More than just malls: Outdoor activities around JB to enjoy including hiking trails, nature parks, campsites and more

The funny thing about Singaporeans in Johor Bahru is how they tend to stick to the big malls and hover around downtown or Austin Heights. We’re so habituated to urban life that we seek out comforting urbanity when abroad. No judgment, just an observation, and I say “you do you”.

Personally, hardcore enthusiasts/snobs look at me askance for not having professional hiking or cycling gear. Thankfully, folks north of the Johor Straits aren’t as judgy and if you want to try your first ATV ride, check out a camping site next to rapids or do a short hike, go right ahead. No one will titter as you scream bloody murder on the zipline.

If you head out of JB downtown, just 30 to 90 minutes by road, there’s a whole other universe waiting to be explored. Village folk in countryside kampungs are also much more welcoming (and patient) than city dwellers so you needn’t worry.

Go ahead and breathe, cut loose, and you do you.

TRAILS FOR HIKERS

1. GUNUNG PULAI

A perfect entry-level mountain for amateurs while jungle trails cater to seasoned hikers, Gunung Pulai is also the closest to JB. Reaching the peak – 654 metres up, nearly four times that of Bukit Timah – takes 2.5 hours on the 5km-long paved road on the mountain’s west. Search for “Gunung Pulai trailhead” for opening hours; the trail closes on Mondays and around 3pm on other days.

More accessible, friendlier trails start on the south-east side in Kangkar Pulai township. One entrance is next to the Dewa Fu Lai Temple where you’ll reassuringly spot Singapore car licence plates. On my last visit, a dozen adolescents and their dads had just finished their hike up to several lakes and reservoirs. The other trailhead starts at the well-maintained Taman Awam BBKP public park closer to Blue Lake.

Gunung Pulai is located at 81000 Kulai, Johor, Malaysia.

2. SIREH PARK

A handful of little hillocks north of Horizon Hills, five-year-old Sireh Park is a little blessing for Bukit Indah residents. Near the entrance are food trucks that light up after dusk, a couple of cafes, ATV rentals and a glamping site.

Sireh Park is located at Jalan Nusa Idaman, Nusa Idaman, 79100 Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia.

3. BUKIT BATU GAJAH

A pleasant 45-minute trek over 3.5km through oil palm plantations, starting at the Petron station in Felda Ulu Tebrau or 10km south at the Ekoflora trailhead. The latter, which cuts under the SDE (Senai-Desaru Expressway), is a popular route with cyclists and off-road dirt bikers.

Bukit Batu Gajah is located at Jalan Impian Murni, 80400 Senai, Johor, Malaysia.

ALL THINGS WATER-RELATED

1. JERAM SENDAYANS

First of all, it’s sad that the beloved Kota Tinggi Waterfall closed in December 2019 (which hasn’t stopped some websites from still listing it as a must-visit). The official reason is flooding damage though satellite images of mining and deforestation around the falls caused a stir in 2021.

Thankfully, alternatives have since cropped up nearby, and these few jeram sendayan (shimmering rapids) parks south of Gunung Panti are off Singaporean radars.

Popular camping site Jeram Sendayan Gunung Panti, with tent lots next to inviting pools, is easily accessible. WhatsApp ahead as the friendly owner may close early (stated hours are 8am to 5pm) or altogether on quiet weekdays. They’re booked solid a month in advance of school holidays.

Jeram Sendayan Hajah Zafrah seems more popular with families. There are water slides and tented pavilions for rent (RM30 or around S$9 for the day) overlooking the stream and pools. It's further up the foothills and the final 3km on a plantation track is unmarked on Google Maps; it’s drivable but go slow. They open from 9.30am to 6pm daily. Admission to both jerams is RM3 a head.

Jeram Sendayan Gunung Panti is located at RV6F+GV, Gunung Panti Recreational Forest, 81900 Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia.

Jeram Sendayan Hajah Zafrah is located at Bukit Lintang, 81900 Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia.

2. TANJUNG PIAI NATIONAL PARK

This small national park in far west Johor, billed as the southernmost tip of Asia, is ideal for families with kids. The ecologically and historically significant area is manageable and a boardwalk through mangroves leads to a marker on the tanjung (cape) with a view of Singapore.

With the new Pulai River Bridge near Forest City, Tanjung Piai is just 30 minutes from Legoland. Kukup, a coastal village largely on stilts, is 15 minutes up the coast while Pontian lies a little further north, making for a neat side quest from Medini or Bukit Indah.

Tanjung Piai National Park is located at Taman Negara Johor Tanjung Piai Mukim, 82030 Kukup, Johor, Malaysia.

3. FIREFLY CRUISES

The hugely popular Kota Tinggi Firefly Park offers delightful 45-minute cruises to view fireflies’ twilight dance. The attraction is situated on the main highway outside of Kota Tinggi en route to Desaru, 25km north-east of Ikea Tebrau. Make your way there before the 5pm evening rush and consider having dinner nearby before the cruises which start after 7pm.

Firefly Valley Leisure Park, meanwhile, is isolated at the end of a 2km trail strewn with sharp rocks, which doesn’t seem to bother large tour buses ferrying in China tourists. Cruise tickets at RM18 are slightly cheaper than their rival. There’s a petting zoo but several online reviews note that as a drawback due to its cramped conditions.

Firefly Valley Leisure Park is located at Jalan Jemaluang, 81900 Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia.

Kota Tinggi Firefly Park is located at Jalan Kota Tinggi, 81900 Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia.

CAMPSITES

1. TELUK RAMUNIA/PUNGGAI

The beaches on the southeastern tip of Malaysia, a 30km stretch south of Desaru, are as yet unspoiled by madding crowds. There are only a couple of high-rise hotels and more than a dozen campsites.

