Amigos Horse Riding

Let's experience Horseback Riding in Johor!🐎

Here, they have professional equestrian guidance courses if you are interested in learning equestrian sports 😍 With beautiful and picturesque greenery view 🌳 you can also try other activities like ATV and archery 🚜🏹 Put this spot as your weekend activity list ☑️

📍 Amigos Horse Riding, Pasir Gudang, Johor

⏰ 7am-7pm
☎️ +6012-796 6806
📍 Pasir Gudang, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia, 81707 Pasir Gudang, Johor.

https://goo.gl/maps/MPzNZiodA1hnreK87

~Travel Rookie~

 

First kite museum in search of unique logo

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Ismat putting up a poster about the logo design competition.

JOHOR BARU: The people behind Pasir Gudang Kite Festival are organising a design competition for the event’s first official logo, 18 years after it began.

Its supervisor Ismat Salleh said the competition, ending on Nov 19, was held in conjunction with Pasir Gudang Municipal Council’s (MPPG) upgrade to city status next year.

Street market a new attraction in JB

Street market a new attraction in JB

The newly-developed commercial tourism centre called B5 Johor Street Market will focus on attracting local tourists.

Damansara Asset Sdn Bhd executive director Yusaini Sidek the street market will serve as an option for locals to come with family and friends to enjoy an array of Johor cuisine at the bazaar.

“Covid-19 has made many cancel or postpone travels abroad. We hope they will come here instead, ” he said, adding that the virus had affected the flow of foreign tourist into the state.

“The market was initially planned to tap into Visit Malaysia 2020 and Visit Johor 2020 campaigns.

“We had lined up various arts and cultural activities for the tourists who visit, ” he said after giving media members and tourism industry players a tour of B5 Johor Street Market at Jalan Dato Muthuthambi here.

Yusaini added that the street market, a centralised retail tourism centre, was the first of its kind in the country with all of Johor’s unique features gathered in one place.


The commercial tourism centre is spacious and has reached its full occupancy of 219 traders.

“Travel agents can help promote this place to tourists, both local and foreigners.

“We have four cultural performance every day and the attractions change every festive season and during school holidays.

“Tourists can take part in cultural activities, enjoy local food and buy local souvenirs, ” he said, adding that they were targeting between five and six million visitors in the first year of the street market’s opening.

Yusaini said the market had also reached its full occupancy of 219 traders, with 40% offering food and beverages and 60% in the retail and culture sectors.

“Entrepreneurs are divided into three groups, retail bazaar, box park kiosk and retail lots rented out at a reasonable rate.

“The bazaar will offer different items during the day and night, ” he added. The B5 Johor Street Market was developed by Johor Land Berhad (JLand) and is managed by Damansara Asset Sdn Bhd - a wholly-owned subsidiary of Johor Corporation (JCorp).

The groundwork started in February 2018 and was fully completed in February this year with a total development cost of RM40mil.

“We expect a return of investment of three to four percent during this first year and see it increase to six to seven percent subsequently, ” he said.

The B5 Johor Street Market will be operating daily from 10am to 10pm.

~The Star~

Hidden gems aplenty in Johor

Hidden gems aplenty in Johor



Green glory: A picturesque cafe in Taman Merdeka, Johor Baru, that has become a hit with visitors.

In Johor Baru, Malaysia Tourist Guides Council president Jimmy Leong said the state government and tourism industry players had to work together to highlight Johor’s beauty and boost local tourism.

“I think this is a good time to venture into tourism attractions that include our rich history, culture and heritage,” he said.

He cited hidden gems such as Kampung Makam in Kota Tinggi as potential tourist attractions.

“The village houses several historically significant tombs, including that of Sultan Mahmud Shah II, the last ruler of Johor descended from the Melaka Sultanate.

“Kota Tinggi is known as Johor Lama (Old Johor). It has dozens of interesting historical sites and I think we should focus on highlighting such places,” he said.

