then drains the North Sea, especially dramatic during "wind-over-tide" such as the ebb tide meeting a howling westerly gale. Then they tower up into columns, the "men". Heaven help any mariners caught in this maelstrom, or the lifeboat crews who attempt to save them.
 * is the most northerly point of the UK mainland, the island of Great Britain: you can drive there on B855. There's a Stevenson lighthouse built in 1831 (now automated), some World War II fortifications, and 300-ft cliffs swirling with sea birds. Great views across the Firth but what you can't see is the UK's most northerly point, way over the horizon. That's the islet of Out Stack off Unst in Shetland.
 * , built in 1650, survives only as a single wall incorporated into a corn-drying oven.
 * See Thurso for Castletown and points further west along the coast.
 * is the island just north of John o'Groats, only two miles out and part of Caithness county but separated by a dangerous channel — strom is Norse for a tide race, as in "maelstrom" and "Stromness". Its last crofters left in 1962, and the lighthouse keepers left in 1997. There are many prehistoric, medieval and haunting modern village remains, and boat trips sometimes visit.
 * is the island seen further west, with a Stevenson lighthouse of 1794. It's almost a mile long, but is low-lying and therefore spray-lashed and uninhabited.
 * is the island seen further west, with a Stevenson lighthouse of 1794. It's almost a mile long, but is low-lying and therefore spray-lashed and uninhabited.

Further east and south

 * is the northeast tip of Great Britain mainland. It's the furthest you can reach by road from Land's End and might have been the start for all those 1960s pilgrimages, but that damned signpost scooped the trade. The lighthouse was built in 1924.
 * The Great Glen is the fault line that defines the coast to the south, so the other side of it here is the sea. It slices diagonally north up to Shetland, and southwest through Inverness, Loch Ness, Fort William, Islay and Donegal.
 * Duncansby Stacks are a mile south, angry pyramids jutting from a roiling sea.
 * Ness Broch half a mile north of Bucholie Castle is Iron Age, on a rugged promontory.
 * is a 15th-century ruined redoubt on an inaccessible headland, which was the point of building it there.
 * See Wick for Nybster Broch and points south.

Do

 * The coastal trail has short hikes with big views.
 * Trek to Land's End: The journey from Land's End to John o' Groats (LeJog, or vice versa JogLe) has often been completed as a personal challenge and to raise funds for good causes. There's no set route; the usual on-road distance is about 900 miles (1400 km), but it can be much longer. It's usually done by walking or cycling, but it's also been done by running, on horseback, driving or by public transport. Feel free to invent your own conveyance; the weirder it is, the more media coverage and public response you'll get.

 * Mey Highland Games are held at the castle in August, with the next on Sa 3 Aug 2024.

Buy

 * Gift shops and a bookshop are round the car park. There isn't a practical store here.
 * "First and Last in Scotland" is a souvenir shop by the ferry pier, open daily 8AM-8PM. Their title must predate the 15th century, when Orkney and Shetland joined Scotland.

Eat

 * The Cabin next to the signpost is a fish & chips takeaway open daily 8AM-6PM.
 * Stacks by the car park does coffee, baking, deli and takeaway W-Sa 10AM-4PM.

Drink

 * John o'Groats Brewery is near the signpost and offers tours.

Connect
As of July 2022, John o'Groats and its approach roads have a basic mobile signal from Three, but nothing from the other carriers. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * Head south to Land's End, but it's a bit of a walk. If your feet are nimble and light, you can get there by candlelight.
 * West is Thurso, brooded over by the dome of Dounreay, and surrounded by ancient castles and duns.
 * South is Wick, for more Iron Age sites than you could shake a stick at, yet they're planning to build more.
 * Take a ferry north to the Orkney Islands. You can see Stromness, the major standing stones and burial cairns, and Kirkwall all within a day trip, but it deserves longer.
 * North Coast 500 is a 500-mile circuit of Scotland's north coast passing though John o'Groats.

title: John o'Groats


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Johnson

There is more than one place called Johnson:

United States of America

 * Johnson (Arkansas) - A town in Arkansas.
 * Johnson (Minnesota) - A town in Minnesota.
 * Johnson (Nebraska) - A town in Nebraska.
 * Johnson (Oklahoma) - A town in Oklahoma.
 * Johnson (Vermont) - A town in Northwest Vermont.

See also: Johnson City

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Johnson


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Johnson (Vermont)

Johnson is a town of 3,600 people (2018) in Vermont. It is home to Northern Vermont University-Johnson (formerly Johnson State College).

title: Johnson (Vermont)


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Johnson City

There is more than one place called Johnson City:

United States of America

 * Johnson City (Kansas) - a town in the state of Kansas.
 * Johnson City (New York) - a town in the state of New York.
 * Johnson City (Oregon) - a town in the state of Oregon.
 * Johnson City (Tennessee) - a town in the state of Tennessee.
 * Johnson City (Texas) - a town in the state of Texas.

title: Johnson City


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Johnson City (Tennessee)

Johnson City is a city in Eastern Tennessee. With a population of 71,000 in 2020, the city is the 8th largest in the state.

Learn
Johnson City is home to East Tennessee State University. Milligan University is also nearby.

Get in

 * Greyhound 137 W Market St.

Get around
A car is best for this area. Public transit operates with limited hours of operation and the area has been allowed to develop so that it is impossible to get around by bike or walking. The local bus service is run by JCT (Johnson City Transit System). As of 2022, the fare is $1 per ride, 59 cents for seniors, people with disbilities, and students (kindergarten-Grade 6). Transfers are free. Monday through Friday from 6:15AM to 6:15PM (last 30-minute route begins at 5:45PM), and on Saturday from 8:15AM to 5:15PM (last 30-minute route begins at 4:45PM). Buses stop one per hour.

See

 * Tipton-Haynes Historic Site, 2620 S Roan St. Farm where one of the original settlers, Colonel John Tipton, lived and was present during an armed confrontation regarding the State of Franklin movement where Tipton was leading the faction wishing to remain part of North Carolina and John Sevier was heading the Franklin faction. Tu-Sa 9AM-4PM. +1 423-926-3631
 * Buffalo Mountain Park, 570 Highridge Rd. Fine views overlooking the city accessed by trail. Daily 7AM-9PM. +1 423-283-5815
 * Founders Park, some interesting outdoor sculpture and water terrace at the foot of downtown.
 * Buffalo Mountain Park, 570 Highridge Rd. Fine views overlooking the city accessed by trail. Daily 7AM-9PM. +1 423-283-5815
 * Founders Park, some interesting outdoor sculpture and water terrace at the foot of downtown.

Hilton, Virginia

 * Carter Family Fold, Hilton, Virginia. Probably the most interesting destination in the whole area. Old-time and bluegrass music, about an hour away. $7 to get in, concerts every Saturday night.

Erwin

 * Rock Creek Camp Ground is a U.S. Forest Service camp ground that is clean and not that far from Johnson City (Erwin, Tennessee); it has bathrooms and swimming pond and trails but is closed during winter.

Roan Mountain

 * Roan Mountain State Park is a state park that is just a short drive outside of Johnson City. It is well known for hiking trails, campgrounds, and picnic areas. Most notable for its "Roan High Bluff," an observation deck at the end of a hiking trail with an incredible view that allows you to see the surrounding area, as well as the Rhododendron Festival, which celebrates the blooming of the world's largest natural rhododendron garden every year in late June.

title: Johnson City (Tennessee)


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Johnson City (Texas)

Johnson City is a city in the German Hill Country of Texas.

Get in
Johnson City is located on the intersection of US Highway 290 and US Highway 281. Johnson City is about 48 miles west of Austin and about 64 miles north of San Antonio.

Go next

 * Pedernales Falls State Natural Area
 * Fredericksburg
 * Stonewall about 15 minutes east of Fredericksburg.
 * Austin
 * San Antonio
 * New Braunfels - Located 52 miles southeast of Johnson City, this town is best known for its German culture and heritage, not to mention the Schlitterbahn, persistent in being voted the world's best waterpark.
 * San Marcos - 50 miles southeast of Johnson City, San Marcos is the home of Texas State University and its Aquarena Center, as well as two massive outlet malls that have more than 350 shops.
 * Hill Country a more general overview of the area, most destinations are an easy day trip.

title: Johnson City (Texas)


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Johnston (Rhode Island)

Johnston is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. Johnston is very famous for its landfill. The landfill is the only one in the state of Rhode Island and is occasionally subject to many issues such as over capacity or a strong smell. Although the Landfill seems like it is not something you would not want to see, it is definitely a worthwhile trip. All of the machinery used to process the disposed waste is available for viewing. It is quite interesting to see the process that has to be done in order to get rid of the whole state of Rhode Island’s trash!

Understand
Incorporated on March 6, 1759, Johnston was named for the colonial attorney general, August Johnston. The city is approximately 24 square miles with less than one square mile of water. Home to the only operational landfill in Rhode Island, the town is not the top of mind for visitors, whether they come from a distance or are Rhode Islanders. There is much more to Johnston than meets the eye. The town has a population that is 47% of Italian ancestry, the highest percentage of any town in the US.

Johnston is part of the Providence- Fall River- Warwick metropolitan statistical area (MSA). It is in the Providence county area, and is four miles northwest of Cranston, Rhode Island, and 43 miles southwest of Boston, Massachusetts. The population of Johnston is about 28,195 people. Johnston used to be part of Providence, but in 1758 it was separated. Johnston became incorporated on March 6, 1759, and was named after August Johnston, the colonial attorney general. The town held its first official town meeting on April 18, 1759 at the home of Benjamin Belknap, in order to elect new officers.

Get in
Johnston is easily accessed from either Route 295 which runs North to South or Route 6 which runs East to West. Those arriving to the state by plane will travel Route 295 north and those arriving by rail will take route 10 west to Route 6 west. Driving times will range from 15 to 30 minutes depending on traffic from either direction.

Get around
Public transportation options in Johnston are limited to non existent. Other than in local neighborhoods, the town is not pedestrian friendly so a car is absolutely needed. Rental car agencies are available in town as well as at the airport for those arriving by plane.

