I really find myself enjoying the short getaways to Johor Bahru in Malaysia because there are many hidden finds and places with good local food to try out. Need I say that the price is too good to be true too? However, due the long queues at JB Checkpoint, we ended up spending the whole of our afternoon queueing to get across the border. Thus, doing a day-trip to JB isn’t very ideal. It is actually better to stay there for one night. Besides, accommodation is equally affordable. My only qualm is the lack of well-maintained and clean modern hotels. I got the best hotel deal on Agoda But this…
-
-
Let’s Go Mall Hopping in JB, Malaysia
Sam and I recently made another trip to Johor Bahru, Malaysia on a weekday. This time, our main objectives are to do a fun activity together and feast on all the cheap and delicious local food. While doing so, we ended up visiting a few malls and came to discover the sheer number of shopping malls in JB. Mind you, some of these malls are megamalls and it might take you hours just to comb the whole ground. Shopping Malls in Johor Bahru Unlike the shopping malls in Singapore, the malls in Johor Bahru are rather unique in their own way. Each mall has a unique selling point to it…
-
How to Spend Your Weekend at CitySquare Mall in Johor Bahru, Malaysia?
It’s been quite some time ever since I crossed the border over to Johor Bahru (JB) for a short trip. And things have really changed over the years. The immigration queue at the checkpoint has gotten longer and there are now three Johor Bahru shopping malls which are minutes away from Malaysia’s checkpoint. A Good Bargain More importantly, our Singapore dollar has been rising high against Malaysian Ringgit. The exchange rate of the Singapore dollar to Ringgit is approximately SGD 1 to RM3. No wonder so many Singaporeans flock to Johor Bahru to spend their money to their hearts’ content. Food in Johor Bahru is especially tasty and affordable. I…
-
Hard Rock Hotel, Desaru Coast: The Loudest Hotel I’ve Ever Stayed In
Hard Rock Hotel, Desaru Coast During our media familiarisation trip (organised by Tourism Malaysia Board) to Desaru Coast, we stayed one night at Hard Rock Hotel, Desaru Coast. It is one of the 5-star resort hotels at this new precinct in Johor. This hotel started its operations only in September 2018. During our stay there in December 2018, some of the rooms are not ready yet. I’ve not stayed at a Hard Rock Hotel before and had no idea what to expect. But I’m certain that all Hard Rock Hotels will provide quality sound entertainment which would keep any rock music fans entertained. As compared to all the other hotels…
-
Desaru Coast Gourmet Series: Rediscovering Malaysia with Michelin Chef Emmanuel Stroobant
Desaru Coast is an up-and-coming town in Johor, Malaysia which is a 2-hour drive from Singapore. The Johor state of government is developing Desaru Coast into a premium integrated destination resort. In fact, it is one of Malaysia’s most highly anticipated new tourism developments. At the moment, you can find globally-renowned resorts like the Hard Rock Hotel, The Westin and Anantara at Desaru Coast. The award-winning ultra-luxury resort, One&Only, will also be operating their resort, villas and private homes here at a later date. Desaru Coast Gourmet Series I was invited by Tourism Malaysia to attend the first edition of Desaru Coast Gourmet series in early December. It is a…
-
8 Things You Must Do to Experience Penang
The heart of Penang lies in Georgetown where most of the attractions are located. Like Singapore, you can mainly cover the main attractions in the city in 3 days. To make your time in Penang worthwhile, what are some of the local experiences you got to try? 1. Try Penang Assam Laksa Start your day with a hot bowl of Penang Assam Laksa. This rendition of Laksa is unique to Penang, and it is ranked 7th on CNN’s list of World’s 50 Best Dishes. How could you not try it? It is a sourish spicy dish consisting of mackerel-based soup which is spiced up with a lot of local herbs…
-
8 Food You Must Try at Kimberley Street in Penang
Penang: A Foodie Paradise The recent trip to Penang, Malaysia with my mum is probably one of my first overseas foodie trip where our sole focus was to indulge in all the local food. Like Singapore, Penang is truly a food paradise where you can find good food at almost every corner of the street. The street food is not only amazing but very affordable too. For a couple of sing dollars, you can get a delicious bowl of Penang Laksa or noodles. Some of their local street food costs less than a dollar too. The Malaysian food culture is somewhat similar to us so in terms of tastebuds, we…
