Johor, the Southern Gateway

Johor, the Southern Gateway

Johor FlagJohor Emblem
State : Johor
Capital : Johor Bahru
Population (2000) : 2,740,652
Total Area (sq km) : 18,986
Tempreature (°C) : 26 - 27
Humidity (%) : 82 - 86
Rainfall (mm) : 2,030 - 3,050
Head of State: Sultan: His Majesty Sultan Iskandar Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Ismail
Head of Govt.: Menteri Besar: Y.A.B. Dato' Haji Abdul Ghani Othman
Johor, the southern gateway and third largest state in Peninsula Malaysia is the keeper of many national and natural treasures untold. It is a delightful mixture of the traditional and modern, and natural and ultra-modern urban jungles.

A Rich History

Johor gets its name from the Arabic word Jauhar meaning 'precious stones'. Prior to that, it was known as Ujung Tanah which mean 'land's end' in Malay, due to its location at the end of the Malay Peninsula. It is also an apt name, as the southern-most tip of Asia is located at Tanjung Piai, Johor. The state derived its status as the country's Southern Gateway after it was connected to Singapore through the 1056m-long Causeway which was completed in 1923 after four years of construction. Johor has a rich and illustrious ancient history - its sultanate was established in the early 16th century, commanding the southern Peninsula and Riau islands. Upon Malacca's defeat to the Portuguese in 1511, the son of the last Sultan of Malacca, Sultan Mahmud Shah, had established a monarchy in Johor and had posed a constant threat to the Portuguese. Johor is the only state, apart from Melaka, that grew into an empire. During its peak, the whole of Pahang and the present day Indonesian territories of Riau Archipelago and part of Sumatra Island were under Johor's rule.

The Rise of a New Metropolis

Today Johor is poised to conquer the world with state-of-the-art metropolis Iskandar Malaysia, formerly known as the Iskandar Development Region (IDR). Officially launched by His Royal Highness the Sultan of Johor on the 4 November 2006, Iskandar Malaysia is set to become Southern Peninsular Malaysia's most developed region, where living, entertainment, environment and business seamlessly converge within a bustling and vibrant metropolis connected in an ultra-modern telecommunications network. The beacon of new growth, Iskandar Malaysia will spur economic developments that actuate Malaysia's global potential to greater heights. Sprawling 2,217 sq. km, it is 3 times the size of Singapore and is comprised of most of Johor's major hubs including Johor Bahru, Danga Bay, world-class ports Tanjung Pelepas and Pasir Gudang, amongst others.

A Melting Pot of Culture

With its 3.17 million population, Johor is the most populous state in Malaysia. Besides the cultural expressions practiced by the local Malays, Chinese and Indians, culture in Johor is also influenced by visitors and traders throughout history. The Bugis who first set foot in Johor would be biggest influence especially on the side of politics. The Arabs strongly influenced the arts like the Zapin dance and Hamdolok theatre performances and musical instruments like gambus (Arab lute). Ghazal Johor a love song or poem is sung in Malay with instruments like the gambus, accordion, drum, etc, but its songs reflect much Hindustani and Persian influence. The Kuda Kepang dance, a legless horse-shaped puppet straddled by the performers is inspired by the Javanese.

The rich culture and heritage of Johor is also reflected in its traditional costumes. The baju kurung Teluk Belanga, widely recognised as Johor's traditional attire since the 19th Century is also known as Baju Kurung Johor. It comes in both male and female versions. The man's costume has three pockets while the lady's version has one medium-sized breast pocket on the left. Cekak Musang and Teluk Belanga are types of collar design of the male version. It is said that Teluk Belanga was designed by Sultan Abu Bakar in 1866 to reminisce the shift of Johor's capital from Teluk Belanga to Johor Bahru.

Highlights and Attractions

Johor is divided into eight districts: Batu Pahat, Johor Bahru, Kluang, Kota Tinggi, Mersing, Muar, Pontian and Segamat, the largest of these being Johor Bahru which is the state capital. Visitors commonly head for Johor Bahru's royal palaces and lively night markets, considered as some of the state's best attractions.

The state's islands are a tourist attraction with their stretches of white sandy beaches and sparkling waters which beckons all and sundry to snorkel, scuba dive, wind-surf, sail and even reel in a fish or two.

Johor's five national parks are a wonderful representation of the sheer bio-diversity that is the state's natural heritage : botanical and wildlife paradise of Endau Rompin, the mangrove island of Kukup, the "mother of all dead ends" wetland of Tanjung Piai, the mysterious and legendary Gunung Ledang, and the heavenly Mersing islands.

Indeed there is so much more to Johor than meets the eye.

Words by Ariel Chew©

© 2002 - 2008 TourismJohor.com
Getting to Johor



By Road

There are several ways to enter Johor by road. The main ones are:
- Johor Causeway; 2nd link
- North South Expressway
- Federal Trunk Road (Route 1)
- East Coast Trunk Road (Route 3)
- West Coast Trunk Road Route 5)


By Rail

The rail service is provided by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad.
To check the interstate train schedule, go to http://www.ktmb.com.my


By Air

-Direct entry is via the Sultan Ismail Airport (or locally known as the Senai Airport).
-It is located in the district of Johor Bahru about 34km from the capital city of Johor Bahru.
-Airport limousine services take you to various destinations at fares controlled by the government. There are also scheduled airport coach services to Johor Bahru city centre and Singapore.


By Sea

The following are the sea entry points into Johor.
- Johor Bahru International Ferry Terminal (Johor Bahru district)
- Pasir Gudang (Johor Bahru district)
- Kukup (Pontian district)
- Muar (Muar district)
- Tanjung Belungkor (Kota Tinggi district)
- Tanjung Pengelih (Kota Tinggi district)

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Johor Bahru Hotels - Contributing Effectively

Johor Bahru is a beautiful province in Malaysia and a crowd of visitors invade it in all seasons. The wide range of attractions in the region invites people from all across the globe. Exciting atmosphere of Johor Bahru and forests of Endau-Roman Park are what play a great role in attracting the visitors. Desaru villages have their own distinct aroma to entice the tourists. The beautiful Islands in South China Sea see the flocks of tourist ever year. The commercial prosperity also attracts businessmen from all across the globe.

However, the role of proper accommodation facilities cannot be ruled out in making a destination the favorite of tourist. Fortunately it has this trait which wonderfully contributes to the purpose of enhancing the Johor Bahru Tourism. This beautiful region features excellent collection of hotels and resorts. Every corner of this province has accommodations which are beautifully equipped with all sorts of amenities.

A' Vista Hotel, Compact Hotel Johor Bahru, Hyatt Regency, Sofitel Palm Resort and many others constitute the list of hotels. For instance, A'Vista hotel lies in the heart of downtown in a Multi-storey building. All the rooms are equipped with most modern amenities. Like this one, all the hotels in Johor Bahru are at excellent locations and feature restaurants and bars. It would not be an exaggeration to say that these hotels play a significant role in the growth of their tourism. This is definitely a great place to stay for a vacation.

For more information on Malaysia please visit : http://www.stayresmalaysia.com

Author is an associate editor of Stayresmalaysia. The website offers exclusive information of Johor Bahru Hotels and Kuala LumPur Hotels. We also provide online hotel reservation of hotels in Malaysia.


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