RIPTA bus number 19 (Plainfield), 27 (Manton/Greenville), and 28 (Hartford) from Kennedy plaza takes you into different areas of Johnston.

See

 * Central Landfill 65 Shun Pike.  . This is worth the time even if it just to drive by.  Not just a dump, the landfill is a state of the art facility often visited by other sanitation experts.  If you are lucky enough to be visiting from April through October tours are offered two days each month.  Consult the website to obtain days and scheduling information.

Do

 * Go for a walk around the pond at Johnston Memorial Park. The park is located on Hartford Ave.close to the center of town.  Every evening, the walking path is filled with people of all ages getting their daily exercise.  It's a pleasant walk but leave the animals at home, no dogs allowed! The park includes three baseball fields and two basketball courts for visitors in addition to, two playgrounds. The rec hods many different camps for children ranging from basketball to softball. Besides enjoying Johnston Memorial Park during the Spring/Summer, they have two very notable Fall events as well.  The first Fall event is Apple Fest.  Apple Fest is a family friendly event consisting of fun for the whole family. There are games for children and prize-winning raffles with excellent prizes!  Also, enjoy freshly baked apple pies, apple crisp, and apple bread!  The second notable Fall event is the Johnston Memorial Park Spooky Walk.  This is the perfect event for young children!  It consists of a haunted walk through the park trails with many spooky characters!  It is a very popular event and provides Halloween fun for the children!  Visit http://www.johnstonrec.com/ for more information on park events!
 * St. Rocco's Feast and Our Lady of Grace Feast. Visit during the month of August and September and you may get the chance to attend the annual Feasts. Always held during August and September, the easiest way to know the dates is to drive by the church on Atwood Ave and George Waterman ave.  The banner across the road signals to everyone driving by that it is time to enjoy the rides, the food, the games, the beer garden and more food.  Reflecting the strong Italian culture of this community, one can find everything from pastas to cannollis at the feast.  The big draw are the doughboys made by the parishioners,  Order yours with sugar if you must, but better to try one with "gravy" and cheese The "gravy" is tomato sauce and the "cheese" grated Parmigiano-Romano. Bring a box if you want to take some food home: they don't do take-out!

Eat
If you are looking for some good Italian food, Johnston is the place. Check out any of the bakeries in town and get some pizza strips. Not a slice, a strip. Served cold with sauce only, wrapped in wax paper. If you are in the mood for a more formal dinner, there are several places to choose from.

 * Luigi's Restaurant 1357 Hartford Ave. .  An upscale Italian restaurant that also offers a take out section and cafe option.  There are also several large rooms for functions.
 * Pat's Restaurant  1200 Hartford Ave.  .  This is a nice family restaurant with huge portions and homemade pastas.
 * Brewed Awakenings, 1577 Atwood Ave. Brewed Awakenings Coffee House is a wonderful place to relax after a long day. Enjoy a cup of coffee, tea, or even a smoothie with friends in the cozy, quiet environment. Brewed also offers sandwiches and deserts.
 * Brewed Awakenings, 1577 Atwood Ave. Brewed Awakenings Coffee House is a wonderful place to relax after a long day. Enjoy a cup of coffee, tea, or even a smoothie with friends in the cozy, quiet environment. Brewed also offers sandwiches and deserts.
 * Brewed Awakenings, 1577 Atwood Ave. Brewed Awakenings Coffee House is a wonderful place to relax after a long day. Enjoy a cup of coffee, tea, or even a smoothie with friends in the cozy, quiet environment. Brewed also offers sandwiches and deserts.

Drink

 * Bishop Hill Tavern 2868 Hartford Ave, . This is your typical neighborhood bar with a twist. The food is amazing!   If you are feeling a bit shy entering a bar for dinner, they offer a dining room in the back but it is usually empty.  There is something about the chatter of the neighborhood folks at the end of a long day, the ball games on the TV, the dart board on the wall and the keno screen that draws even the most reluctant visitors.

Sleep

 * Skyview Motor Inn 2880 Hartford Ave  .  A classic American motel.  Nightly rate is $60.00.  Nothing fancy here, but if you are looking to save money and just need a place to sleep, this is a good choice.

 * Bel-Air Motor Inn, 2154 Hartford Avenue,

Go next
Johnston is a good choice if you need a central location, a cheap room and some good food while touring Rhode Island and nearby states. Providence is 15 minutes away, Hartford Connecticut is 60 minutes and Boston 90 minutes.

title: Johnston (Rhode Island)


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Johnston Atoll

Johnston Atoll is an uninhabited atoll in Polynesia, 717 nautical miles (1328 km) southwest of Hawaii, about one-third of the way to the Marshall Islands.

Understand

The atoll is closed to the public and travel to the island is not allowed without permission.

History
Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934, and subsequently the US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions destruction is now complete. Cleanup and closure of the facility was completed by May 2005. Toxic waste from both operations is buried on the island.

The Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Air Force are discussing future management options, in the interim Johnston Atoll and the 3-mile Naval Defensive Sea around it remain under the jurisdiction and administrative control of the US Air Force.

Landscape
Strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference some low-growing vegetation. Highest point: Summit Peak, at 5 meters

Climate
Tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation.

Get in
You may be able to visit the island as a volunteer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service; see their website for details.

By plane
There is an abandoned airstrip on Johnston Island.

Buy
There is no economic activity on Johnston Atoll.

Sleep
There are no public accommodations on Johnston Atoll.

title: Johnston Atoll


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Johnstown

Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, 41 miles (66 km) west-southwest of Altoona, and 70 miles (110 km) east of Pittsburgh. The Conemaugh River forms at Johnstown from its tributaries, the Stonycreek River and the Little Conemaugh.

Understand
Like many other Rust Belt cities, Johnstown has fallen on hard times since the decline of the manufacturing industries that once provided the majority of jobs in the region. Certainly not helping matters is the fact that the area was subject to devastating floods for some time, most recently in 1977 (although modern dams and rainwater diversion systems have since been installed to mitigate further flooding). Nonetheless, for American history-minded travelers, Johnstown and the surrounding area offers a number of interesting attractions.

By car
The main highway connecting Johnstown to the Pennsylvania Turnpike is US 219. In addition, there is also State Route 56, which is an expressway from 219 until Walnut Street. From there, it provides a connection to US 22 to the north of Johnstown, which connects to Pittsburgh and Altoona.

By plane
A likely cheaper alternative (even factoring in rental car costs and tolls) would be to fly into Pittsburgh International Airport and then make the two-hour drive to Johnstown via I-376 to the PA Turnpike.

By train

 * Route stopping at Johnstown:
 * Pennsylvanian operates daily between Pittsburgh and New York City with stops in Greensburg, Latrobe, Johnstown, Altoona, Huntingdon, Lewistown, Harrisburg, Elizabethtown, Lancaster, Exton, Paoli, Philadelphia, Trenton, and Newark.
 * Pennsylvanian operates daily between Pittsburgh and New York City with stops in Greensburg, Latrobe, Johnstown, Altoona, Huntingdon, Lewistown, Harrisburg, Elizabethtown, Lancaster, Exton, Paoli, Philadelphia, Trenton, and Newark.

By bus

 * Greyhound buses also stop at CamTran's transit center.

Get around
CamTran operates the local bus service, a fleet of 51 buses on a rural and an urban fixed route system.

Go next

 * Pittsburgh is an easy two-hour drive.
 * Altoona is approximately one-hour away and home to the famous Horseshoe Curve.
 * The first railroad to circumvent the Allegheny Mountains - the finishing piece of the Pennsylvania Mainline Canal. The visitor center offers a movie that is a dramatic interpretation of what it was like to work and travel on the Portage Railroad. Other attractions include Engine House 6 Exhibit Shelter and the Lemon House, restored to its 1840s appearance.

title: Johnstown


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Johor

Johor, formerly Johore, is the southernmost and third largest state of Peninsular Malaysia. It also has the second largest economy among the states of Peninsular Malaysia, only behind Selangor.

Cities

 * - the largest city and capital of Johor
 * - the administrative capital of Johor
 * - the port and industrial city of Johor

Towns

 * Batu Pahat District: Batu Pahat (capital), Ayer Hitam, Parit Raja, Parit Sulong, Rengit, Senggarang, Yong Peng
 * Kluang District: Kluang (capital), Kahang, Simpang Renggam
 * Kota Tinggi District: Kota Tinggi (capital), Bandar Penawar, Johor Lama, Pengerang, Sedili, Teluk Sengat
 * Kulai District: Kulai (capital), Senai
 * Mersing District: Mersing (capital), Endau, Jemaluang
 * Muar District: Muar (district capital and royal capital of Johor), Parit Jawa
 * Pontian District: Pontian Kechil (capital), Pekan Nanas, Kukup
 * Segamat District: Segamat (capital), Bekok, Chaah, Jementah, Labis
 * Tangkak District: Tangkak (capital), Bukit Gambir

Other destinations

 * — local beach resort on the east coast
 * — hiking in ancient jungles
 * — marine park island off the eastern coast, popular with divers
 * — an island popular with divers, reachable by dive boat from Mersing
 * – contains the Pulau Pisang Lighthouse. Although undisputed Malaysian sovereign territory, the lighthouse and the road leading to it are managed and operated by Singapore.
 * – contains the Pulau Pisang Lighthouse. Although undisputed Malaysian sovereign territory, the lighthouse and the road leading to it are managed and operated by Singapore.
 * – contains the Pulau Pisang Lighthouse. Although undisputed Malaysian sovereign territory, the lighthouse and the road leading to it are managed and operated by Singapore.

History
The Sultanate of Johor was founded in the early 16th century by the Alauddin Riayat Shah II, the son of Mahmud Shah, the last Sultan of Malacca who fled from the invading Portuguese. On its verge, the territory of Johor includes not only the present-day state of Malacca, but also Pahang, Singapore, the Riau Islands and part of Sumatra. In 1855, the British appointed Temenggong Daing Ibrahim as the de facto ruler of Johor. His son, Temenggong Abu Bakar, became Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor and started a period of modernisation for the country. In 1948, Johor joined the Federation of Malaya, which became modern-day Malaysia in 1957. Today, Johor is unique among the states of Malaysia for being the only one that has its own state army (separate from the Malaysian army).