For those new to camping, Rustika Glamping Village has got you covered, literally. Tents start at RM280 for a party of four, with the largest accomodating eight. The campsite, owned by a Singaporean family with retired dad Yan the on-site manager, is well maintained and fuss-free. Rustika recently opened another site just a few kilometres south near the Amerald Hotel.

If you’ve your own equipment, the sizeable Punggai Bayu Impian Campsite charges RM60 for a spot to pitch your tent. There are also chalets a little further back from the beach going for RM240 a night.

One of the more affordable sites is Sri Mekar on the northern end of the stretch. Beachfront tent sites rent for RM40 a night, others cost RM30.

Rustika Glamping Village is located at GM149, Kampung Punggai, 81600 Pengerang, Johor, Malaysia.

Punggai Bayu Impian Campsite is located at 18, Jalan Impian, 81600 Pengerang, Johor, Malaysia.

2. KANGKAR KAMBAU/TANJUNG SEDILI

Halfway to Mersing from Kota Tinggi are three campsites on an even more ulu, unspoiled coast. The most popular is Tiger Base Camp (TBC) which rents everything from tents (RM50) and hammocks (RM10) to picnic tables (RM30) and BBQ pits (RM20), on top of the RM20 entrance fee. Access is via an undulating 2.5km dirt trail that’s washed out in stretches. Challenging for standard sedans, fun if you’ve the right set of wheels. Thankfully, TBC can ferry you to the main road or nearby Tanjung Sedili for a fee.

Tiger Base Camp is located at Jln Tanjung Leman, 81900, Johor, Malaysia.

3. KOTA TINGGI

The foothills between Gunung Panti and Kota Tinggi are chockful of campsites and kampung homestays – sizeable Wan Family Kampong Stay looks like a mini Club Med even.

Among the more notable grounds is Six Acres Campsite atop a little hill where, if you’re lucky, you’ll feel like you’re among clouds on a foggy morning. The site commands a good view of the Kota Tinggi plains and isn’t hard to drive up to. At least one daredevil piloted a campervan up there, prompting an impressed owner to see for himself.

RAF Point, sitting below Six Acres’, offers the longest zipline in the Malaysian Book of Records. Site manager Rettwan Musbah promises that RAF’s zipline charges are the cheapest in Johor at RM30 a head (for a minimum group of 10). The campsite also has ATVs for rent and archery, among other things.

Six Acres Campsite is located at Kampung Lukut, 81900 Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia.

RAF Point is located at Lot 9662, Rancangan Sungai Sendayan , Kampung Lukut, 81900 Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

1. PUTUO VILLAGE

Roughly 10km northeast of Kulai is Putuo Village, an eminently Instagrammable Buddhist sanctuary that attracts visitors from all over. It’s situated amidst a bamboo grove, the temple frame is made of bamboo, and there’s the pleasant Fat Bamboo cafe on the grounds.

Newly installed for the current Chinese zodiac Year of the Dragon is a 12m-long bamboo dragon suspended by wire at the entrance of the Guan Yin Hall temple, unique in Malaysia. It took an Indonesian artist five months to complete, according to The Star.

Putuo Village is a good stop if you plan to do a northern sweep of greater JB from Pontian through Kulai and Kota Tinggi on to Desaru, via quiet but well-paved roads through plantations and by scenic mountains.

Putuo Village is located at 1488, Jalan Kampung, Off, Jalan Kota Tinggi - Kluang, Felda Taib Andak, 81000 Kulai, Johor, Malaysia.

2. ATV PARK JOHOR

On the way to Kota Tinggi from Putuo Village is ATV Park Johor’s Sungei Lebak base. You’ll have to call ahead and book as there’s no manned counter; that’s at their main facility in Taman Ekoflora. The Sungei Lebak trail is arguably the best in the state, taking in a remote and beautiful waterfall. Besides ATVs, there are dirt bikes and buggies with roll-cage frames, the largest of which can seat a family of five. Be prepared to get wet (or muddy) on the Sungei Lebak trail.

ATV Park Johor is located at 60, Jalan Ekoflora 6/6, Taman Ekoflora, 81300 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia.

3. FOLO FARM

A farm visit can be a crucial formative experience for a child, given how our disconnect with nature is a contributing factor to the current climate crisis. At the very least, they won’t grow up thinking veggies magically spawn in supermarkets or unconsciously believe that waste simply vanishes.

Folo Farm was started by a group of friends who gave up successful careers (including engineering, medicine and business) to start an organic farm movement 10 years ago. Folo is an acronym for Feed Our Loved Ones.

Visits to their farm near Ulu Tiram are only possible on Open Days, with Nov 9 and Dec 14 the last two set for 2024 – details in their Facebook post.

Folo Farm is located at HRJP+CC, Ulu Tiram, Johor, Malaysia.

4. DESARU OSTRICH FARM

This unusual farm near Sungei Rengit, south of Desaru, was started by former RSAF flying trainer Colin Teh around 2000, after starting one near KL with his brother. Colin, who is in his early 70s, relies on his Malaysian wife and nephew to take care of the farm’s upkeep these days.

These large flightless birds native to Africa are fascinating fellow Earth residents. Colin happily reassures visitors that ostrich pecks of your fingers are a sign of affection. One is allowed to roam freely out of the pens as she’s the most chill around human visitors. This may be your last chance to visit this unique farm as their lease may be terminated next year.

Desaru Ostrich Farm is located at Jln Teluk Ramunia, Kampung Changi, 81600 Pengerang, Johor, Malaysia.