Iskandar Puteri
Discover Iskandar Puteri
Iskandar Puteri, formerly known as Nusajaya, is a city in the state of Johor, Malaysia. The southernmost city in Malaysia, the city was created essentially from scratch since the 1990s to capitalize on the nearby Second Link to Singapore and the North-South Expressway to Kuala Lumpur. Largely residential and administrative, the main tourist draw is Legoland Malaysia, the only Lego theme park in Southeast Asia. Iskandar Puteri is essentially suburban Johor Bahru, and the de facto administrative center of the state of Johor, housing the office of the Chief Minister and the legislative council. It is a planned city envisioned by the 24th Sultan of Johor, Sultan Iskandar, and continued by his son, current Sultan Ibrahim Ismail. The city is administered under the Iskandar Puteri City Council. The central and southern part of the city is undergoing huge development where construction is happening around the places, with many administrative buildings, condominiums, shopping malls and leisure areas still being built. The developments planned for the city are rather impressive. Administratively, Iskandar Puteri is part of Johor Bahru District, the others are Johor Bahru City and Pasir Gudang Town, which are on the eastern side of Iskandar Puteri.
What to Experience in Iskandar Puteri
Taste of Iskandar Puteri...
Similar to other cities or towns in Malaysia with mix demographics, Iskandar Puteri houses various local traditional food of Malaysia, such as the Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisines. Due to the growing presence of foreigners in the city, it also houses various international dishes kind of restaurants. Popular night life district in the city is in Taman Sutera area, where you'll find night clubs, karaoke, cafes and restaurants. Complete with such amenities but slightly more quite is Bukit Indah and the adjacent Taman Nusa Bestari areas. A more happening place but restricted to shopping center operating hour is Puteri Harbour. Many of the local just enjoy midnight tea drinks and supper at Mamak restaurants, where they normally enjoy movie screening or live football matches. Iskander Puteri's accommodations are scattered around the district, and mostly lean towards soulless service apartments, although some budget options can also be found. The city houses several Internet cafes, although most of them are being used as gaming center. Most of the middle and upper restaurants in the city offer free WiFi to its patrons, while virtually almost accommodation places (all kinds of hotels) offer free Wi-Fi to their guests. The Johor State Government provides hundreds of free Wi-Fi hot spots around the state, including in Iskandar Puteri. Visit the nearby cities or towns from Iskandar Puteri
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Iskandar Puteri into what it is today.
The Port of Tanjung Pelepas was completed in 2000 as one of the pet projects of then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. Positioning itself as a much cheaper alternative to the long-dominant port of Singapore, it was hugely successful in its early years, attracting the world's two largest shipping lines, Maersk and Evergreen, to move their operations from Singapore. Today, it remains the second busiest port in Malaysia (after Port Klang), and serves as a complement to the port in Pasir Gudang in serving the Johor Bahru metropolitan area. Plans have been mooted to demolish the Causeway to allow ships to sail directly from Tanjung Pelepas to Pasir Gudang, though little to no progress has been made in bringing the plan to fruition. Iskandar Puteri was established as a town with the name Nusajaya. In January 2016, it was renamed "Iskandar Puteri" by Sultan Ibrahim of Johor after his late father Sultan Iskandar. In November 2017, it was upgraded to a city. The city's development remains patchy: while parts are busy and lively, the skyscraper-heavy areas of Puteri Harbour and particularly Forest City have largely failed to attract wealthy foreign investors, resulting in half-built developments rotting in the jungle. Malay language is the official language of Johor. However, English is widely used as the second language by basically everyone in day-to-day trading and business activities, except in the very rural village areas....
Festivals & Events
Experience the vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations of Iskandar Puteri.
The city is home to various government and private universities. It is home to Malaysia's best technical and engineering university, the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. It is also home to many branches of overseas universities, such as University of Reading Malaysia, Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia, Raffles University Iskandar, University of Southampton, Netherlands Maritime Institute Of Technology, Multimedia University etc. Do checkout at their official websites for any short lectures or courses which are opened to public. Shopping centers and supermarkets are mostly concentrated in the northern part, and some in the central part, of the city. Most of the suburbs and neighborhood has a shopping mall or supermarket. These places tend to be really crowded during the weekends because of tourists inrush.