In the 2000s, Johor started an ambitious economic development program named Iskandar Malaysia, aimed at leveraging Johor Bahru's proximity with Singapore to become a wealthy, bustling city and attracting foreign investment, similar to the way that the Chinese city of Shenzhen used its proximity to Hong Kong in order to develop. Nusajaya (current Iskandar Puteri) was conceived as a planned city set to become the new administrative capital of the state, and a period of massive construction has begun, specially in the areas of Johor Bahru and Iskandar Puteri.

By plane
located in Senai is the only airport in the state that serves commercial flights.

Alternative options include flying into Malacca or Singapore and making your way into Johor by road.

By train
Johor Bahru is on the Malaysian rail network along Peninsular Malaysia which connects up to Thailand and Singapore. Train stations in Johor are, , Genuang, Tenang, , Bekok, Paloh, Chamek, , Mengkibol, Rengam, Layang-Layang, and.

Get around
Transportation between cities and towns in Johor are served by Causeway Link express or local bus services, connecting Johor Bahru to Batu Pahat (Ayer Hitam), Iskandar Puteri (Gelang Patah, Kota Iskandar), Kota Tinggi, Kulai (Senai) and Mersing.

Eat
Cuisine in Johor is influenced by Arabs and cultures of the surrounding Maritime Southeast Asia. Some dishes are a blend of ingredients not found anywhere else in Malaysia. Due to their difficult and sometimes complicated recipes, some can only be sampled during celebrations and state banquets. Johor's culinary specialities include mee rebus, spicy noodles in sweet potato soup, and Johor laksa, an offbeat version of the ubiquitous noodle dish: in Johor's version, the usual rice noodles are replaced with yellow egg noodles (not spaghetti) and topped with a thick paste of fish, onion, peanuts, chili peppers and spices. Mee rebus stulang, kacang pol haji, sayur kangkung cincin mas and others will surely bring up the mood plus with the nicely done ABC special, cendol and other varieties of hot drink to choose from.

 * Laksa Johor is from Johor. It differs from laksa Penang by having coconut milk added during cooking. It also differs from other laksas by using spaghetti instead of rice-based noodles.
 * Mee bandung Muar is also a dish originating from Johor, specifically from Muar Town. The term 'bandung' is not derived from Bandung, Indonesia but is a term for anything that is a mix of many ingredients. One of the most important ingredients is dried shrimp.
 * Penganan kacau keledek is a dessert normally reserved for the Johor monarch and elites. It is made from sweet potatoes, a lot of eggs (at least 40), fresh coconut milk (not instant) and huge amounts of sugar. It is mixed together and stirred on a simmering heat for at least 4 hours.
 * Mee rebus is a noodle dish that consists of mee (a spaghetti-like mixture of flour, salt and egg) and is served with a tangy, spicy brown sauce. Usually crumbs and boiled eggs are added.
 * Arisa – A unique chicken dish that is very rare nowadays, and is normally served to royalty and social elites of Johor at formal functions and celebrations.
 * Satay – is a popular food in Malaysia. Made from marinated meat or chicken and barbecued on a charcoal grill. Cooked satay is dipped in special peanut sauce. A favourite Malay food in Johor, mostly found in Johor Bahru and Muar Town.
 * Telur pindang – Eggs boiled together with herbs and spices, popular during wedding feasts in Johor.
 * Roti jala or Roti kirai – The name is derived from the Malay word roti (bread) and jala (net). A special ladle with a five-hole perforation used to make the bread look like a fish net (picture in the works). It is usually eaten spicy with curry or sweet with serawa. Serawa is made from a mixture of boiled coconut milk, brown sugar and pandan leaf.
 * Nasi beriani gam – A biryani rice dish originating from India with a cooking method very similar to Hyderabad biryani but with spices adjusted to suit the Malay palate. This dish is very popular in Batu Pahat District.
 * Ikan masak asam pedas – A sour stew of fish (usually mackerel), tamarind, chili, tomatoes, okra and Vietnamese coriander (daun kesum)
 * Kacang pol - This dish is influenced by Arab cuisine in which special baked bread is served with a special sauce and a 'sunny side up' egg.
 * Pisang salai or gimpi - Smoked banana
 * Otak-otak – Steamed/Grilled fish cake usually served wrapped in sticks of coconut leaves. Two of the most popular varieties are Otak-otak Muar (spicy) and Otak-otak Gelang Patah (sweet).
 * Mee soto – This Indonesian origin food is very popular in Johor. A combination of either noodles, rice or rice vermicelli, according to preference, is added with peanuts, beansprouts and chicken meat. This combination then is poured with special soup. This soup is made from chicken stock and some other spices. Enjoy it while it's hot.
 * Mee bakso is almost identical to soto, but with meatballs instead of slices of chicken.
 * Lontong is a combination of pressed rice and coconut soup with vegetables, served with boiled egg and chili.
 * Burasak is a type of Buginese food.
 * Halwa Maskat is a dessert that may have originated in Muscat, Oman.
 * Kerutup ikan is fish steamed with a variety of local fragrant leaves.
 * Pecal is a Javanese traditional cuisine made from long beans, slices of cucumber, beansprouts, tofu, tempe mix, and a peanut sauce.
 * Tauhu bakar is made from tofu cooked on a grill and cut into cubes and dipped in a sauce.
 * Pendaram
 * Mee siput is a mixture of flour that expands in size when deep fried.
 * Rojak petis is a combination of local vegetables mixed with black sauce made mostly from shrimp (otak udang).
 * ABC – ABC is an abbreviation for air batu campur, also known as ais kacang Johor (ice kacang Johor). It is a special dessert created from shaved ice with corn, jelly, red beans, peanuts, syrup, pasteurised milk, and chocolate syrup. The meaning translates to bean ice.

Javanese-influenced cuisine
There are a few Johorean dishes with Javanese influences due to the high number of Javanese settlers in the state. These include lontong, nasi ambeng, satay and bontrot or berkat – both traditionally served after feasts like wedding ceremonies, Yasinan and others; and ungkep.

Stay safe
Take care of your personal belongings whilst strolling along the streets, particularly when alone. Do not dress inappropriately (primarily out of respect for local customs and cultures) and do not show expensive jewellery or count large amounts of money in public places. Take the same common-sense precautions you would elsewhere.

Go next

 * Melaka
 * Pahang

title: Johor


text:
Johor Bahru

Johor Bahru (Jawi: جوهر بهرو, Chinese: 新山) (also Johor Baru or Johore Baharu, informally called JB) is a city and the state capital of Johor in Malaysia. It is the second largest city of the country and the financial centre of the state of Johor. The city is surrounded by suburbs, industrial parks and long waterfront areas, in the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia. Johor Bahru together with Iskandar Puteri and Pasir Gudang cities and Kukup, Kulai, Pekan Nanas and Senai towns form the megaregion Iskandar Malaysia.

Areas
Johor Bahru's metropolitan area can be easily divided into four parts - North, South, East and West.

 * North - Its main centres are Taman Daya, Taman Mount Austin, Taman Desa Tebrau and Ulu Tiram, which can be accessed via the trunk road, Jalan Tebrau. There can be a relatively frequent peak hour jam along this road. The area is a very popular place for the local to patronise due to the latest development of AEON Tebrau, Lotus's Tebrau, IKEA Tebrau, Toppen Shopping Centre and Mount Austin's bustling socialising and entertainment district.
 * South - It is the main city centre (IIBD) where most of the city government agencies are located. This area is also where many of the old town areas are located, including its Chinatown, Little India and Stulang Laut waterfront areas. It is an area with housing estates which have been around for more than three decades. Important estates include Taman Pelangi, Taman Century and Taman Sentosa.
 * East - The main suburbs here are Plentong and Permas Jaya, a housing suburb; other part is industrial areas and the Sultan Iskandar Reservoir.
 * West - The main centres is Danga Bay area, an integrated waterfront development. The main suburbs here are Bandar Baru UDA, Tampoi and Kempas.

Understand
Johor Bahru is a fast-growing city. The city has about 860,000 inhabitants (2020), and its district has about 1.7 million. Johor Bahru is mostly suburban and lacks a condensed metropolitan environment. Given its relatively large land space, the city is not as dense as many other cities in the country. Many of the world's top electronics manufacturers have at least one plant in Johor Bahru.

Due to its proximity to Singapore, Johor Bahru is frequently visited by tourists from Singapore particularly on weekends, in order to benefit from lower comparable restaurant and accommodation prices of at least 50%. Congestion at the border checkpoints is particularly heavy during long weekends or extended public holidays. Shopping and eating in the city can be a real adventure, with many shopping complexes, restaurants, cafes and a wide variety of local, Asian and Western food establishments offering from street food to fine dining. There are also plenty of spas, massage parlours, resort hotels, karaoke, night markets, pubs and nightclubs in the city. The city also houses many establishments for arts, sports, games and outdoor activities.

Johor Bahru has a good mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures, with racial and religious harmony actively promoted by the Sultan of Johor. The city has been receiving large investments, particular from Chinese property developers, as part of the Iskandar Malaysia project. As result, there is massive construction all over the city. While mostly residential properties are being built, some are aiming to create man-made tourist attractions such as Danga Bay (Country Garden, Greenland) and Princess Cove (R&F). Johor Bahru is a sprawling city; its city centre is rather small for a metropolis of its size, and many of the city's best shopping areas and restaurants are in the suburbs rather than in the city centre. While the public transportation leaves much to be desired and may be too complex or inadequate for tourists in general, local inexpensive ride-hailing apps such as Grab makes the task of exploring the city much easier.

History
The city was founded in 1855 as Tanjung Puteri during the rule of Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim of the Johor Sultanate. In 1862, it was renamed as Johore Bahru when the Sultanate moved its capital there from Telok Blangah. After the independence of Malaya in 1957, Johor Bahru became the capital of Johor State and continued as such after the formation of Malaysia in 1963. Johor Bahru was declared a town in 1977, and then a city in 1994. Subsequently, with the establishment of Nusajaya, many of the state administration offices were moved to the new town. In 2020, the new city hall of Johor Bahru was established in Bukit Senyum.

