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Have you heard of Kluang? No, not the one near to KL, Kluang is part of the state of Johor and it is named after the bat (kerluang). This small town is more than just its UK goat farm and Zenxin Organic farm. Read on to find out more!
1. If you don’t like cheap and good food.
Ok, sorry for the click-bait but Kluang is a just a fantastic slice of Johor that I have grown to love. The food is cheaper than most places in Johor Bahru and so sedap. You can get all kinds of amazing street food in local flavours or even wonderful dessert creations, western food and hipster cafes.
If it is your first time in Kluang, you may be put off by the rather rundown exterior but go a little deeper and you will discover quaint cafes, highly raved street food and foodie-level restaurants. Here are my recommendations:
- Central Chicken Rice (be careful, this gets sold out very quickly during lunch time)
- Star Restaurant (Chinese restaurant with the foodie reviews — prices are on the higher side but still cheap)
- Tangkak Beef Noodles (famous in all of Malaysia and even in Singapore)
- Barney’s (western style food that is also a little higher on the price side but so worth it)
- Fendy Burger (the ultimate messy Ramly burger, throw away your dignity and lean forward and just take a bite! Also, do ask for the double specials where they use special eggs with two egg yolks to make your burger. It is not luck, they always have a batch of eggs with TWO egg yolks in each of them for the special double burgers. How awesome is that?)
- Kluang Rail Coffee (oldest – and delicious – rail station coffee shop that sells traditional breakfast and smooth coffee, at very cheap prices too. However make sure you come early or the wait is up to 1 hour!)
There are so many more places that I can recommend but I can say everything I have tried so far here is well done no matter where I go.
2. If you love hot weather.
Kluang has lovely goldilocks weather most of the year due to the Lumbak mountain so it is not too hot or not too cold. It is breezy and you often get cool winds from the mountain into the valley where the city is. It is very comfortable to just walk around in the city and explore.
If you love nature, you can also hike up the mountain in the early morning and enjoy the cool fresh air. There is also a small waterpark for children to play for a small fee.
Kluang’s city center is nice, compact and very walkable. Walking is the best way to discover hidden gems. My favourite place to stay in Kluang is Hotel Anika and everything is a stone’s throw away from the hotel.
You can walk to the mall or even to the mural street that is packed with hipster cafes and quaint shops.
3. If you hate massages and foot reflexology.
After a hike in the mountain or walking around the city, you might want to take a break and massage your aching feet and body. I frequently come to Kluang to recharge as the massage and foot reflexology parlours here are cheap and soooo goooooood. I highly recommend Master Chai or Relax Reflexology because they have been consistently good each time I go there. There are always good massages all over Malaysia but finding a place that is consistently good and cheap is a struggle. I find that Kluang is the best when it comes to this service.
4. If you enjoy getting car sick.
Kluang is once again at a goldilocks location in my opinion, it is not too far and not too near to Singapore, just 2 hours drive away, right before your butt starts hurting and your bladder needs a toilet break.
We usually drive in and go straight to Kluang Rail Coffee for brekkie since it opens at 7am. Did I mention the food there is so cheap and good? A small packet of dry Mee Siam is RM2. Take that inflation!
5. If you like paying more for shopping.
Shopping here is not the first thing that comes to mind but there is shopping everywhere.
For example, Kluang Parade Mall is large enough for typical shopping and sells a large variety of things from optical, clothing, shoes, snacks, toy shops etc. It boasts a variety of well known brands like H&M, CottonOn, Uniqlo, Mixue and Mr DIY. There is also a large supermarket.
Walking around on the streets and you might also discover items that sell for relatively cheaper than Johor Bahru, like shoes or daily contact lenses.
Or if you want cheap, like really really CHEAP, just visit the very large Eco-Shop or Ninso at Kluang, the former being my favourite. How cheap? Everything. Is. Rm2.40. Everything. And if you are thinking: Meh, so what if it is RM2.40, I bet everything is lousy or useless or both, you would be so wrong.
When you enter, it is as if you are possessed by the ghost of a baby bird because you will be going “CHEAP CHEAP” non-stop. You can get so much from here, that this is one place that I choose to drive to and not walk to as the trunk of my car would be absolutely filled with: Stationary, snacks, accessories, planting stuffs like pots, home and kitchen ware like cutlery, plates, cups, containers and storage jars, DIY tools, gifts, toys, fragrances, BBQ and party stuffs, socks, slippers and so much more. I NEVER walk out of an Eco-Shop with just one full bag, it is always two or more.
If you are not new to this shopaholic attraction, yes, there are Eco-Shops everywhere in Malaysia, including several in JB but I like the one in Kluang because it has a nice parking area, and it is quite large and well-stocked.
Conclusion
Just come to Kluang, and let me know if you agree with me. This sleepy (despite having such good coffee), overlooked town is a real gem and you can easily spend 2-3 days here!
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