Istana Bukit Serene. and other Johor Bahru, Malaysia Things to Do Tips

Istana means the palace. The palace is green in colour perched on a hill-top, surrounded by greenery. There are bungalows around the palace and are for rich people. I have not been to the palace and have never heard of an open house for the public to visit the palace.
Driving around the palace ground is the nearest one can get. Taking pictures and loitering around it, outside the fencing will attract attention and get chased away by the security... Perhaps a photo of the palace from far away when I got the chance next time.

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It is a beautiful and well maintained park for joggers, locals and tourists. This park is also popular for wedding photographs.

It can get a bit too hot during mid-day. The best time to visit is in the morning or evening.

Extract:
"The beautiful palace was commissioned by Sultan Abu Bakar, who laid the foundation stone in 1864. One of the oldest buildings in Johor, it has a cosmopolitan architecture with clear Anglo-Malay influence. Today the palace assumes an additional role as the Royal Abu Bakar Museum, displaying treasures of the royal collection.
It is in the Renaissance style and was built by local workmen under the supervision of an European architect. Much of the original furniture was ordered in England by His Majesty Sultan Abu Bakar in 1866 and he personally directed the laying out of the Palace gardens.

The building has been enlarged and renovated several times. In 1912 the east wing was pulled down and the present Banquet Hall was erected in its place. Today the Palace is mainly used for State ceremonies and official functions, although since 23 February 1982, it has filled an additional role as the Royal Abu Bakar Museum, displaying the art treasures of the Royal collection and historical relics of the Sultanate of Johor."

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The museum is situated within the Istana Besar. The design of the building is in the Renaissance style with Anglo-Malay influence.
Art treasures and historical relics of the Sultan of Johor are displayed in the museum. It is an air-conditioned museum, so go in on a hot day to enjoy the exhibits and cool down. Entrance fee applies, but not a lot, less than a british pound.

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Click on the picture to see the full view of the light house...

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Masjid means a mosque. This century-old mosque is said to be one of the most beautiful in Malaysia and is the biggest mosque in Johor Bahru. It was completed in 1900, a few years after the death of the Sultan it is named after. It look eight years to build and can accommodate 2,000 worshippers. It is located on spacious grounds overlooking the Straits of Johor and Singapore.

Remember to observe the rules if you are going to enter the mosque. Before entering, remove your shoes - either leave it at the steps or hold it with your hands. Women gotta be all covered. And there are sections for men and women. Check out the strict rules before entering in order not to offend.

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"Rou fo gu miao" in Mandarin, literally translated to be "Johor Old Temple". This is a sacred place to the Chinese. This temple is believed to be the only place of worship to have survived the bombing during the second world war. In view of this, it is believed that "tua pek gong" (the god) protects Johor. Hence this temple became an important and sacred place among the Chinese community.
Every year, on the first day of Chinese New Year, many worshippers will come here to light some joss sticks and burn some joss paper. I do that too. :-) It will be quite crowded on that day.

The paintings on the wall is typically Chinese and are beautiful. The solid wooden door into the temple is painted bight red with a big knob - typical ancient Chinese design for door.

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This city square consist of a clock tower and a huge field - not very near the city cneter though. There's not much commercial activities here, except on special occasions when there's some celebrations going on here.
It was constructed along Jalan Skudai to commemorate Johor Bahru's promotion to a city status in 1993.
I remembered the grand opening ceremony of the city Square. We had beautiful fire works, dancing, and partying there. When I say partying, it does not mean partying with alcohol (which is the case in westerners' perception). There are many beautifully lighted ships just off the coast to celebrate the occasion.

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The building was built in 1940 and is located on a hill called Bukit Timbalan. Its columns and pillars are designs of Saracenic architecture. The building, which is a symbol of progressive and modern Johor, commands a magnificent view of the Straits of Johor. Visitors may find the Grand Hall particularly interesting. The whole building covers 11 floors above the ground and it houses 46 government offices and departments. During World War II, the Japanese occupied the building as a fortress and a store dump when planning attacks on neighbouring Singapore.

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I feel that this is a must see activities to have an insight to the life of the local people. For more information about "Pasar Malam", go to my tip under "Nightlife".

I like to go to Pasar Malam for dinner. It will not be a proper dinner, but more like delicious "junk" food to fill the stomach. There will be many stalls selling food and you can see how your food is being prepared in front of you.

Char guay tiao, you char kuih, fried chicken, bean curd with soya milk, curry puff, cakes, bread, kuih kuih, apom, char kuay, min chang kuih, etc... Oh yes, goreng pisang too... By the way, I do not have all these types of food in one night, I cannot finish them... but sometimes when I am bored with normal dinner at the table, I just go to the Pasar Malam for dinner. :-) Eat as you walk and shop, or pack home to enjoy in front of the TV.

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This picture shows a stall selling many types of "kuihs" (sweet or salty delicacies). For the best and cheap kuihs, I find it's best in Taiping - a quaint little town up north of Malaysia, slightly north of KL. haha.. food hunting again... I will do more good food hunting when I get back to Malaysia. :-)

Pasar malam is not just about cooked food. There will be other stalls selling brics and bracs too. There will be stalls selling vegatables, meat, fish, etc, just like in the morning wet market. There will also be shops selling clothes - no trying though cos there's no changing room. Usually you can bargain at the pasar malam, but we do not bargain for the food.

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