Climate
Like the rest of other areas in Malaysia, Johor Bahru has an equatorial climate with consistent temperature throughout the year. It has a considerable amount of rain and high humidity. Daily average temperature ranges from 26.4 °C (79.5 °F) to 27.8 °C (82.0 °F). Although the climate is relatively uniform, it does show some seasonal variation due to the effects of monsoons. Day time can be a bit hot, thus bringing a hat, cap or umbrella may always be a good idea, because sometimes rain will also pour down unexpectedly.

Tourist offices
The official at Jalan Ayer Molek (about 1 km southwest of JB Sentral) is a tiny office on the 3rd level in a sprawling white building of the same name, a 10-min walk from JB Sentral station; M-F 8AM-5PM. There are two other tourist offices located at:

 * 1) Johor Bahru CIQ ('Tourist Information Centre' open daily 9AM-1PM and 2-6PM). 50 m from Sultan Iskandar Building.
 * 2) JB Sentral ('Tourist Information Centre', next to the passenger waiting area on level 2 daily 9AM-6PM). You can get free brochures and maps on various destinations in West Malaysia, including free maps of JB.

Talk
Malay is the official language of the state and Malaysia, and spoken by virtually all locals. English, however, is widely used as a second language in public and for business, commercial and tourism purposes. Teochew is the main language spoken by the Chinese community, with many of them able to speak Mandarin as well, while Tamil is the main language spoken by the Indian community. Other languages from East, Southeast and South Asian countries can also be found in the city due to the significant presence of migrant workers from those countries.

Generally, most of the public commercial signs are bilingual in Malay and English. Many private establishments will also include Chinese or Tamil signs. However, road signs are mostly written in Malay only. Road names are mostly written in both the Rumi and Jawi scripts.

By plane
The most practical way for most international visitors to enter is through Singapore Changi Airport (see below).

Senai International Airport
is the main airport serving Johor Bahru, located in the neighbouring town of Senai. It has several international flights from other Southeast Asian countries, and it has also domestic flights from major airports around Malaysia, including connecting flights from Malaysia's main airport Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Selangor, which is served by flights from major destinations around the globe.

 * Domestic flights are provided by:

 * From/to Johor Bahru:
 * Causeway Link operates airport express shuttle buses between the airport and JB Sentral with 12 return journeys per day. First departure from either side is at 9AM and last departure is at 8:30PM. Tickets cost RM8 one-way and the journey time is about 45 min.
 * There are also non-express buses from and to the airport. JB Central Line's A1 bus (Larkin Sentral: 7AM-8:30PM) and Causeway Link's 333 (Larkin Sentral: 6AM-8PM about every 1½-2 hr, one-way fare RM3.50) go between Larkin Sentral terminal and the airport. The A1 bus terminates at Senai Airport and Permas Jaya, so you can board or disembark from the bus at various points.
 * Taxis are available and the ride takes about 30 min. Taxis leaving from the airport operate on a voucher system; buy your voucher from the taxi desk inside the terminal (next to the car rental desks). A trip to the city centre is RM45 for up to 4 passengers.
 * From/to Singapore:
 * If you are planning to go to Senai Airport from Singapore, the cheapest option is to travel to JB Sentral (see By bus below) and then transfer to a Causeway Link Airport (CWA) shuttle bus, or to Larkin Sentral terminal by express or non-express bus and transfer to an airport-bound bus. If you're in a hurry, you can take an ordinary Malaysian taxi for an official rate of RM45 from the taxi rank at JB Sentral, after clearing Malaysian immigration and customs. From JB to Senai takes around 30 min off peak. Buy your coupon from the counter before boarding the taxi.

Singapore Changi Airport
Singapore Changi Airport across the border in Singapore is commonly used by locals due to its better connections. The downside is that you will have to pass through customs and immigration twice, and getting to/from your destination can be a bit of a hassle as normal Singaporean taxis are not allowed to cross the border into Johor Bahru and vice versa. Transtar Travel's "cross border" coach service operates between Changi Airport Terminals 1 and 4, and JB CIQ, from which you can catch a taxi or public transport to anywhere in Johor Bahru.

From other parts of Malaysia
Due to the separation of East Malaysia from Peninsular Malaysia by sea, Johor Bahru can only be accessed by road from the peninsula. JB is at the southern end of the North South Expressway, the toll highway which runs the length of Peninsular Malaysia along the West Coast. Those accessing or leaving the city can exit or enter at Jalan Skudai, Jalan Adda Utama, the Pasir Gudang Highway or Jalan Tebrau.

JB is also at the southern extremity of the Federal Route One, the main trunk roads which runs the length of Peninsular Malaysia's West Coast states. Federal Route Three or the East Coast Road links JB with the East Coast cities of Kuantan, Kuala Terengganu and Kota Bharu via Kota Tinggi and Mersing. The West Coast's coastal road can be accessed from Pontian.

From Singapore
Most visitors to JB arrive from Singapore via the linking the two countries. By some measures the busiest border crossing in the world, the Causeway is a very popular and thus often congested entry point connecting directly into the heart of JB. The most crowded times tend to be on Fridays (especially from 9AM to noon and 3PM to 10PM) when many Singaporeans travel across the border to Malaysia for a weekend getaway and Malaysian residents travel back after the workweek. Saturday mornings and the eve of bank holidays (or bank holiday weekends) can see the checkpoint packed too. Sunday afternoons and evenings, as well as the last day of bank holiday weekends see the Causeway crowded in the opposite direction. The Causeway can be crossed by bus, train, taxi or car. This website provides more advice on when the best time to travel across the causeway would be.

To drive a car from Singapore to Malaysia, one must prepare the stored-value card (NETS CashCard or CEPAS Card) with sufficient funds to pay for tolls before leaving Singapore and the Touch 'n Go card when entering Johor Bahru to pay the RM20 VEP toll fee. Drivers of Singapore-registered cars must also ensure that their fuel tank is filled with ¾ of the vehicle's fuel tank when leaving Singapore. Offenders may be fined up to S$500 by Singaporean authorities, and will not be permitted to leave Singapore.

Rental agencies will frequently prohibit their cars crossing the border or may charge extra in both directions.

'Cycling across the Causeway from Singapore is possible. To do so, take the motorcycle lanes and have your exit and entry processed at the manual motorcycle counters.

By bus
serves as the major long-haul bus terminal in the whole of Johor Bahru. Buses between JB and other Malaysian or Thai cities, and those between JB and Singapore will usually start and terminate here or at JB CIQ.

West Malaysia and Thailand
Direct buses between Johor Bahru and many cities and towns in West Malaysia as well as Hat Yai in Thailand arrive at Larkin Sentral Terminal. This L-shaped terminal has coach and bus ticket booths, shops, about a dozen food and beverage outlets, a market, and a left luggage office (RM2 per bag per day, 7AM-10PM).

There is a big, open-air car park in front of the bus terminal - enter from Jalan Garuda. Several dozen bus companies run direct bus services between Larkin Sentral and various destinations in West Malaysia with services to Kuala Lumpur typically starting from just after sunrise and ending at slightly past midnight. Except during public holidays (when you should buy the ticket in advance), you can usually purchase your ticket on the day of departure or even less than an hour before the scheduled departure time. You may have to pay a hefty surcharge on top of the normal ticket price for departures on public holidays.

There are shared taxis departing from Larkin Sentral terminal to various destinations (only as far as Genting Highlands) in West Malaysia. The fare per person for the shared taxis is at least three times the coach fare per person for the further destinations. The shared taxis, unlike the intercity buses, do not depart at set times. They only depart when the shared taxi has reached a maximum of four passengers or if the passengers are willing to pay for the remaining seats. Shared taxi fares per person in RM: Genting Highlands 120, Kuala Lumpur 95, Kuala Lumpur International Airport 95, Malacca 65, Mersing 40, Senai International Airport 10, Kota Tinggi 10.

There are local buses connecting Larkin Sentral terminal with various parts of the city. To go from JB Sentral to Larkin Sentral, you can take the Maju bus or Transit Link's orange-red 'City Bus' (all of these do not have bus numbers - they have the word 'Larkin' prominently displayed on the front of the bus; the one-way bus fare is RM1.70 and average frequency of the Maju bus is 5-10 min). These buses stop at the bus stop opposite City Square in Jalan Wong Ah Fook and at the JB Sentral's bus bays facing Jalan Jim Quee.

To go to JB Sentral from Larkin Sentral terminal, you can take the Maju bus number 208, 224 and 227 (one-way fare RM1.70) or Transit Link's orange-red 'City Bus' (one-way fare RM1.70). Maju bus number 208, 224 and 227 go from Larkin Sentral terminal to JB Sentral en route to Masai, Pasir Gudang and Kota Tinggi respectively.

From Singapore
There are three main types of bus transport between JB and Singapore: private buses, Causeway Link buses and SBS Transit/SMRT public buses. All buses except CW3, CW3S, CW4 and CW6 use the Causeway. Other than the immigration checkpoints, all Johor Bahru bound buses can only stop at one or two destinations in Johor Bahru, while Singapore-bound Causeway Link and Singapore-Johore Express buses can only stop at one destination in Singapore. Terminals aside, all buses make one stop each at Singapore immigration checkpoint and at Malaysian immigration checkpoint, which may mean boarding (esp. on those line buses where you can pay with an EZ-link card) a different bus. At both immigration points, you must disembark with all your luggage and pass through passport control and customs, then board the same or next bus by showing your ticket or using your EZ-link card.

