{"id":37303,"date":"2026-03-18T18:48:51","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T10:48:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=37303"},"modified":"2026-03-18T18:48:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T10:48:51","slug":"insiders-guide-to-johor-bahru-malaysia-from-hipster-fashion-to-desserts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=37303","title":{"rendered":"Insider\u2019s guide to Johor Bahru, Malaysia \u2013 from hipster fashion to desserts"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Despite the high crime rates that dogged Johor Bahru<\/span> from the 1980s to the 2000s, the closest Malaysian city kept luring Singaporeans with its cheap seafood and groceries \u2013 and even petrol. The crowds still descend, but these days the capital of Johor state draws visitors for a variety of other reasons. Even in-the-know foreign tourists to Singapore slip across the 1km-long causeway for a change of scene \u2013 undeterred by the traffic jams.<\/div>\n
The five-minute ride on the KTM Shuttle Tebrau train, which skips the bus and car queues, has helped ease the congestion, although tickets sell out fast. When the Johor Bahru\u2013Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, with its one-stop immigration facilities, replaces the shuttle (scheduled for year-end), day-trip numbers are expected to spike.<\/p>\n
Safety records seem to have improved but locals still advise visitors to stay alert for muggers and bike-riding bag snatchers in a town on the up and up.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe wave of creativity to hit JB in recent years is refreshing,\u201d says Johor Bahru-born and raised actress (Bullets Over Petaling Street<\/em>, 2014; Lost in the Pacific<\/em>, 2016) and producer Debbie Goh. Like many cities after the pandemic, Johor Bahru \u2013 or JB, as most Singaporeans and Malaysians call it \u2013 has seen entrepreneurs find new uses for old spaces, turning neglected bungalows and shophouses into cafes, boutiques and lifestyle spaces. Now based in Kuala Lumpur<\/span>, Goh makes frequent trips back to JB, to visit her mother.<\/div>\n
Heritage streets and hipster finds<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/div>Artisanal cafes on Jalan Tan Hiok Nee. Photo: Mavis Teo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
To get a sense of JB\u2019s creative energy, Goh recommends starting at Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, a 15-minute walk north of JB Sentral, the transport hub for commuters streaming into Johor over the causeway.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Artisanal](\"https:\/\/img.i-scmp.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto\/sites\/default\/files\/d8\/images\/canvas\/2026\/03\/18\/7e0342ee-99d2-4365-9410-6fa4c5dcb521_ffa926b2.jpg\" "\\"Artisanal")
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