Activities in Johor Bahru

There are a variety of sports played in Johor Bahru. The most popular beach for water sports is the Stulang Laut beach near Jalan Sultan Ibrahim. The city also has a special stadium, the Stadium Tan Sri Dato' Haji Hassan Yunus, which serves as the home of the state soccer team. Other visitors may wish to test their golfing skills at the Royal Johor Country Club in Jalan Larkin which boasts of one of the best courses in the country. Public facilities in the city include tennis courts, jogging tracks, a bowling alley and snooker centres.

Aerobics fanatics are not forgotten in Johor and there are a number of centres dotted around the state, catering to this popular activity. The Aerobics Academy, telephone: 07- 222 5857 or 017- 772 0013 will be able to give you more information as will the Aerobics Studio, telephone: 07- 333 1546. Both are based in Johor Bahru.

Climbing Gunung Ledang is the classical climb in the area and one of the most challenging among the smaller mountains. Besides Sagil trail, the popular ascent route, there is another ascent route by the Asahan, which is on the northwest of the mountain. At 1276 m, the highest point in Johor, one can see the town and Straits of Malacca. Along the way up to the base camp are series of impressive waterfalls and cascades that should not missed.

Diving Whether you are simply donning a pair of goggles while paddling about in the shallows or are into scuba diving. Johor offers plenty of action for those 'divers' amongst us and there are a number of dive companies dotted along it's coast offering both day and night dives as well as instruction and equipment for hire.

Flying The Johor Flying Club welcomes visitors and they can be located at the Senai airport, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, telephone: 607 5991255 for more information.

Golf There are currently 23 golf courses in the State of Johor, making it the ultimate golfers' paradise. These golf courses offer different stages of challenges for golfers. Most courses offer full club-house facilities such as a tennis court, jogging track, gymnasium and snooker centres as well as golfing facilities. The biggest golf course in Johor Bahru boosts a world-class 72-holes course. Some courses offer accommodation facilities such as hotels, service apartments or chalets.

The Johor Racing Circuit provides a world-class venue for international racing events. The 3.86 km circuit in Pasir Gudang was developed by the Johor State Economic Development Corporation and is built on undulating terrain with twelve challenging corners and offers excellent viewing for spectators. Among the events hosted yearly are the World Superbike, World Endurance, and the Johor Race Series for cars and bikes.

Kite Flying is a traditional sport in Malaysia and at the Johor International Kite Festival you can see a whole range of modern and traditional kites from around the world filling the sky in a splendour of bright colours as they compete in this international kite-flying festival. If you want to do your own kite flying, the beaches and dry paddy fields (in the ‘dry monsoon’) make perfect venues for this foprm of entertainment and kites are relatively easy to come by throughout the state. Or if you have the time, make your own.

Nightlife Johor Bahru is said to come alive with the setting of sun. Its vibrant nightlife provides lively entertainment to match your mood. Most of the night spots are located in the city centre, Plaza DNP, the suburbs of Stulang Laut, Sentosa and Bandar Baru Permas Jaya (Permas Jaya new town).

Off Road Motor Sports abound from the speedsters grand prix track to off road mud baths, you name it, they do it in Johor.

Public Parks The city boosts a few notable public parks. Among the larger ones are the Taman Ria Bukit Chagar (Bukit Chagar Playground), a big park situated at the fringe of the City and very popular among children owing to it's cartoon-theme; the Royal Museum Grounds, Hutan Bandar (Urban Forest); Pantai Lido (Lido Beach), Linear Garden, which stretches 1 kilometre along Skudai Highway; Stulang Laut, a recreational area with a waterfront promenade and parks; and Puteri Lagoon, a new generation of public parks built by the City Council and the State Government that has incorporated elements of culture, tradition and leisure.

Stadium Sports Presently, there are five stadiums in the metropolitan area. They are the Tan Sri Dato Hassan Haji Yunus Stadium (or commonly known as the Larkin Stadium), the Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru Swimming Complex, Johor Bahru Indoor Stadium, Johor Bahru Hockey Stadium and Pasir Gudang's Corporate Stadium.

Additionally, there are various community halls located all over the metropolitan region for recreational, exhibition or various other uses. The government is now planning to build a Sports City in Kulai, a suburb of Johor Bahru City. The Sports City will have 5 stadiums, a hotel and training facilities.

Tennis If your hotel doesn’t have a court then visitors are welcome at the Tennis Centre which is open to the public and specializes in tennis programs suitable for both Adults and Juniors. Even if you have never played tennis but would like to learn they have programs for the whole family. You can find them at 240A, Jalan Persisiran Perling 1, Taman Perling 81200 Johor Bahru, Malaysia or give them a call on: 607- 235 1007 or 607 - 234 8007.

Trekking There are a number of trekking paths and routes throughout Johor. The most popular are found in and around Gunung Ledang and these vary from the difficult to a casual stroll.

Water sport activities such as canoeing, snorkeling, sailing, windsurfing and scuba diving are catered to throughout the state. Equipment for all these sports are available for hire on many of Johor’s beaches or recreational parks. You can also charter a boat for deep sea fishing or visit the surrounding islands, such as Sibu Besar Island, Sibu Kukus Island, Papan Island, Lama Island and Sibu Hujung Island.