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Kulai: A Quaint Weekend Escape Right Next To Johor’s Premium Outlets

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  • 3 days ago
  • SilverStreak Editorial Team

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Kulai: A Quaint Weekend Escape Right Next To Johor’s Premium Outlets
Credit: Tourism Johor
The next time you’re heading up to the Johor Premium Outlets (JPO), you might want to consider stopping for a night or two at Kulai – a quaint, wonderful little town stuffed with heritage sites, Hakka eats, and hiking for the hale and hearty.
The kicker? It is accessible by train (from JB Sentral, 45 minutes), bus (to JPO, followed by a connecting taxi ride, about an hour) or car (a breezy 30-minute ride up the Skudai Highway) from Johor Bahru.
The town is just far enough from the crowds of Johor Bahru to feel quiet and honest. Don’t come here looking for matcha cafes and petting zoos – you can get your fill of that in trendier spots like JB’s Mount Austin and Taman Sentosa.
Instead, expect a slice of culture and tradition.
From decades-old joints selling Hakka classics like thunder tea rice and yong tau foo, to heritage-ridden old streets, there’s plenty of authentic Malaysia to enjoy at Kulai, whether you’re hunting for a lunch stopover after a shopping spree at JPO or looking at a weekend escape.
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How to get to Kulai
Barring any traffic jams, getting to Kulai shouldn’t take you more than an hour, even if you opt for public transport like buses and trains.
Here are your options to get to Kulai:
  • By car, taxi or Grab:
    the most straightforward option. If you’re driving from Singapore, both Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints are about the same distance away.
  • By bus:
    you can hop onto a bus straight to the Johor Premium Outlets via JPO2 (Woodlands Checkpoint, RM4.50, departs every three hours starting from 9am) or JPO3 (Tuas Checkpoint, RM6, departs every three hours starting from 10.30am).

    Both journeys last around 45 minutes, and cash or Visa are both accepted. After that, it’s just a short 5-minute Grab ride to the town of Kulai.
  • By train :
    there are no direct trains from Singapore to Kulai. However, you can get a 45-minute train from JB Sentral station four times a day.
Kulai’s top attractions
Kulai lies somewhere in that happy middle between Malaysian old town (read: sleepy) and hipster haven. There are decades-old food spots just a few minutes away from trendy mural streets and cafes – which means plenty of entertainment for everyone, whether you’re coming with kakis or the grandkids. Here are some of our top picks.

Man Ting Fang Restaurant: Authentic Hakka bites in a rustic setting

Kulai: A Quaint Weekend Escape Right Next To Johor’s Premium Outlets - Man Ting Fang Restaurant
Credit: Google image Zaito, 2024
Man Ting Fang is a no-frills kopitiam eatery known for its classic Hakka eats including lei cha (also known as thunder tea rice) with a side of freshly made yong tau foo and deep-fried, nam yu (fermented red beancurd) pork belly.
Don’t forget to leave some room for choy ban, the Hakka version of veggie-stuffed steamed dumplings we know more commonly as soon kueh. Fillings include shredded jicama and garlic chives mixed with bits of deep-fried tofu.

Man Ting Fang Restaurant
Location: Lot 8098, Jalan Kelapa Sawit 6, Kampung Sri Paya, 81000 Kulai, Johor Darul Ta'zim, Malaysia
Opening Hours: Wed – Mon, 7am – 2pm
Tel: +60 16-764 4264
Website: N/A

Gunung Pulai & the Blue Lake: Breezy two-hour hike with stunning lake views

Kulai: A Quaint Weekend Escape Right Next To Johor’s Premium Outlets - Gunung Pulai & the Blue Lake
Credit: Google image ding sea, 2025
At 654m tall, Gunung Pulai offers approachable, breezy hiking along a tarmac road with stunning views of the Blue Lake as a reward for your efforts.
If you’re wondering, the tourist spot gets its uncanny azure hue from a high concentration of heavy metals – so obviously, no dipping allowed. The only soaking you’ll find here is at a decently sized waterfall at the end of a separate short trail from the entrance of Gunung Pulai.
The trail closes in the late afternoon, so make sure to plan your hike accordingly – it takes about two hours, one way. Parking is available nearby for a small fee.

Gunung Pulai (carpark)
Location: Jalan TM Gn Pulai, 81000, Johor Darul Ta'zim, Malaysia
Opening Hours: Tues – Sun, 9am – 4pm
Tel: +60 11-2636 3958
Website: N/A

Putuo Village: A Buddhist sanctuary surrounded by bamboo

Kulai: A Quaint Weekend Escape Right Next To Johor’s Premium Outlets - Putuo Village
Credit: Facebook/Putuo Village 普陀村 @putuovillage
Putuo Village offers shades of Japan right here in Southeast Asia with a picturesque Buddhist temple nestled within 43 acres of towering bamboo.
Information cards around the sanctuary provide plenty of information for the culturally curious, though you can also ease back and enjoy the shady canopies and photo opportunities of the sprawling grounds.
There is a nominal fee of RM10 to enter the bamboo forest.

