Johor Baharu, Malaysia

Johor Bahru sits right next to the national boundary between two inseparably linked countries and has all the blessings and blemishes to show for it. Nowhere else in Malaysia better displays the differences between two intertwining streams of history. Today, the city becomes known as a 'half-price bazaar' for everything from groceries to golf to thousands of Singaporeans, enriched by a strong currency.

Jalan Wong Ah Fook: An Unsavoury Icon of Abritrage

Happenstance and the Johor Bahru's reputation for comparatively inexpensive shopping and entertainment, however, have also made the arterial thoroughfare of Jalan Wong Ah Fook into an extension of the perpetual traffic snarl at the Causeway . Cars bearing number plates of two diametrically opposed vehicular policies rumble past incessantly, sometimes haltingly, and the resultant air quality had one influential writer branding it the 'hanging air of decay'. He must have also meant the soot-stained four-storey shop-houses bordering on the brink of dilapidation at the centre of the scene, where customary and flesh trades call their address. Like it or not, those bristling money-changers, 7-Eleven stores, pirated-VCD peddlers, squalid coffee shops and throngs of hurried people have stuck on like an unsavoury icon of this historic border town.

Decay is seasonally outdated and in retreat, thankfully, with the opening of the sprawling City Square shopping complex, Johor Bahru's latest self-renewal showpiece. A match for the glitziest of shopping malls across the City Square, it is fit to handle the smuggest shopping and coffee tastes at half-price. A sprinkling of older malls, including KOMTAR and Plaza Kotaraya , lies within walking distance, catering to the less well-heeled. Downtown chugs along like the squeaky locomotives leaving the Railway Station in this state of slow-motion tussle between the old and the new, dependable family-run coffee shops and fair-weather bankers, dingy lodges and chrome-plated hotels, humble pre-war shop-houses and swanky towers. Meanwhile, the Sri Mariamman Temple and the Johor Old Chinese Temple cling on precariously in a weakening struggle against unsympathetic commercial development.

Istana Grounds: A Royal Warehouse on Display

One can catch a glimpse of the grandeur and power of the past atop Bukit Timbalan at the Sultan Ibrahim Building , whose unique architecture and commanding facade mercifully rescue the city skyline from the commercial barrenness at street level. Johor Bahru's choicest real estate extends from here northwards along the narrow coastal road, most of it being royally owned. The display of royal possessions begins at the Royal Abu Bakar Museum , housed within the imposing blue-roofed Grand Palace in the vast, manicured compounds of the Istana Garden . Next door, the Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque sports some of the best Islamic architecture in the country. The small Johor Zoo resides along the same road--Jalan Gertak Merah.

Further up along Jalan Tun Dr Ismail, flanked on the watery side by the Lido Beach and the War Memorial , Dataran Bandaraya serves as the local centre-stage for National Day celebrations and other public festivities. The Sultan Abu Bakar Royal Mausoleum , the royal burial grounds, lies a short distance inland from the top-notch hotel Hyatt Regency Johor Bahru . Northwards, the home of the living royalty meanwhile nestles at the secluded Istana Bukit Serene, within par-five distance of the Royal Johor Country Club .

Stulang: Seafood and Duty-free Shopping

Directly overlooking Senoko Power Station and the northern green-capped shores of Singapore, Jalan Stulang Laut stretches along a scenic straits-front, considerately equipped with a palm-lined pavement and resting benches. This is seafood and makan (Malay for eating) land. The gastronomic fanfare begins at the popular New Hong Kong Restaurant , just opposite the entrance to the Custom Building. It then proceeds along a disjointed set of shop-houses playing host to some of the best-kept local secrets, including Gerai Mee Rebus, and a motley multi-racial ensemble of coffee shops, finally ending at the massive Free Trade Zone, the site of Eden Garden Hotel , ZON Shopping Complex and Eden Palace Seafood Restaurant .

Taman Sentosa and the Vicinity: Arbitragers' Haunt

The suburban areas host a multitude of urban shopping and entertainment enclaves, such as Taman Century and Taman Sentosa. Locals and Singaporean day-trippers alike flock here for cheap food, copiously available at the Taman Sentosa Hawker Centre, or unbeatable bargains in Sentosa Shopping Complex, or inexpensive entertainment in a myriad of karaoke bars. More options abound at Plaza Pelangi , Crowne Plaza and Pelangi Leisure Mall --some of the popular shopping arcades in town.

Gateway to Johor's Best

Johor Bahru is situated less than two hours by road from numerous traditional Malay villages (especially on the west Johor coast) and untouched rainforest reserves in Endau-Rompin National Park . Also within driving distance is the fishing town of Mersing —a springboard to the delightful Pulau Tioman and its neighbouring islands, which are well sought for diving and other water sports.

Other splendid day-trip choices surrounding the city include the Kota Tinggi and Lombong Waterfalls , stilted seafood restaurants in Kukup and the much-celebrated Desaru beach resort. A golfer's haven, Johor also boasts a collection of world-class golf courses, such as Palm Villa Golf and Country Club and Pulai Springs Resort .