The following private buses run between various stops in Singapore and either JB CIQ or Larkin Sentral Terminal in Johor Bahru:

 * From Johor Bahru to Woodlands, via Johor–Singapore Causeway

 * From Iskandar Puteri to Tuas, via Malaysia–Singapore Second Link

SBS Transit and SMRT public (non-express) buses provide non-express services which charge based on distance travelled, and can be paid in cash or by EZ-link card. Exact fare is required without the EZ-Link card; you will not get any change back from the driver.
 * The Transtar Cross Border Service TS1 minibus (24 passengers) plies between Changi Airport and Johor Bahru. The service calls at coach stands at Terminals 1, 2 and 3, and terminates at Johor Bahru CIQ. The first bus leaves Changi Airport for Johor Bahru at 8:15AM, Johor Bahru for Changi Airport at 5AM with the last departures at Changi Airport and Larkin Sentral scheduled at 11:15PM and 9PM respectively. Frequency is set at every 60 min. The bus calls at 5 stops along its route in Singapore (excluding Woodlands Checkpoint) and uses the Tampines and Seletar Expressways.
 * The Transtar Cross Border Service TS8 double-decker bus plies between Resorts World at Sentosa (RWS) and Johor Bahru. The bus calls at 6 stops along its route. The service terminates at Larkin Sentral, with drop off at JB CIQ. Passengers can choose to pay using their EZ-link cards or with cash. From RWS, the first bus will leave at 8AM (weekdays) or 9AM (weekends and holidays) with the last one at 12:15AM. From Larkin Sentral, the first bus departs M-F 6AM; Sa Su and public holidays 7AM. Last bus at 9:30PM. Service TS8 runs every hour.
 * The Advance Coach AC7 bus service runs between Yishun bus interchange in Singapore and Larkin Sentral Terminal. It makes numerous stops en route between Yishun bus interchange and the Woodlands checkpoint. The frequency is 20 to 30 minutes, 5:45AM-11:30PM (Singapore to Johor Bahru) and 5AM–11:50PM (Johor Bahru to Singapore).
 * The Singapore-Johore Express (SJE) runs a non-stop service between Queen Street Terminal in Singapore and Larkin Sentral Terminal from 6:30AM–1AM. At the terminals, buy tickets from the ticket counter. At Woodlands or JB checkpoints, get the ticket from the driver or the ticket seller standing beside the bus. Change will be given.
 * Bus 160 from Jurong East Interchange (next to Jurong East MRT Station)
 * Bus 170 from Queen Street Terminal to Larkin Sentral Terminal
 * Bus 170X at Kranji MRT station
 * Bus 950 from Woodlands Bus Interchange to Larkin Sentral Terminal

Causeway Link buses are bright yellow and hard to miss. Buy tickets from the ticket counter at the terminals. Boarding anywhere else will require payment to the driver with no change given. These are by far the cheapest option to cross the Johor Straits but it also causes mad rushes and queues at the checkpoints. The main CW buses are:
 * CW1 from Larkin Sentral to Kranji MRT station
 * CW2 from Larkin Sentral to Queen Street Terminal
 * CW5 from Johor Bahru CIQ to Newton Circus

The restriction of Malaysian-operated buses not stopping anywhere within Singapore and conversely, Singapore ones in Johor Bahru could be used to your advantage. 30 min could easily be shaved off the journey time within Singapore alone by boarding express buses CW2, CW5 or SJE when leaving Singapore from the Queen Street terminal or Newton Food Centre's car park. A little more time could be saved on the Johor Bahru side by hopping on to a Singapore-registered non-express bus (e.g. SBS 160/170, SMRT 950) once you clear Malaysian customs and immigration at the Johor Bahru CIQ, but you will have to pay a new fare as you did not start your journey in Singapore on a Singapore-registered non-express bus.

It is possible but more expensive to use the EZ-link card compared to paying in cash in Malaysian ringgit when boarding SBS 160, SBS 170 or SMRT 950 at Larkin Sentral/Johor Bahru CIQ to go anywhere in Singapore. The percentage price difference becomes greater the further you go into Singapore. For example, it costs S$1.90 using the EZ-link card to go from Larkin Sentral terminal to Queen Street terminal by SBS 170. This is slightly more than 100% more expensive than by paying in cash (RM2.20). It is also cheaper to pay in ringgit when travelling from the Woodlands Checkpoint to the Johor Bahru CIQ by the Singapore-Johore Express bus. Conversely, it can be cheaper using the EZ-link card for both the bus and MRT train if one has the intention to connect to the MRT train at Kranji, Marsiling or Woodlands MRT stations, due to Singapore's Distance Fare pricing policy.

From other parts of Malaysia
Johor Bahru can be easily accessed from other parts of Johor Bahru District, such as the neighboring Iskandar Puteri or Pasir Gudang with a relatively cheap price due to its extensive highway networks. If coming from other states in Peninsular Malaysia, it is still usually acceptable although the price will be much more expensive. Taking a taxi from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to the city is also generally still acceptable.

From Singapore
For any transportation between Johor Bahru and Singapore, only specially licensed taxis are allowed to operate across the border. The rules seem baffling at first, but boil down to this: Malaysian taxis are only allowed to go to the designated terminal in Singapore, and Singaporean taxis are only allowed to go to their terminal in Johor Bahru.

The "basic" direct taxi service from the Singapore Taxi Terminal at Queen Street (in Bugis) to the Larkin Sentral Terminal costs S$15 per person or S$60 per car departing from Singapore, and RM15/60 from Johor Bahru. The main advantage of a taxi is that you don't need to lug your stuff (or yourself) through customs at both ends; you can just sit in the car. This service is also available 24 hours a day.

If you want to take a taxi from Queen Street to somewhere other than the terminal in Johor Bahru, you have to use a Malaysian (yellow) taxi, and the price will be at least S$80 (depending on distance). Likewise, if you want to take a taxi from Larkin Sentral to anywhere in Singapore, you need to use a Singaporean taxi and pay at least RM120 for the service.

Taxis can also be booked to bring you from anywhere in Singapore to Larkin Sentral, or from anywhere in Johor Bahru to Queen Street or, and be sure to get the taxi's number, driver's name and his phone number.

Private limousine car services offer point-to-point services from anywhere in Singapore to anywhere in Johor Bahru, but these exist in a legal grey zone. The standard fare is start from $100 for Singapore to Johor Bahru with 7 seater Mpv Car (Toyota Innova / Toyota Alphard). Unlike normal cabs, they can also use the Second Link, which makes them by far the fastest way of getting to western parts of Johor.

Alternatively, you can arrange a 2-taxi ride through the call centre, whereby once across the Causeway, you swap taxis.

By train

Entering Johor Bahru by train, you can stop at either the or  Station, the two railway stations of the city.

JB Sentral station is the southern most railway station in Malaysia. It is located along Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and Jalan Jim Quee. It is connected to the CIQ, Johor Bahru City Square, KOMTAR JBCC and R&F Mall by pedestrian overhead bridges. There are retail outlets (including a 24-hr 7-Eleven store), food and beverage outlets. There are coin-operated (2 x 50 sen), small left luggage lockers, a Muslim prayer room, toilets, a police post and a tourist information booth in here as well.

Kempas Baru station is located along Jalan Permatang Utama. It has some limited shops and car parks. For those who wish to explore the northern part of Johor Bahru, this railway station is located closer to the region.

There are three pairs of shuttle trains a day from Gemas to connect to the ETS network north of Gemas all the way to Padang Besar in Perlis. Tickets for each train are sold separately; for example, when going to Kuala Lumpur from Johor Bahru, tickets are sold as JB Sentral-Gemas on the shuttle and Gemas-KL Sentral on the ETS. There is also a nightly express train that runs through the East Coast Jungle Line to Tumpat.

From Singapore
Given the long queues for road travellers, crossing the border by train can be a more convenient and less time-consuming alternative. The Johor Bahru-Singapore stretch is served by the Shuttle Tebrau shuttle train. The train station in Singapore is at Woodlands Train Checkpoint, which is 700 m from the start of the causeway. There are 14 departures per day from Woodlands and 17 per day from JB Sentral. Shuttle trains will leave Woodlands for JB Sentral at 7:20AM, 8:30AM, 9:40AM, 10:50AM, 12:20PM, 1:50PM, 3:20PM, 4:30PM, 5:40PM, 6:50PM, 8PM, 9:10PM, 10:20PM, 11:30PM and leave JB Sentral for Woodlands at 5AM, 5:25AM, 5:55AM, 6:20AM, 7:30AM, 8:40AM, 9:50AM, 11:20AM, 12:50PM, 2:20PM, 3:30PM, 4:40PM, 5:50PM, 7PM, 8:10PM, 9:20PM, 10:30PM. When you depart from Singapore by train, you get stamped out by Singapore immigration first inside the Woodlands Train Checkpoint, and just across the hallway, Malaysian immigration stamps you in before you board the KTM train. In the reverse direction, Malaysia immigration stamps you out before boarding the train at JB Sentral, and upon the train reaching Woodlands Train Checkpoint, you disembark and Singapore immigration stamps you in. Gate opens 30 minutes before departure and closes 10 minutes before departure.

Tickets from JB to Singapore are RM5 and tickets from Singapore to JB are S$5. While this is several times more expensive than the bus (though much cheaper still than taxi or rental car), the trains are the only way to completely avoid traffic jams, meaning that at popular times tickets can sell out days in advance. It's thus wise to use KTM's website or Easybook.com to buy tickets in advance, with a purchase window of up to several months to 15 minutes before departure if still available. If there are any spare seats, you can also buy tickets at the station counters but don't count on this always being available.

For JB Sentral-Woodlands, at JB Sentral there are turnstiles installed at the departure gate (Gate A); scan the barcode or QR code on your ticket (can be one stored on a mobile device) to activate the turnstile. For Woodlands-JB Sentral, tickets bought online must be exchanged at the KTMB ticket counter before departure.

The nearest MRT station (1.5 km or 15 min walk) to the KTM Woodlands Train Checkpoint is Marsiling MRT station on the North-South Line. SMRT bus number 856 goes from Marsiling MRT station to Woodlands Train Checkpoint, while SMRT bus number 950 serves the reverse direction. The last full-service southbound train leaves Marsiling MRT station for Marina Bay at 11:12PM, though there are later MRT services that end at Toa Payoh or Ang Mo Kio. In the other direction, the last train leaves for Jurong East MRT station at 12:38AM. Although Marsiling MRT station is the nearest, more buses go between Woodlands MRT station and Woodlands Train Checkpoint. From Woodlands MRT station, take SMRT buses 911, 912 (longer route), 913 or 856 to Woodlands Train Checkpoint. In the reverse direction, take SMRT buses 911, 912 (longer route), 913, 903 (longer route) or 178.