Putuo Village
Location: 1488, Jalan Kampung, Off, Jalan Kota Tinggi - Kluang, Felda Taib Andak, 81000 Kulai, Johor Darul Ta'zim, Malaysia
Opening Hours: Daily, 9am – 6pm
Tel: +60 7-213 3398
Website: https://putuovillage.com.my/

Also read:

Johor Premium Outlets: Shop ‘til you drop

Kulai: A Quaint Weekend Escape Right Next To Johor’s Premium Outlets - Johor Premium Outlets
Credit: Facebook/Johor Premium Outlets @JohorPremiumOutlets
With the Johor Premium Outlets just a short hop away, shopping fiends would be remiss to not at least spend a couple of hours browsing through its 150 outlet stores (find a full list of brands here).
In our experience, both the selection and the deals on rotation are decent, but nowhere near mind-bending.
Still, you can expect savings of about 10 to 20% compared to Singapore.

Johor Premium Outlets
Location: Jalan Premium Outlets, Bandar Indahpura, 81000 Kulai, Johor Darul Ta'zim, Malaysia
Opening Hours: Daily, 10am – 10pm
Tel: +60 7-661 8888
Website: https://www.premiumoutlets.com.my/johor-premium-outlets

Restoran Sze Wah Bak Kut Teh: 40 years serving up pork rib soup heated over charcoal

Kulai: A Quaint Weekend Escape Right Next To Johor’s Premium Outlets - Restoran Sze Wah Bak Kut Teh
Credit: Google image 古来世華肉骨茶 总店, 2021
Sze Wah is one of Johor’s most recognisable herbal bak kut teh brands. The 40-year-old icon has spawned numerous franchises (and copycats) around the area, but there is only one original location, and it still does things the old way.
This includes their use of charcoal as a means of turning pork ribs, intestines, and trotters into chopstick-tender, toothsome hunks of meat floating in a punchy herbal broth.
Come early – as in 10am early – if you want to secure a seat within an hour.

Restoran Sze Wah Bak Kuh Teh
Location: 2 & 3, Jalan Seruling 1, Taman Sri Kulai Baru 2, 81000 Kulai, Johor Darul Ta'zim, Malaysia
Opening Hours: Tues – Sun, 8:30am – 8pm
Tel: N/A
Website: N/A

Kelapa Sawit Mural Street: Artworks representing old-world Kulai

Kulai: A Quaint Weekend Escape Right Next To Johor’s Premium Outlets - Kelapa Sawit Mural Street
Credit: Google image Jigang Lee, 2024
If you’ve got the time (or patience) for one photo spot, make it Kelapa Sawit Mural Street and its ever-growing collection of, well, murals, dioramas, and more.
The artworks here are more than just fodder for Instagram junkies, as the local artist collective behind the initiative has taken pains to represent the culture and heritage of Kulai with every oeuvre.
Standout examples include a larger-than-life cauldron of thunder tea rice as well as a lifelike recreation of an old-school satay pushcart.
By the way, there are plenty of cafes and restaurants in the area to check out as well if your travel kakis are taking too long with the pictures.

Kelapa Sawit Wall Art
Location: Unnamed Road, Kampung Sri Paya, 81000 Kulai, Johor, Malaysia
Opening Hours: Always open
Tel: N/A
Website: N/A

Yong Juan Hin Coffeeshop: Nanyang coffee on the old street

Kulai: A Quaint Weekend Escape Right Next To Johor’s Premium Outlets - Yong Juan Hin Coffeeshop
Credit: Google image Li Fang, 2024
While there is no shortage of cuppas around Kulai’s old street, word is that Yong Juan Hin Coffeeshop does Nanyang coffee that can’t be beat.
Head here early for kaya toast and a bracing cup of sock-pulled coffee from 7am daily (except Mondays), or a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.

Yong Juan Hin Coffeeshop
Location: 5C, Lorong Ismail, Taman Kulai, 81000 Kulai, Johor, Malaysia
Opening Hours: Tues – Sun, 7am – 3pm
Tel: +60 7-663 8806
Website: https://www.facebook.com/yongjuanhincoffeeshop/

Looking for more JB jaunts? Check out our guide to Mid Valley Southkey Mall. Our guide to all the ways you can get to JB might also help you plan your trip.

Also read:

Sembawang: Where The Past Co-exists With The Present

Sembawang: Where The Past Co-exists With The Present

Sembawang’s distance from town is also its allure for those living in other parts of the island. The mix of old-world charm and architecture with wide open spaces is a step back to a quieter time as William Timmermann discovers.

November 23, 2023

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