Singapore Day 2 - Johor Bahru Tour

After the hitch from the previous day, we made sure to be ready for the Johor Bahru tour on Sunday, April 21.  We were up early and waited at the lobby for the bus that will take us across the border to Malaysia.  It was just Pang, Mom, Em and me.  Rich and Neil stayed at the hotel.

Many Singaporeans cross to Malaysia and v.v. for leisure activities, shopping, etc. during the weekends.  The immigration process was fast and smooth.  They even have drive-through processing if you're driving across.

The first stop of the tour was the Jabbirjaya Cultural and Gift Center where we were shown the process of batik-making.  Next stop was the Masjid Abu Bakr, a mosque situated along the border.  It has a very scenic view and you can see Singapore from across the strait.  Last stop was a property in a residential area that they have set up to show traditional lifestyle in Johor Bahru.  We saw many fruit trees (some of them also common in the Philippines), a short dance, demonstration of pewter-making, and were asked to sample a few snacks.  We bought a few souvenirs to take home from their shop.

Then it was time to go back to Singapore.  It was a short but sweet tour of Johor Bahru.  The bus also took us back to the hotel, except that we were the last ones dropped off.  It worked out though because we were able to see Chinatown and Little India.  We rested for a bit at the hotel then made our way to VivoCity to meet some IHG friends.


Waiting for the bus

Welcome to Malaysia!


Batik-making


Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque



Last stop, traditional JB house



Met IHG friends for dinner

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