Johor-based travel blogger Marlin Md Noor said Putuo Village, which is located 10km from Kulai town, was one of the lesser known but interesting places to visit.

“The best thing about the village is its bamboo forest, which has a calming vibe and is the perfect background to take photos.

She said there was also a cafe in the village where visitors could relax while enjoying the view of the bamboo forest.

~The Star~

Johor mulling lowering theme park entertainment tax for foreign tourists

COVID-19: Johor mulling lowering theme park entertainment tax for foreign tourists

Johor will study if there is a need to lower entertainment tax rates on foreign tourists at theme parks following the spread of the COVID-19 infection.

State Tourism and Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Liow Cai Tung, however, said every decision and approach on the matter would be taken after the economic stimulus package to reduce external economic impact following the COVID-19 outbreak, to be announced by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Feb 27.

“I have received feedback from them (theme park industry players) on the entertainment tax that will be imposed on foreign tourists.

“I have also raised this issue at the state executive council meeting and we will examine the decline in the number of tourists (after that) then we will make a decision,” he told a press conference after the closing ceremony of the Tourism Recovery Action Committee Town Hall here today.

Liow said this when asked if there were any tourism industry players in the state who had proposed the tax relief to the state government following the COVID-19 infection.

Meanwhile, in his speech at the event, he said industry players needed to change their strategies, strive and focus on the domestic tourism sector and devise creative and special packages to attract local tourists.

Liow said the state government had taken several steps to attract tourists.

“The state government has launched a publicity roadshow with Tourism Johor for the Visit Johor Year with the 2020 Johor Malaysian Games (Sukma) Secretariat in the focus area in Perak this month and several states to promote Johor next month.

“Tourism Johor has also taken a joint approach with bloggers and local social media influencers to promote (more) interesting places in the state. These are among the efforts taken to attract tourists,” he said.

-- BERNAMA

Chingay festival held on smaller scale due to COVID-19

Chingay festival held on smaller scale due to COVID-19



The annual Chingay festival here was held on smaller scale today in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Checks by Bernama found devotees thronging the Xing Gong temple in Jalan Ulu Ayer Molek here as early as 3 pm. The temple is the first location for the procession of five deities of the religious event.

The Tiong Hua Federation, which is the organiser of the festival, was also seen taking added precautions by stationing health staff to monitor body temperature of each visitor to the temple.

Face masks and hand sanitisers were also distributed to visitors and members of the public witnessing the festival.

The two-hour procession from 7 pm over eight kilometres around the city this time only comprised five floats as compared to 17 last year.

Entering its 150th year this year, the festival marks the solidarity of five Chinese dialect groups, namely the Teochew, Hokkien, Hakka, Guangsiew and Hainan.

Prior to this, the Johor state government had advised organisers of major events to postpone or hold them on a smaller scale due to the new coronavirus problem, which originated in China but has since spread across the globe.

Malaysia has recorded 19 cases of COVID-19 to date, while 67 cases have been reported in Singapore which is just across the causeway from Johor

-- BERNAMA

Sebukang Bay Resort - Pulau Aur

Facebook: Sebukang Bay Resort

https://sebukangbayresort.com/

RM1mil to repair Kota Tinggi waterfall

RM1mil to repair Kota Tinggi waterfall

Johor government has allocated RM1mil for restoration works at the Kota Tinggi waterfall. The site was badly damaged during the floods in December last year.

Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal said the work, which would be divided into two phases, was expected to start in early February and be fully re-opened before the school holidays in March.

“The allocation usually takes about three weeks to a month to be transferred and we hope the public will be patient while we conduct repair works at the waterfalls.

“The majority of the works involved infrastructural reconstruction, which is why it has to be closed temporarily, ” he said after the handing over ceremony of land titles to 243 Felda settlers at Felda Lok Heng Selatan here.

Dr Sahruddin, who was on an official working visit to the Kota Tinggi district, checked on the development of the area and hoped to see it grow into a holiday destination.