Climate
Iskandar Puteri has an equatorial climate that's humid and hot all year round. The northeast monsoon from November to January can bring prolonged heavy rains and slightly cooler temperatures. The city does not have its own airport. The nearest airport is the Senai International Airport (JHB) serving Johor Bahru with destinations to cities in Malaysia and countries within Southeast and East Asia. It has many connecting flights to Malaysia's main airport Kuala Lumpur International Airport which serves long haul international flights globally. To reach Iskandar Puteri, take public bus (A1, 207, 333) from the airport to Larkin Sentral Terminal in Johor Bahru and change bus towards Gelang Patah (666, LM1) or towards Puteri Harbour International Ferry Terminal (IP) in Iskandar Puteri. Due to the limited long-haul connections of Senai airport, many locals choose to fly from Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) across the border in Singapore instead.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThe city does not have its own airport. The nearest airport is the Senai International Airport (JHB) serving Johor Bahru with destinations to cities in Malaysia and countries within Southeast and East Asia. It has many connecting flights to Malaysia's main airport Kuala Lumpur International Airport which serves long haul international flights globally. To reach Iskandar Puteri, take public bus (A1, 207, 333) from the airport to Larkin Sentral Terminal in Johor Bahru and change bus towards Gelang Patah (666, LM1) or towards Puteri Harbour International Ferry Terminal (IP) in Iskandar Puteri. Due to the limited long-haul connections of Senai airport, many locals choose to fly from Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) across the border in Singapore instead. The downside is that you will have to pass through customs and immigration twice, and there are no direct public transportation connections between Changi Airport and Iskandar Puteri....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Public transport in Iskandar Puteri is limited, with limited frequencies (hourly or less is common) and most services beelining for central Johor Bahru. Iskandar Puteri is served by several bus companies, such as Causeway Link and Muafakat Bus (free of charge for Malaysians). The Grab rideshare app operates in Iskandar Puteri, although it may take a while to hail a ride. Taxis can mostly be found in major tourist destinations, shopping centers or shopping malls. Make sure to always insist the driver to use meter. Driving is probably the most convenient way to explore Iskandar Puteri. Roads in the city are wide and well-paved with plenty of available parking lots during the weekdays. Malaysians drive on the left. The speed limit on the paid highway is 110 km/h and on the expressway is either 90 km/h or 70 km/h.
Where to Stay
Iskander Puteri's accommodations are scattered around the district, and mostly lean towards soulless service apartments, although some budget options can also be found. The city houses several Internet cafes, although most of them are being used as gaming center. Most of the middle and upper restaurants in the city offer free WiFi to its patrons, while virtually almost accommodation places (all kinds of hotels) offer free Wi-Fi to their guests. The Johor State Government provides hundreds of free Wi-Fi hot spots around the state, including in Iskandar Puteri. Visit the nearby cities or towns from Iskandar Puteri
Money & Budget
Shopping centers and supermarkets are mostly concentrated in the northern part, and some in the central part, of the city. Most of the suburbs and neighborhood has a shopping mall or supermarket. These places tend to be really crowded during the weekends because of tourists inrush. Nevertheless, some of the shopping centers tend to be less patronized by visitors due to their outdated presence and appearance, and also because of the growing competition with other retail business. Similar to other cities or towns in Malaysia with mix demographics, Iskandar Puteri houses various local traditional food of Malaysia, such as the Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisines. Due to the growing presence of foreigners in the city, it also houses various international dishes kind of restaurants.
Language & Talk
Malay language is the official language of Johor. However, English is widely used as the second language by basically everyone in day-to-day trading and business activities, except in the very rural village areas. Most of the public places areas are written bilingually in Malay and English, with other places with additional Chinese or Tamil languages. The influx of expatriates and foreign workers from South and Southeast Asia has added to the mix of the languages used in the city, and also increased the importance of English language as the lingua franca. Iskandar Puteri has an equatorial climate that's humid and hot all year round. The northeast monsoon from November to January can bring prolonged heavy rains and slightly cooler temperatures. The city does not have its own airport.
Safety Information
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Iskandar Puteri
Toddler full of thought, watching cartoon
girl looking at phone in a cafe
Abandoned bus stop
JDT FC official bus, J8448
A smiling child poses next to a mural.
A crown-topped archway with "daulat tuanku" inscription.
People enjoying a ride on a red pontoon boat.
Cityscape with skyscrapers on a cloudy day.
Mom & Toddler at BookXcess Bookstore
Two vintage volkswagen beetles parked near yachts.
Toddler full of thought, watching cartoon
girl looking at phone in a cafe
Abandoned bus stop