By boat

You can take 123 or S&S1 bus departing from Permas Jaya or MV2 bus departing from Mid Valley Southkey, both depart to JB Sentral terminal passing through Stulang Laut area.

From and to Batam: Ferries departing for Batam goes two two destination on the island, which are Batam Center and Harbour Bay. For destination to Batam Center, ferries depart at 7:15AM, 9:30AM, 11:45AM, 1:15PM, 3:30PM and 6PM (Malaysia time). The ferries from Batam Centre depart at 7:15AM, 9:30AM, 11:45AM, 2PM, 3:30PM and 4:30PM (Western Indonesian time). Fares: RM100/160 one-way/return for adults, RM70/100 one-way/return for children, plus surcharge of RM21 per passenger for all passengers. For destination to Harbour Bay, ferries depart at 9AM, 10:30AM, and 5:30PM (Malaysia time). The ferries from Harbour Bay depart at 6:30AM, 9:30AM and 1AM (Western Indonesian time). Fares for both destinations: RM100/160 one-way/return for adults, RM70/100 one-way/return for children, plus surcharge of RM21 per passenger for all passengers. Journey time: 120 min. Journey time for both destinations: 120 min.

From and to Bintan: Ferries depart daily at 3PM to Tanjung Pinang. The ferries from Tanjung Pinang depart at 7AM (Western Indonesian time). Fares: RM130/210 one-way/return for adults, RM95/145 one-way/return for children, plus surcharge of RM21 per passenger for all passengers. Journey time: 150 min.

Children 3 years old and below do not require tickets but are subject to surcharge of RM21. Passengers must be at the ferry terminal at least 30 min before the ferry's departure.

On foot
Walking by foot to enter Johor Bahru from surrounding city and towns (Iskandar Puteri, Pasir Gudang and Senai) is nearly impossible because the city is almost fully connected by highways. Walking from Singapore along the Causeway bridge is acceptable, although you are always encouraged to take vehicles.

On foot
The city has many suburbs or areas with concentrated tourist points or locations. Within each of those areas, it is simple to walk around to enjoy what the city can offer, especially for short distances within the downtown area. Public toilets are only located within shopping malls, petrol stations or public parks, and are not available on/along the walking pavements. In the Johor Bahru City Centre, it is possible to walk by foot to Chinatown, Little India, Old Town and Pasar Karat night market; popular roads frequented by tourists include Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Jalan Segget, Jalan Dhoby, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, Jalan Pahang, Jalan Pasar, Jalan Trus and Meldrum Walk. Various major shopping centres are also frequently accessed by pedestrians arriving from the Causeway, such as the Galleria @ Kotaraya, Komtar JBCC and Johor Bahru City Square (JBCS). JBCS and Komtar JBCC are linked by an elevated overhead pedestrian walkway to the JB Sentral train station and the customs & immigration checkpoint (JB CIQ), which in turn has a pedestrian walkway to the R&F Mall and the Permaisuri Zarith Sofiah Opera House at the southern coastal tip of the city.

A very long sidewalk pavement connects the city vertically along the Tebrau Highway, which connects to several area continuously equipped with pedestrian overpasses such as Taman Pelangi, Taman Abad, Taman Century, Taman Pelangi and Taman Melodies suburbs, where visitors can walk and explore some shopping centres (Holiday Plaza, KSL City and Plaza Pelangi) and roadside restaurants. Popular weekly night markets occur along the entire Jalan Seladang (adjoining both Taman Abad and Taman Century) every Monday evenings, along with the Jalan Perang (within the centre of Taman Pelangi) every Tuesday evenings. Popular dining areas are located along Jalan Keris and Jalan Badik at Taman Sri Tebrau (known as Dai Mah Garden, 大马花园) or along the Jalan Sutera named roads at Taman Sentosa. Nearby is the Southkey district, contains both Southkey Mosaic and 'The Mall, Mid Valley Southkey ', which is the largest integrated shopping mall in Southern Malaysia, with an attached hotel, convention centre and two office towers.

East of the Causeway, Stulang Laut is a waterfront area close to and east of the Causeway which offers views of the Johor Strait by walking along the shoreline with various restaurants located along the way up until The Zon Duty Free shopping mall. The small stretches of either a beach or a seaside promenade are popular among the locals, especially during the evening. Permas Jaya is a vibrant neighbourhood whereby visitors can explore the various shops, restaurants, hotels, nightlife spots, including the AEON Permas Jaya and Stellar Walk shopping malls, a 9-hole golf course and seafood restaurants along seafront. Further east along the seafront, the Senibong Cove marina is a popular destination for tourists to enjoy waterfront dining throughout the day and nightlife.

North of the Causeway and further inland, in the Larkin area around the Larkin Sentral terminal, visitors can easily explore the nearby attractions by foot such as Larkin Public Market, Dataran Larkin, Plaza Larkin, Dato Onn Village Recreational Area, Johor Craft Complex, Tan Sri Dato' Haji Hassan Yunos Stadium sport complex and the Bulat Bulat Corner food court. Together with the Majidee area (along the Jalan Masjid), they are the main focal points of the Malay community within Johor Bahru and they offer an authentic experience of the Malay heartland. Northeast of the city, Taman Desa Tebrau houses large shopping centres such as Lotus's Tebrau, AEON Tebrau City, IKEA Tebrau and the attached Toppen Shopping Centre which are all within walking distance of each other, including nearby shoplots featuring various restaurants and cafes. Taman Johor Jaya is a nearby mature neighbourhood which is one of the main modern focal points of the Chinese community within Johor Bahru and has an abundance of commercial and dining retail activity. Further north, Taman Mount Austin is a vibrant newer entertainment and dining neighbourhood filled with numerous shops, restaurants, cafes, karaoke bars and the Austin Heights Water and Adventure Park; all within walking distance of each other. Taman Setia Indah houses the Setia Indah Park with rows of shops and restaurants north of it, and also the nearby TD Point Retail Mall pedestrian zone. Eco Spring (located within Taman Eko Flora) is a notable neighbourhood with a grand Classical European-themed commercial development known as Eco Palladium, along with an adjacent outdoor retail park known as Eco Spring Labs.

West of the Causeway, in the Danga Bay area, visitors can walk and explore the seaside area with an attached theme park, convention centre, restaurants, Beletime Danga Bay shopping mall and the nearby Serene Square attraction in front of the gates of Sultan Johor's palace known as Istana Bukit Serene. Going further up northwest along the Skudai Highway, the Bandar Baru UDA township, which is a modern focal point of the Malay community within Johor Bahru, has the Plaza Angsana shopping mall and the nearby B5 Johor Street Market that are popular day and night. Further along the Skudai Highway, various shopping malls popular with tourists include Paradigm Mall and Sutera Mall, located at Taman Sutera Utama which has an adjacent vibrant entertainment and dining neighbourhood.

By taxi
Taxi prices in Johor Bahru are fairly affordable. However, always either use taxis only with meters or ask for a price estimate before proceeding with your journey; there remains a possibility of being fleeced by some unscrupulous taxi driver touts. The starting fare is RM3 for the first 2 km and the fare increases by 10 cent for every subsequent 115 m. You will only be charged for waiting time in excess of 3 min during the journey - the rate is 10 cent for every 21 seconds. Additional charges include: actual road toll charges; RM2 for telephone bookings; a 50% surcharge is levied between midnight and 6AM. There are no additional charges for a 3rd adult passenger or baggage kept in the trunk. Almost all of major shopping malls and high-star hotels in Johor Bahru feature taxi stands in front or around them.

By bus
If you wish to explore Johor Bahru by bus, the main bus terminals of the city are Larkin Sentral,, and. From these terminals, buses going to almost major suburbs of Johor Bahru as well as Iskandar Puteri and Pasir Gudang can be found. The destination also serves up until Pontian Kechil, Ayer Hitam and Kota Tinggi in the neighboring districts of Johor Bahru. The last buses leave JB Sentral for their respective destinations at about 11PM or earlier; the last buses returning to JB Sentral leave their starting points at about 10PM or earlier. Before boarding any bus, look at the destination boards on the bus and do not hesitate to ask the bus driver directly. The frequency of the buses is inconsistent and are not regularly scheduled (especially for the buses that do not leave from the bus terminals), as buses often wait either for a sufficient number of passengers boarding at the terminal before beginning their outward journey, or are forced to drive off because of overcrowding and frequent honking at the bus terminal. There are generally more buses in the morning and there are fewer buses as it gets later into the day. Pay more attention to the people waiting at the bus stops rather than the buses on the road, as buses (particularly publicly-owned buses such as the white and yellow-roofed “MyBAS”/Causeway Link or red-white and blue-roofed “PAJ”/Maju Holding buses) may not pick-up passengers from designated bus stops. However, the privately-owned white-grey and orange-roofed “City Bus” is more receptive at picking up and dropping off passengers at both designated bus stops and undesignated parts of the road, as their drivers do not collect a salary but instead have to generate income from fare collection after paying a daily lease to the bus owner.

JB Sentral to Larkin Sentral
If you are planning to go from JB Sentral bus terminal to Larkin Sentral terminal or vice versa, you may take any of the frequent, non-stop buses that terminate at Larkin Sentral. For those who recently cleared Malaysian immigration, they may walk straight to the post-immigration bus bays downstairs at the JB CIQ Complex. These bus bays are also accessible by walking along the slip road that links the CIQ with Jalan Lingkaran Dalam. Fares from JB Sentral to Larkin Sentral: CW1, CW2 and CWL RM1.20, SBS 170 RM1.50 (payable by EZ-link card - S$1.11), Singapore-Johore Express RM1.00. These fares are payable only under the following circumstances - a. You fail to board the SBS 170 bus within 45 minutes of alighting from the SBS 160, SBS 170 or SMRT 950 bus. b. You did not buy a valid, through ticket to Larkin Sentral while in Singapore. c. You had travelled on a bus of a different bus company from Singapore to Johor Bahru CIQ (e.g. Woodland Checkpoint to JB CIQ by CW1 or CW2, then JB CIQ to Larkin Sentral by Singapore-Johore Express or SBS 170, or vice versa). The trip should take about 8-10 min in the absence of heavy traffic.

