Exploring Johor Bahru (JB) in a day

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A favourite pastime of Singaporeans who love going to JB for shopping, eating, getting a hair-cut or massage, I hopped into a Transtar cross-border bus that originated from Changi Airport to JB CIQ (Customs, Immigration and Quarantine). The bus fare is SGD9. However return fare is RM13. Tried using my ezlink card but the machine was down, so paid using cash instead. I had standby the exact amount as no change will be given. The ride was comfortable and smooth. As it was during a weekday getting a seat is not a problem. Transtar bus is especially great for those living or working in the east. For those living in the west probably Causeway Link buses are the way to go.

Transtar cross-border bus
The options to go to JB are wide including the regular SBS Transit bus 170 that ply the central areas of Singapore. You can also take the KTM Shuttle Tebrau railway from Woodlands Train Station to JB Sentral and the ride is only 5 minutes, though customs and immigration may add 30 minutes each way to the journey . Still not too bad. This is quite handy especially if you are going during peak long weekend holiday season but you have to book really well in advance. Well, if it’s holidays its better to stay clear of going to JB outright unless that’s the only time when you can go as we all know how crazily packed the CIQ can be. Not to mention you may have to stand in like a pack of sardines in a bus, not a comfortable experience.

Now with the Rapid Transit System (RTS) line currently under construction and slated to be operational by the end of 2026, that will be a game changer for people movement or transportation between Singapore and JB. So what to do in JB? Taking advantage of the favourable exchange rate, people eat, shop, have a haircut, go for massage, even visit a chiropractor or a dentist. The nearest shopping malls just next to the CIQ are City Square Mall and Komtar. City Square Mall is the busier and more popular among the two though Komtar does has its appeal. For the foodies and for some old school cafe, they may walk over to Jalan Tan Hiok Nee.

RTS under construction
Some would Grab to some other malls beyond City Square mall. Indeed JB has many shopping malls and eateries. Or people simply go to JB for durians! Though durians are seasonal. Though durians are native to Singapore, durian plantations are long gone though you may find the odd tree here and there at Pulau Ubin, Fort Canning and Nee So some may head there to have a feast at a durian plantation in Johor though it may take about an hour by grab. Yes it is possible to eat, have a massage, visit a dentist, and pack home some bakeries or toiletries, all within a day, even half a day in JB.

Since it quite convenient to go to JB, many people run errands to JB just like other normal errands and simply split the tasks depending on what they needed at the point in time. They know they can be back in JB whenever they wanted to, of course it may take longer during the weekend than during the weekday due to the crowd, but once RTS is operational who knows, people may cross border just about every other day or making impromptu visits since it could be really convenient, especially for those living in the west and the north. Looking forward to the day when RTS is running though hopefully the Transtar and other buses are still running as the MRT station being located in the far north may not be as convenient.

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