Southern Peninsular Malaysia

Melaka and Johor at the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia: the World Heritage–listed old city of Melaka and Johor Bahru right next to Singapore, often combined with a Singapore trip.

This region covers Melaka and Johor at the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia, facing Singapore across the Johor Strait.

Highlights: the old city of Melaka is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the red Stadthuys and Christ Church, St. Paul's Hill, the Portuguese A Famosa gate, the Jonker Street night market, the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum, Melaka River night cruises and the Straits Mosque. Johor Bahru has the Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque, an old town, Legoland, Hello Kitty Town and outlets. From Mersing on Johor's east coast you can sail to the islands south of Tioman, and the Kota Tinggi Waterfalls and the fishing village of Pontian make good nearby extensions.

Classic itineraries: a one- or two-day trip to Melaka from Kuala Lumpur; a day trip to Johor Bahru from Singapore; or a 4–5 day route north from Singapore via Johor Bahru and Melaka to Kuala Lumpur.

Getting there: Melaka has no major international flights, and the bus from Kuala Lumpur takes about 2 hours. From Johor Bahru you can take a bus across the Causeway to and from Singapore, and Senai International Airport has domestic flights. With the electrification of the southern ETS railway, the trip from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bahru is shorter.

Good to know: Melaka is crowded on weekends and holidays and the Causeway checkpoint is congested, so avoid the morning and evening rush hours where you can.

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Itineraries