“Besides the Kota Tinggi waterfall, I have also visited the Kampung Panti Elephant Sanctuary and cruised along Sungai Johor from Kampung Makam.

“In general, Kota Tinggi has its own eco-tourism potential and we hope the public can help the state government transform this district into one of our top tourism destinations, ” he added.

Kota Tinggi District Council president Saipol Rahman Amat said the first phase of the Kota Tinggi waterfall repair works involved sand excavation from the waterfall pools while the second phase involved the parking lot rebuilding.

“This is the first time a huge volume of water from the mountain destroyed the facilities surrounding the water park.

“It has also filled the pools with sand, making it more shallow, ” he said, adding that the water slide would also be repaired.

Saipol said the Johor government would request for extra allocations from Tourism Arts and Culture Ministry if needed.

The Kota Tinggi waterfall, located about 15km from Kota Tinggi town and 60km from Johor Baru, has an average of 10,000 visitors a month.

~The Star~

Sungai Bantang Recreation Forest - Bekok Segamat

Hutan Lipur Sungai Bantang, Bekok, Segamat

~Info courtesy of Tourism Johor FB~

Sunway Big Box Retail Park opens to the public today

Sunway Big Box Retail Park opens to the public today



Sunway Big Box Retail Park, the first hybrid retail park in Malaysia, is officially open to the public today.

It is the seventh retail development under the Sunway Malls umbrella that currently has 7.7 million square feet of net lettable area under management.

The other six malls under the group are Sunway Pyramid in Sunway City; Sunway Velocity Mall and Sunway Putra Mall both in Kuala Lumpur; Sunway Carnival Mall (Penang); Sunway Citrine Hub, Sunway Iskandar (Johor); and Sunway Giza Mall in Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Sunway Malls and Theme Parks chief executive officer (CEO) HC Chan said costing RM250 million, the two-floor retail cluster is set to provide an immersive retail and leisure experience to the shoppers as it is home to nearly 100 retail, food and beverage and entertainment stores.

Among key brands featured in the hybrid park are NSK, Sports Directs, Ace Hardware, Tomaz, BookXcess, Golden Screen Cinemas, Skechers, Universal Traveller, Fun Scape by Cobay, Mr Dakgalbi, Happy Fish and EnerG X Park.

“As of today, 50 per cent of the retail space are open for business, with the number increasing to 70 per cent in the first quarter (Q1), 80 per ent in Q2, 90 per cent in Q3 and 95 per cent by Q4 2020,” Chan said during the soft opening of the hybrid retail park here, today.

Also present at the event were CEO of Sunway Iskandar, Gerard Soosay; Assistant General Manager, Southern Region, Sunway Big Box and Sunway Citrine Hub, Allan Tay; Managing Director (Property Division) of Sunway Bhd, Sarena Cheah; and Sunway Malls Chief Operating Officer Kevin Tan.

Chan said Sunway Big Box is purpose-built with a different concept from the conventional mall format as the company intended to bring winds of change to the Johor retail scene.

“It is a development that is meant to be the place for the community to congregate, shop and socialise with ample space. The large and non-conventional ambience provides a relaxing and rejuvenating urban sanctuary.

“On top of that, our hallmark integrated development will also have a hotel and office tower to be built. The hotel is scheduled to open in 2020 followed by the office tower in 2021,” he said.

-- BERNAMA

Kota Tinggi Waterfalls - Damages by recent heavy rain

Source： Facebook

Beletime Danga Bay - Grand Opening

It’s finally open! Beletime Danga Bay shopping centre celebrates grand opening on 13 December with Marine-theme interactive art gallery, Priscilla Abby & Ernie Zakri live performances and exciting giveaways!



December will be merrier in Johor Bahru this year as a brand new shopping centre is in town! Opening on 13 December, Beletime Danga Bay is a marine themed shopping mall built around the concept of family fun and happiness. 

