Scoops of nature

THOMAS E. KING explores a nature-blessed and historic state at the southern extremity of Peninsular Malaysia.

ANY Indian visitor who has ever driven between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur or taken the comfortable train has passed through Johor Bahru, the royal capital of the Malaysian state of Johor. Relatively few foreign visitors, though actually stop to explore the historic city and nature-blessed state at the southern extremity of Peninsular Malaysia.

The Johor Government is making a concerted effort to encourage foreign visitors to linger in the capital and the countryside with an enthusiastic campaign to promote the third largest state in Peninsular Malaysia as an alluring destination with multifaceted quality attractions.

Washed by the warm waters of the South China Sea on three sides and bestowed with vast tracts of little explored untamed beauty, Johor has much to offer the visitor. Its tourism profile, however, is not very high and this is the issue that is being addressed.

The idea is to develop and publicise the state's portfolio of diverse tourism products. Upgraded service standards, improved accessibility and a better trained work force are a trio of core issues currently being tackled by a task force on tourism.

It is a big job that cannot be completed in a year or even two but the state's transformation, I discovered during a round around Johor Bahru and then the prime resort area of Desaru has well and truly commenced.

The skyline of J.B. as it is usually called, is ever changing. If you have not visited the dynamic city for some time there are more than a few surprises in store as shopping centres, office blocks and luxury hotels have proliferated throughout much of the city. More are on the way but many of the drawcards that you may remember from previous visits are still to be found in the heart of the royal capital.

Probably no building is more symbolic of this thriving city of 9,00,000 residents than the nearly 100-year-old Masjid Sultan Abu Bakar, one of the most beautiful mosques in Malaysia. Twin black cupolas crown multi storey towers of cream and white "lace". If you have not entered the spacious building to admire the sparkling chandeliers then you have definitely missed one of the hidden treasures of J.B.

Nearby, a chest of more treasures is contained in another beautiful building, the stately Istana Besar, the Sultan Abu Bakar Museum of the Grand Palace. The history and heritage of not only Johor, but, indeed, Malaysia and the Malay Peninsula is contained within the museum's well kept walls.

The grand gardens spread over 133 acres are one of my favourite places to relax in J. B.. Whenever I go there, there is always one happy thought at the back of my mind: someone else has to mow the grass.

Built in 1866 during the days of British colonial rule, the imposing palace is one of J.B.'s older "residents".

One of the latest additions to the city, on the other hand, is the Eden Garden Hotel. Do not make the mistake of thinking that this is just another high rise hotel in a city that is already well catered for because the soon-to-open Eden Garden is unique in several respects.

Most notable is that the 400 room deluxe international standard 16-storey hotel is located within the Johor Bahru Duty Free Zone. This, a world's first tourism initiative, means that you will be able to eat, sleep and dine at duty free prices, said Ms. Sharleen Chai, a spokesperson for the Eden Garden.

Located just a five minute drive east of the central business district and the kilometre long J.B./Singapore Causeway, the "Zone" as it is called, houses the Eden Garden Hotel as well as a 27,000 sq.ft. Convention and Exhibition Centre, a 13,000 sq.ft. column-free ballroom and a 3,50,000 sq.ft. duty free shopping centre - one of the largest in Southeast Asia - with 178 individual retail outlets located directly below the hotel. There is also the Eden Floating Palace, the only floating restaurant of its kind in the region and a 24,000 sq.ft. Roman spa which is also unique.

The excitement of new development in the city continues on the west side of the causeway where an even bigger project is beginning to take shape.

Being built in stages of a 12-15 year period, Waterfront City is a RM 6 billion mega project involving commercial, recreation and residential components plus a convention centre.

The first phase, "LOT 1", is set to open in the middle of 1999 with an innovative above-the-sea shopping centre. An entire shopping precinct is currently being built that will be above and as well as overlook the sea. It is certainly a development I will want to see when it is completed.

For a different water perspective I went to Desaru, a 4,000 acre resort that is being carefully crafted from the luscious countryside by the Johor Tenggara Development Authority. With driving time cut to around an hour, thanks to the new highway that was opened in mid-1997, Desaru is now a real option for daytrip visits for those living in J.B., 95 km away and other places in the southern part of the peninsula.

But why hurry I thought to myself, as I floated in the massive free form swimming pool of the Golden Beach Resort.

This hotel, the original in the overall resort complex, has been upgraded to more than adequately complete with the handful of other beach front properties that have been built over the past few years.

Apart from the spaciousness of Desaru which means "Village of Casuarinas", another appeal of the resort is the opportunity to go jungle walking and photograph beautiful waterfalls and lakes in the half of the complex that is reserved for natural parklands and yet come back to comfortable hotel surrounds in the evening.

Of course, Desaru's expanding sports portfolio cannot be ignored. If your passion is fishing, windsurfing or snorkelling or tennis, canoeing or boating then you can indulge to your heart's content. While I admit that some of these pursuits do have a certain interest, there is only one activity which really gets my hole-in-one rates, chasing a little white ball around the Desaru Golf and Country Club. Opened some 15 years ago after Robert Trent Jones Jr skilfully wielded his design "wand" over a secluded plot of verdant and undulating tropical forest, the emphasis at this country club is on nature.

There is a lot to like at this part 7,26,043 metre long layout. At the top of my list is the setting. The front nine holes all play to the ocean or have ocean views while the back nine are all cradled by the lush jungle. It was near the difficult jungle- influenced 13th hole not too long ago that golfers had to alter play to accommodate a temporary "hazard". It seems that a python and a wild boar were battling it out for supremacy ... but that is another story.

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