Many Singaporeans come to Johor Bahru to find a bargain. As an important manufacturing hub for the region, it can offer goods much cheaper. Jaya Jusco is Permas Jaya’s main shopping centre, and a new Permas Mall has recently opened its doors to the local professionals and business people that choose the area for its strategic location between Johor Bahru and Pasir Gudang shipbuilding yards. The area has an active nightlife and some good restaurants with live entertainment, and an abundance of Chinese cafes.
Boasting the largest number of golf courses in the country, Johor has some of the best golf courses in Malaysia lined up within less than an hour’s drive of each other. Permas Jaya has its own 9-hole golf course, separate sports complex and even a go-kart circuit.
Sitting on a hill with a panoramic view of Johor Bahru and Singapore, the Vinayagar temple is built around a large rock shaped like the head of an elephant. The temple was hidden when the area was forested and was discovered by a Hindu woman, guided by the premonitions and visions she had of Goddess Durga. The temple draws a large and diverse crowd of devotees, Hindu, Sikh and Chinese during the annual Vinayagar Chathurthi festival, which includes a Kavadi procession starting from the Senibong beach.
Just 30 minutes away from the Senai International Airport, hotels such as the Dorsett Johor Hotel are situated between Johor Bahru City Centre and the Eastern Gate Development Zone of Iskandar Malaysia, and make a good base for visitors to the area. The Permas Jaya Bridge connects the area with Bakar Batu, Taman Sentosa and downtown Johor Bahru.