However, if you have left the JB CIQ complex and proceeded to walk towards the city centre area, you can consider taking the local buses such as MyBAS, PAJ or ‘City Bus’ at the JB Sentral bus bays (facing Jalan Jim Quee), which is located downstairs and separated outside from the main concourse area by a roadway. Buses heading there would usually have the word 'Larkin' displayed on the front of the bus; the one-way bus fare is RM1.70) to Larkin Sentral terminal.

By bicycle
Bicycle lanes in Johor Bahru are limited, with only few roads marked with such lanes. It is not possible to cycle in the paying highways in the city and it is not advisable to cycle in the non-paying highway roads. If you wish to do cycling, please use full cycling gear, such as reflectors and lights. Cycling is best to do within residential areas. The residential areas at the northern part of the city generally have more marked bicycle lanes.

By ride hailing services
Local ride hailing service app Grab is affordable and very popular in JB, and is likely the most hassle-free way for visitors to get around without a car, if they have a mobile Internet connection. Many commercial establishments have also dedicated waiting areas for e-hailing vehicles. Nevertheless, due to the recent more stringent laws pertaining ride-sharing apps, do allocate more time before you make any vehicle booking because it might take slightly longer time to get one, especially in less-crowded places. Most people in Johor Bahru speak or understand English, communication would be less of a problem.

By car
Driving is generally the most convenient way to explore the city. Roads in the city are wide and well-paved with plenty of available parking lots during the weekdays. Malaysians drive on the left. The speed limit on the paid highway is 110 km/h and on the expressway is either 90 km/h or 70 km/h. For public parking areas with special designated parking fee by the city council (e.g. outside shopping malls), do purchase parking coupon from any convenient store, available in hourly or half-hourly basis of ticket, especially when you park on Saturday to Thursday at 8AM to 6PM. These tickets which are applicable for parking in Johor Bahru area can also be used in Iskandar Puteri, Senai and Kulai.

Most of the parking lots in public places have lot for those with mobility disability. Most of the parking lots in public places have reserved spaces designated for those with mobility disability. When parking at those reserved lots, please ensure your vehicle has the mobility disability sticker pasted clearly on the windscreen so that you will not get fined or your vehicle will not get clamped by the local authorities. Many public and commercial establishments have also ramps at its main entrance for those requiring wheelchair to move around.

A car can also be rented for exploring the city.

Petrol stations are relatively easy to find in the city. There are generally three types of fuels, which are RON95, RON97 and diesel. By law, foreign-registered cars (irrespective of the driver's nationality) are strictly limited to fill in RON97 type of fuel only.

See
Johor Bahru has a well-mixed balance of things to see from historic, traditional and modern landmarks, cultural and religious places, sports and entertainment venues, as well as nature from city parks and seafront places. Most of the tourist places are well spread throughout the city. So if you plan to go to any corner of the city, you will always find something interesting to see, to do or to enjoy.

Places of worship
Being a melting-pot for various religions of the country, Johor Bahru houses various religious sites from all major religions in Malaysia. Many of the religious sites are heritage buildings from the old days.

Museums and galleries
Johor Bahru houses several museums and galleries in which some of them were converted from old colonial-era buildings. Entries are usually very cheap if not free of charge.

Museums

Nature
Johor Bahru houses many open green space, ranging from parks, city forests, lakes, public squares etc. Each suburb generally has community park, especially in the northern areas of the city. These areas are famous among locals to hang out, rest and do exercise in the morning or early evening before dark. All of the parks are equipped with car park and public toilet facilities. Usually animals are prohibited from being brought to the parks.

Pedestrian zones
The city houses various thematic pedestrian zones catered for younger visitors with eateries and shops, as well as arcades and hang out places.

Sports
The city houses plenty sport facilities of various types. The state of Johor also has the highest number of golf courses in Malaysia, where most of the courses are international-standard golf courses.

Cinemas

There are four major cineplexes in Johor Bahru: TGV Cinemas, Golden Screen Cinemas, MBO Cinemas and Cathay Cinemas. Minimum/maximum adult ticket prices for 2D movies (minimum prices on one or more weekdays, in particular Wednesdays; maximum prices during weekends and public holidays) - TGV Cinemas RM8/13, Golden Screen RM6/9 and Cathay RM6/12. 3D movies command higher ticket prices. Regular movie showing cinemas are almost exclusively located inside shopping centres. Generally, there are Malay and Chinese subtitles given for English-speaking movies. For movies in foreign languages, the subtitles will be in English, Malay and Chinese.

Arts and cultural festivals
The city organizes the annual cultural events Chingay Parade, as well as other themed-events, such as food, anime, cosplay, game festivals etc.

Organized by The Johor Society for the Performing Arts, Johor Bahru (and Iskandar Puteri) holds various annual entertainment and cultural festivals, such as Johor Bahru Arts Festival, Johor Bahru Film Festival, Johor Bahru Classical Music Festival, Johor Bahru Indigenous Festival and Johor Bahru Writers and Readers Festival since 2004, making it Malaysia's longest-running arts festival that covers all disciplines of performing arts.

Learn
When you decide to have a short stay in the city, there are several educational and skill training providers that provide short term courses.

Buy
Johor Bahru offers endless possibilities when it comes for shopping, from the full air conditioned shopping malls (equipped with supermarkets, cinemas, child playground), open air street night markets and bazaars, and dedicated handicraft and art centre. It also has plenty of convenience stores located in almost any shop lot and petrol station for a quick snack or light food. Street vendors is extremely hard to find, although you will still find people walking around to sell you things when you dine in at outdoor hawker centres.

Shopping malls
Johor Bahru houses many shopping malls with various sizes and for different segments of the society, which are fairly located throughout the whole city areas. Most of them open from 10AM until 10PM, except for the cinemas which usually open for an extended time. Many of the shopping malls are within the public bus routes and they have ample parking spaces, including dedicated parking spaces for those with mobility disability. All of the price of goods inside shopping malls are fixed and generally there is no bargaining.

Supermarkets
Supermarkets in Johor Bahru are usually in the suburbs near the residential areas. Although the general opening hours is 10AM to 10PM, some of the supermarket chains do open earlier and close later. Most of them are equipped with ample parking spaces and located within the route of public buses.

Markets
Markets in Johor Bahru can be found in almost near many suburbs for morning and afternoon groceries shopping fresh from the farms. Prices may not be fixed, thus bargaining is acceptable here.

Eat

Johor Bahru offers local delicacies of Malaysia to Western and Asian choices of food. Dining venues range from budget and mid-range eateries to high-end restaurants with various price ranges. Many of them are in restaurant and entertainment districts, shopping malls, along sea fronts, hawker centres, pedestrian zones, food courts, stand alone food stalls or even food trucks. Alternatively, you can always use food delivery apps from your mobile phone to get your favorite foods delivered straight to your accommodation from major restaurants in the city.

Halal-certified logos are displayed at many restaurant entrances. Some other restaurants also offer non-pork and non-lard foods but lack halal certification.

There are approximately 200 vegan and other vegetarian eateries across the JB metropolitan area, especially in Skudai and the entertainment district that is Mount Austin. Most but not all veg*an eateries across the JB metro area are Chinese Buddhist and thus have allium-free menus.

Hawker centres
There are many pusat penjaja or hawker centres across Johor Bahru. Hawker centres are basically a collection of pushcart or van vendors selling food or drinks in one particular area. This is the alternative of which otherwise would be the street food equivalent in other countries. The places are usually relatively decent with no air conditioners. There are usually enough tables for its patrons; therefore, there is no need to reserve any particular table. Food and drinks are sold cheaply in these areas. Food and drink stalls are usually separated from each other, in which usually one drinks stall caters to several food stalls. Among the more well-known hawker centres are as follow:

Mid-range

Drink
In some particular areas, the nightlife scene in Johor Bahru can be quite an adventure with many choices available on the ground. The most popular inland nightlife areas within the Johor Bahru metropolitan area, are the Mount Austin and Sutera Utama areas for younger crowds, where it features nightclubs, pubs, bars, restaurants, cafes, karaokes, gaming centres, shops and an occasional night market. A well-known concentrated drinking area along the coast is The ZON at Stulang Laut. It features The ZON Duty Free shopping mall selling alcoholic beverages tax-free, but you must pay upon exiting the area through the customs. It also features many pubs and nightclubs within the duty-free precinct. Another popular drinking area along the coast is at Senibong Cove marina. Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights have the largest crowds patronizing those establishments until late midnight except on Sunday night. There are also other nightclubs and pubs scattered throughout the city although they are located individually.

Sleep
There is plenty of accommodation in Johor Bahru to suit all budgets. The cost of a double room in a budget hotel right in the city centre (i.e. around Jalan Meldrum, between Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and Jalan Wong Ah Fook near City Square) starts from RM50 net per room per night. In general, the budget hotels outside the city centre are cheaper and most of them are located within shop lots areas. Backpacker hostels with dormitories (dorms) are not as commonly found in Johor Bahru as in Malacca, Kuala Lumpur and George Town. For short term stay, the city offers many choices of accommodation from Airbnb's platform. For non-Malaysians, rooms are generally quoted without the tourism taxes, in which you still need to pay upon check-in, which costs RM10 per room per night.

Stay safe
Johor Bahru has somewhat developed a reputation for crime, due in part to sensationalised reports by some foreign media of crimes committed against their citizens; the proximity to super safe Singapore doesn't help perceptions. Although Johor Bahru's crime rate is generally higher than elsewhere in Malaysia, by taking appropriate safety precautions, you can ensure your stay, like those of the vast majority of visitors, will be an incident-free one.

