Desaru
Discover Desaru
Desaru is a coastal town in Kota Tinggi District, Johor, Malaysia. The town houses the integrated beach resorts with water theme parks, golf courses, hotels and villas facing the South China Sea. It is also known as the Land of Casuarinas because of the casuarina trees along the beaches. The small town of Bandar Penawar, about 2 km inland, serves as the area's transport hub. The Desaru Coast stretches along the 22 km of beach. By admittedly high Malaysian standards, the greyish beach with often murky water is nothing special, but it's the closest beach to Johor Bahru and that's what originally kicked off tourism here.
Taste of Desaru...
If you have your own wheels or join one of the hotel-arranged "excursions", the fishing village of Sungai Rengit, some 30 km away, has a few seafood restaurants. (Oddly, the much closer Tanjung Balau does not have any.) There are also a few basic restaurants in Bandar Penawar. Many of the nice signature restaurants are in the resorts, although non-guests are always welcomed to the eateries. accommodation in Desaru caters to various segments of tourists, from the traditional and classic style accommodation to the modern. Most of the accommodation is generally divided into two areas, the Bandar Penawar town areas and the beach front resort area in Desaru. Desaru is a beach popular mostly with the locals. As such, especially if you go outside the resorts, you will see a lot of Malays bathing with long pants and t-shirts, a good way to both fend off the sun and to maintain modesty. For visitors, toplessness is not appropriate, but a normal bikini for girls and shorts for guys is ok.
Climate
Like all of Malaysia's east coast, Desaru is highly seasonal, with monsoon winds and rains lashing the coast between November and February. There is still plenty of sunshine even during the rainy season, but waves are high and it rains more. The "good" season is thus from April to October, with June to August being the busiest months, when the waters are inviting and the sand fine. The town does not have its own airport. The nearest airport is the Senai International Airport (JHB) in Senai, 70 minutes away, which has flights to most Malaysian cities and a few regional destinations. Singapore's far larger Changi (SIN) is not far as the bird flies, but unless you can time a connection with the ferry (see below), the complicated logistics of cross-border transport mean that you should budget at least 3 hours for the trip. Batamfast operates one daily return ferry from Singapore's Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Desaru Coast Ferry Terminal.
Essential Information
Best Time to Visit
Year Roundbest time to go is after rain on a new moon....
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThe town does not have its own airport. The nearest airport is the Senai International Airport (JHB) in Senai, 70 minutes away, which has flights to most Malaysian cities and a few regional destinations. Singapore's far larger Changi (SIN) is not far as the bird flies, but unless you can time a connection with the ferry (see below), the complicated logistics of cross-border transport mean that you should budget at least 3 hours for the trip. Batamfast operates one daily return ferry from Singapore's Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Desaru Coast Ferry Terminal. Travel time is around 90 minutes and tickets are S$70/118 one-way/return. Previous ferry services from Singapore to Tanjung Belungkor no longer operate. Alternatively, Batamfast also operates one ferry on F, Sa, Su only from Tanah Merah to Pengerang (Tg Pengelih), from where you can continue by taxi for about 35 min/40 km to Desaru. Tickets cost S$43/73 one-way/return....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
There is no public transport in Desaru, and as of 2023, Grab does not operate in the area. If you find yourself stuck with no bus to take you to Bandar Penawar, try asking the staff at the restaurant to call you a taxi. They know a lot of taxi drivers and most likely will love to help both you and their driver friend. The price should be around 15 RM to Bandar Penawar or 40 RM to Kota Tinggi. Desaru is a semi-developed resort area and there are a lot of things to do while you are there. Take advantage of the nice wide beach, and of the shallow and clear water. All 22 km of it is open to all, even the stretches in front of the hotels, but most locals congregate at the public beach, which provides a carpark, a few barbeque pits and grotty toilets. Snorkeling is a good option, but don't expect banks of colorful fishes and wonderful sea creatures. Scuba diving here is out of the question, although some of the resorts do arrange trips out to Johor's northern islands.
Where to Stay
accommodation in Desaru caters to various segments of tourists, from the traditional and classic style accommodation to the modern. Most of the accommodation is generally divided into two areas, the Bandar Penawar town areas and the beach front resort area in Desaru. Desaru is a beach popular mostly with the locals. As such, especially if you go outside the resorts, you will see a lot of Malays bathing with long pants and t-shirts, a good way to both fend off the sun and to maintain modesty. For visitors, toplessness is not appropriate, but a normal bikini for girls and shorts for guys is ok.
Money & Budget
If you have your own wheels or join one of the hotel-arranged "excursions", the fishing village of Sungai Rengit, some 30 km away, has a few seafood restaurants. (Oddly, the much closer Tanjung Balau does not have any.) There are also a few basic restaurants in Bandar Penawar. Many of the nice signature restaurants are in the resorts, although non-guests are always welcomed to the eateries. accommodation in Desaru caters to various segments of tourists, from the traditional and classic style accommodation to the modern. Most of the accommodation is generally divided into two areas, the Bandar Penawar town areas and the beach front resort area in Desaru. Desaru is a beach popular mostly with the locals.
Safety Information
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Desaru
aerial photography of seashore near trees
aerial photography of seashore near trees
aerial photography of seashore near trees
aerial photography of seashore near trees
aerial photography of seashore near trees
aerial photography of seashore near trees
aerial photography of seashore near trees
aerial photography of seashore near trees
aerial photography of seashore near trees
aerial photography of seashore near trees
aerial photography of seashore near trees
aerial photography of seashore near trees
aerial photography of seashore near trees