Explore the ocean themed interactive gallery during your shopping spree and spot all the cute Insta corners along the way! Stay tuned to a refreshing shopping experience at Beletime Danga Bay as you will be greeted by over 10 unique brands that will be opening their stores JB for the first time! 

Be the first to visit Beletime Danga Bay on 13 December and enjoy the exciting live performances, promotions and giveaways! “Sea” you there!



🐳 Brand Highlights:

- AEON | The first Maxvalu Prime AEON in Johor and the nearest AEON to CIQ
- LOVEYOYO | The first ice and snow theme park in Johor
- WOMEI Cineplex | 5-star cineplex from China, bringing you the best visual indulgence with special 3D theatre, kids’ theatre, VIP theatre and more premium movie facilities
- KMALL | The first fashion store in Malaysia that gathers the trendiest Korean fashion brands all in one store
- I STUDY | The first youth education centre in Malaysia inspired by advanced and modern learning concept from China
- Tee & Putt Mini Golf | Enjoy playing mini golf at their glowing and colourful course
- HAN’S | You can now enjoy your favourite pies and cakes from HAN’S without going to Singapore
- The LLY Shop | Get your trendiest outfits from this popular Chinese fashion retail
- OPPEIN | The first OPPEIN outlet in Malaysia, bringing you high quality kitchen cabinet, furniture and more home decor collections



🔥Grand Opening Highlights:
- Join the hype at “Red-Hot Pop Artists Super Night”! Enjoy the live performance of popular singers Priscilla Abby & Ernie Zakri, live band and K-Pop dance group!
- At least 50% discount mall-wide* and more irresistible deals!
- Lucky draw event with exciting prizes including a FREE Korea Tour for 2 person, iPad, AEON cash vouchers and more*!
- 10-second sure-win voucher catching game! Win surprise gifts worth up to RM10,000*!
- Get FREE RM10 AEON cash vouchers as you visit, vouchers are limited so come early!
- The fun is endless with daily appearance of Beletime mascots until Christmas, live band performances and the “Christmas Hype Night” event! *T&C Apply

Beletime Danga Bay

Date: 13 December 2019 (Fri)
Mall Opening Hours: 10am - 10pm Daily
Address: No.01-01, Shopping Mall Ground Floor, Bay Point Persiaran Danga Perdana Country Garden, Danga Bay, 80200 Johor Bahru, Johor.

~Source: What's Going On In JB~

Royal Abu Bakar Museum - Johor Bahru

Royal Abu Bakar Museum



This architectural wonder was completed in 1866. It was commissioned by the late Sultan Abu Bakar and is also known as the Grand Palace (Istana Besar Johor).

Following a Renaissance style, the building was constructed by local artisans under the supervision of an European architect. The original furniture of the palace was made in England and ordered by the late Sultan Abu Bakar in 1866.

The palace was renovated to become a museum in 1982 and was officially opened in 1990.

Catch a glimpse of the grand lifestyle of the royal family through the silverware, ornaments as well as souvenirs by dignitaries that are on display at the museum. There are also pictures of the royal family from the reign of Sultan Abu Bakar.

Visit the museum today for an interesting historical journey of Johor's famous royal family. Opening hours are Saturday through Thurday, 9am– 5pm.

Address:
Grand Palace, Jalan Ayer Molek 80500 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

Phone: +607-223 0555/0222
Fax: +607-224 8476

~Info courtesy of Malaysia Travel~

10 holiday islands off Mersing

1. Pulau Tioman
2. Pulau Aur
3. Pulau Besar
4. Pulau Pemanggil
5. Pulau Rawa
6. Pulau Tinggi
7. Pulau Sibu
8. Pulau Harimau
9. Pulau Dayang
10. Pulau Tengah

~Sgmytaxi~

Desaru Tourist Map

Courtesy of Limbongan Maju

Hello Kitty Town - Permanent Closure 31/12/19

After seven years of creating and bringing family fun & play to Puteri Harbour, we’re sad to announce that SANRIO HELLO KITTY TOWN journey has come to an end. We will be permanently closing our doors on 31 Dec 2019.