 * Do not carry a handbag when walking around town. Snatch thieves have been known to snatch handbags away while their victims are walking on the street, using a motorcycle. If they do manage to grab your handbag, let them have it as some snatch thieves are known to drag their victims along the road with their motorbikes until they release their grip, almost certainly resulting in severe injuries.
 * Keep your passport safe and close to you because it is a highly prized valuable to robbers.
 * Lock the car door immediately or as soon as you get into the car.
 * Avoid walking around the city alone. You should walk around the city in groups of preferably 3 or more for safety.
 * Only go to areas with good security such as malls and private clubs at night.

If you are robbed, you are advised to give up most, if not all, of your valuables to avoid putting your personal safety in jeopardy.

As a rule of thumb, the general hawker food scene in Johor Bahru is hygienic though certain areas are less so. So keep an eye out for those dirty hawkers who pay very little attention to hygiene.

Water
Tap water should be boiled before drinking. Nevertheless, bottled water is widely available at a cheap price in almost all eateries, shops, and convenience stores.

Consulates

 * 🇮🇩 Indonesia
 * 🇸🇬 Singapore

Publications

 * WAVES Lifestyle Magazine is a free monthly lifestyle magazine for young adults and tourists in Johor Bahru who are on the look out for fresh and trendy stuff covering topics ranging from health, fashion, food reviews, ‘Things to do in JB’, entertainment, technology, finance, community. WAVES Lifestyle Magazine can be picked up at most Information Counters at shopping malls across Johor Bahru, selected office towers, Tourism Malaysia Information Counters at JOTIC, JB Sentral, CIQ, Senai Airport.

Internet
Generally many of the eating establishments in the city will have free Wi-Fi connection for Internet access and almost all of accommodations will have one. Due to the abundance of cheap Internet plan on mobile phone and Internet ownership at homes in Malaysia, Internet cafés in Johor Bahru are thin on the ground. Nevertheless, some can still be found at some location although most of them are most likely be shared with online gaming centres.
 * Meeting Point Internet Café, No. 59 Jalan Meldrum (beside Gateway Hotel). Open daily 10AM-9PM. There are 10 PC terminals. RM3 per hour. There is a minimum charge of RM2 if the usage is 40 min or less; after 40 min, it is 50 sen for every 10 min.
 * Obizcom, on the ground level of Plaza Larkin, opposite the Larkin Sentral Terminal on Jalan Geruda. RM2 per hour. Open daily 10AM-10PM.
 * Obizcom, on the ground level of Plaza Larkin, opposite the Larkin Sentral Terminal on Jalan Geruda. RM2 per hour. Open daily 10AM-10PM.

Post offices
Generally post offices are not that hard to find, and you will always be able to find one in any major suburb of the city.

Go next

 * Desaru - seaside resort town located on the eastern part of Johor, about 2 hours away by car
 * Iskandar Puteri - the administrative capital of the Johor, containing the Legoland Malaysia and the Kota Iskandar complex of administrative buildings
 * Endau Rompin National Park - a national park in the northern part of Johor
 * Mount Ledang - 1276m high mountain near the border of Johor and Malacca states, popular with trekkers, campers and students on field trips
 * Kota Tinggi - town with waterfall and many fireflies attractions
 * Kukup - a seaside town along the western part of Johor, well known for its water village which can be rented relatively cheap, and its good and reasonably priced seafood
 * Mersing - in the north eastern part of Johor, about 2½ hours drive from Johor Bahru, and the gateway to the beautiful island of Tioman
 * Sibu Island - dive resort about two hours away
 * Batam - an Indonesian island south of Johor Bahru, about 2 hours away by ferry
 * Singapore - right across the Causeway you will have to cross the border and meet the county's entry requirements

title: Johor Bahru


text:
Joinville

Joinville is the largest city in Santa Catarina, Brazil. It is principally an industrial city and many of its 500,000 inhabitants are of German descent.

Understand
Joinville, in its first year known as Colônia Dona Francisca, was founded in 1851 by German, Swiss and Norwegian immigrants. Even though it is considered a German-Brazilian city, its name is French (Joinville was named after François d'Orléans, prince of Joinville, son of King Louis-Philippe of France, who married Princess Francisca of Brazil, in 1843).

The land where Joinville is located was part of the French and Brazilian Royal Family wedding gift, even though the Prince of Joinville and his Brazilian bride had never been to the land. However, a Royal Palace was built in their honor around 1870. In 1851, the French prince, after a financial crisis, sold almost all his lands in Southern Brazil to the German Senator Mathias Schröder. Senator Schröder was a member of the Colonization Society of Hamburg, which attracted immigrants to be sent to Brazil and thereby establish commercial ties between Germany and the German communities in Brazil. In 1851, the first 118 German and Swiss immigrants arrived, followed by 74 Norwegian immigrants. From 1850 to 1888, Joinville received 17,000 German immigrants, most of them Lutherans, poor peasants coming to occupy this part of Brazil. Later waves of immigration brought large numbers of Italian families to the area as well.

By plane
Numerous cities around Brazil have flights to and from Joinville Airport, with the most regular (multiple daily flights) being São Paulo (Congonhas Airport) and Rio de Janeiro (Guarulhos Airport).

Getting from Joinville airport to the city center, visitors have two options:
 * Taxi (recommended): The drive takes on average about 25 minutes and the fare was R$33-35 in 2011
 * Public Transportation (recommended for locals only): There are no direct buses from the airport to the city center or the bus terminal (rodoviária). It is necessary to take a bus to Iririú and change there to a bus towards center.

By bus
Alternatively, it is possible to get to Joinville from almost any town or city in Santa Catarina by bus (Catarinense, the state's largest bus company, offers the greatest range). Outside Santa Catarina, several places offer bus services to Joinville, including Curitiba, São Paulo, Porto Alegre and Iguaçu Falls (via Curitiba).

By car
BR-101 is the main highway through town, connecting from Balneário Camboriú and Florianópolis in the south and Curitiba, in Paraná to the north. If coming from the west via Canoinhas or Papanduva, you'll like arrive via BR-280, which intersects with BR-101 a few kilometers south of town, or SC-301, which hits BR-101 at the north end of town. The main entrance to town is considered to be the exit at Rua XV de Novembro, which leads east to the downtown district.

Get around
It is easiest to get around Centro (downtown) by foot, as everything is close together. Should you wish to venture out into the suburbs, Joinville has a reliable bus network which is used heavily by locals. Tickets can be purchased from any one of the numerous bus terminals around the city, or on the buses themselves. Be warned, however: both buses painted completely blue and those with a blue stripe on each side are direct buses, they generally go from one bus station to another without stopping.

See

Eat
In addition to the standard array of Brazilian, Italian, and Middle Eastern food that can be found pretty much anywhere in Brazil, Joinville is an excellent place to enjoy traditional German and Swiss cuisine, and restaurants of this type can be found throughout the city. Also look to pick up some streuselkuchen or apple strudel at one of the many confectioneries, and keep an eye out for locally produced chocolate such as Joinvilândia. If you're having trouble deciding what to eat, take a stroll down Rua Visconde de Taunay, the city's biggest concentration of restaurants and bars.

Connect
Internet cafes:

Go next

 * Beaches - For the residents themselves, by far the most common trip is to the beach. Barra Velha, Piçarras and Balneário Camboriú are amongst the most popular coastal towns within an hour's drive. All are reachable by bus.
 * Blumenau
 * São Francisco do Sul - It could be worth making the trip to this a fishing community on an island across from Joinville; it is around a 30-minute drive by car, or can be reached by ferry from Vigorelli Beach (See section above). São Francisco do Sul was one of the very first places in Brazil to be colonized by Europeans and the old area is full of brightly coloured Portuguese buildings.
 * Scenic drives between Joinville and Curitiba (off the BR-101 highway) which include lush countryside with ponds, fields, etc.

title: Joinville


text:
Joliet

Joliet is a city in the Chicagoland region of Illinois, a state in the Midwest of the United States of America. It is the largest city and county seat of Will County.

Understand
Joliet is a blue collar city which has built several tourist attractions. Notably, Chicagoland Speedway hosts NASCAR races during the summer, and there are two riverboat casinos on the river which bisects the city. Sherb Noble opened the first Dairy Queen here on June 22, 1940; the landmark 501 N. Chicago Street building is now a church. Joliet's prison, now closed, appears in the film Blues Brothers. The city was part of Route 66 from 1926 until 1940, with the road demoted to "66 alternate" locally when the mainline was redirected westward through Plainfield. A freeway (now I-55) bypassed both roads in 1957.

Get in
Joliet can be accessed from I-80 and I-55.

There are long distance trains and commuter rail serving Joliet. Amtrak runs four daily services in each direction between Chicago and St. Louis via its Lincoln Service. Additionally, the Texas Eagle between Chicago and San Antonio also calls here. From Chicago, Metra also runs up to four daily commuter trains per day via its Heritage Corridor Line. is located at 50 E Jefferson St.

Get around
Driving is the primary means of transportation in Joliet. Joliet is also served by Pace bus lines.

Go next
Chicago is easily accessible from Joliet via I-55 or Metra.

The Metra Rock Island District Line stops at U.S. Cellular Field for White Sox baseball games in Chicago

title: Joliet


text:
Jom Jang

Jom Jang (จอมเเจ้ง) is a village in Isaan, 18 km east of Nong Khai.

Understand
Jom Jang enjoys a certain amount of popularity due a OTOP (One Tambon One Product) scheme and homestay groups. The village has received local and national television coverage regarding a local project to plant sunflowers along the Mekong River.

Get in
Jom Jang is 18 km east of Nong Khai. To reach Jom Jang by public transport, take Bus 4537 (direction Phon Phisai).

See

 * Mekong River - The river lies at the village's doorstep. Across the river is Lao PDR Laos.

 * Sunflowers - During the cold season, take a look at sunflowers along the Mekong.

Do

 * Women's Group - Visit the local women's group to sample local homemade snacks.

Buy
In the village, you can purchase local products made by the women's group, including salted egg, dried fish, and a variety of peanut snacks.

Eat
The village has a noodle shop. In addition, you may arrange meals with the homestay and women's groups.

Go next
To reach Nong Khai city or Phon Phisai, take Bus 4537 in front of the village.

title: Jom Jang