Legoland - Brick-tacular Holidays

This Brick-tacular Holidays, be ready to enjoy the Christmas fun and witness Giant LEGO® Christmas Tree in the park.

Stay tuned and find out more here http://bit.ly/BricktacularHolidays.

Gunung Ledang (Mount Ophir)

Mount Ophir (Malay: Gunung Ledang) is a mountain in the Gunung Ledang National Park located in Tangkak District (formerly part of Muar), Johor, Malaysia. The summit is located between the border of Muar and Melaka. Standing at 1,276 m (4,186 ft), it is the 64th highest mountain in Malaysia.

Origins of its name

There are a few popular opinions regarding the origin of the mountain's name. According to one opinion, ancient history points to the mountain being the site of rich gold deposits, luring traders from as far as Greece and China. Ophir was a biblical-era land rich with natural resources mentioned in the Torah, also known at the Hebrew Bible.

In the 14th Century, the Chinese seafarers plying the Straits of Malacca called it Kim Sua meaning the 'golden mountain', possibly from the Hokkien or Taiwanese words: kim, or in characters 金 meaning gold and sua, or 山 meaning mountain .

Another source said that the Javanese during the period of the Majapahit empire named the mountain Gunong Ledang, which means 'lofty mountain', from Archaic Javanese word ledang meaning 'show-off'.

It has been called "Ophir" by British cartographers since at least 1801, based on a map from that year. The name Ophir itself is thought to have originated from any of these languages:

Hebrew, from אוֹפִיר transliterated to 'Owphiyr, or pronounced as ō·fēr, a Hebrew personal name and in reference to the biblical land of Ophir from which King Solomon obtained gold, precious gems and ivory for the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

Accomodation

Ledang Resort
http://www.ledang.com/

~wikipedia~

Hot Wheels Challenge Accepted @ City Square

Tourists will still flock to Johor without Hello Kitty Town

Tourists will still flock to Johor without Hello Kitty Town, says state exco



Johor Tourism, Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Liow Cai Tung said the closure of the Hello Kitty Town theme park will have little impact on Visit Johor Year 2020. — Picture by Ben Tan

JOHOR BARU, Oct 2 — The Johor government is confident that its 2020 state tourism campaign will not be affected by the closure of Sanrio’s Hello Kitty Town theme park in Puteri Harbour at the end of the year.

State Tourism, Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Liow Cai Tung said the closure of the theme park will have little impact on the Visit Johor Year 2020 that will go into full swing starting January 2020.

“I believe it will only have a small impact on the Visit Johor Year 2020 campaign and will not affect overall tourist arrivals to the state.

“The state government does not depend on one particular type of tourism product alone,” she told Malay Mail today in response to news reports that tourism arrivals may drop without the Sanrio theme park.

Liow said that the southern state has other new destinations such as the recently launched Desaru Coast that also offers a range of tourism products such as water theme parks, hotels and international golf courses.

“Besides that, Johor is also promoting eco-tourism as well as nature-based tourism and medical tourism as well,” she said.

Liow confirmed that Hello Kitty Town will halt operations after December 31.

She said that the decision was made by a private company and the state government respects its decision.

“I understand that the theme park is closing due to a lack of response over the last few years,” added Liow, who is also the Johor Jaya assemblyman.

Yesterday, it was reported that the Hello Kitty theme park in south Johor’s Puteri Harbour is slated to cease operations by year-end due to a lack of visitors.

The Puteri Harbour building, which houses the Hello Kitty Town theme park, also houses a number of other attractions, including a Thomas Town indoor park, that is slated to close at the same time as well.

The RM110 million Hello Kitty Town theme park, the first in Malaysia, was opened in 2012. It has suffered a decline in ticket sales over the years as the number of visitors did not meet the expected targets.



An online announcement informing customers of the planned closure of the Thomas Town and Hello Kitty Town theme parks on December 31. — Picture via social media

~The Malay Mail~