A different side of JB: 5 things to do after dark you might not have expected
As many Singaporeans head north and the light rail link to Johor Bahru nears completion, the city’s after-hours scene is also evolving. The programme On The Red Dot explores the nocturnal experiences across the Causeway.
Passengers on a cruise through the Johor Strait lighting sparklers to mark the night.
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JOHOR BAHRU: For many a Singaporean, crossing the Causeway remains a daytime affair for food, fuel and fun. Stay past sunset, however, and Johor Bahru begins to reveal an intriguing side.
Late-night massages and wallet-friendly supper spots are only part of the appeal. The city’s nightlife is diversifying, offering experiences that stretch beyond the usual, from go-karting past midnight to midnight tours of a historical jail.
Between January and July last year alone, Singaporeans made more than 11 million visits to Johor, out of 14 million foreign arrivals.
With the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link slated to begin operations by year end, an evening or overnight escape is set to become even more accessible.
OLI 968 deejay Ravi Guna heads north to see what goes down in JB after sunset, in On The Red Dot’s Walk on the WOW Side.
WATCH: Johor Bahru after dark — Midnight jail tours, night go-karting, fireworks shopping (22:49)
The series, which uncovers the unexpected in familiar localities, returns for its second season and this time focuses on spaces that take on a different character at night. Here are five nocturnal experiences across the Causeway:
1. RACE GO-KARTS AT UP TO 70KMH
Located in Iskandar Puteri, RUD Karting Medini is an outdoor go-kart circuit that stays open until 2am, drawing late-night thrill-seekers to the west of JB’s city centre.
This flagship circuit of the RUD Karting brand, which currently operates six tracks across Malaysia, offers a range of karts for different skill levels.
Entry-level karts, which do not require a driving licence, top out at about 50kmh, which is the speed limit on go-karting tracks in Singapore. Licensed drivers, however, can opt for higher-performance models capable of reaching speeds of up to 70kmh.
According to instructors on the ground, Singaporeans make up the bulk of the crowd, particularly during the holiday season, when they may account for as much as 75 to 90 per cent of racers.
“The vibe here is different (from Singapore’s go-karting circuits),” says instructor Olivier Maresch, pointing to the 774m track layout — with 16 corners — and his company’s “newest kart fleets” as some of the biggest draws.
Situated about 24km from the city centre, the track is also a distance not near residential areas, which means the sound of engines revving late into the night rarely draws complaints.
2. GO TO JAIL … FOR A TOUR
A 30-minute drive from the roar of engines at RUD Karting Medini leads to a quieter and, perhaps, just a little unsettling after-dark thrill.
Near JB Sentral, Kota Jail is a former prison that reopened last March as a public gallery and community space. Built in 1883, the 143-year-old structure has borne witness to multiple chapters of Malaysia’s history.
Originally designed to house 200 inmates, it was expanded and eventually held as many as 2,000 before being decommissioned in 2005 because of overcrowding.
After years of abandonment, restoration works began in 2024 following collaboration between the site’s operators and the city’s prisons department. Today, Kota Jail hosts art installations, exhibitions and pop-up events and is open to the public until 10pm.
Visitors can explore its original prison cells, complete with carvings and drawings left behind by inmates, while learning about the building’s past.
According to creative director Fadzir Shohimi, the space is intended to nurture creativity, with invited artists contributing paintings and installations throughout the year.
CNA was given a first look at a midnight tour currently in the works. One area known as “rumah sakit”, which was once a prisoner-of-war holding area during the Japanese occupation and later a hospital ward for inmates, is slated to be transformed into a contemporary art gallery.
When asked if the jail was haunted, operations director Zul Abbas neither confirmed nor denied it, suggesting instead that visitors “feel the vibes and ambience” themselves.
3. LET OFF FIREWORKS
Fireworks are a fond sight in Singapore, often admired from a safe distance during festive occasions. In JB, however, they can be a much more hands-on experience.
CNA visited Hunter Boom, where all the pyrotechnics being sold are legal, says its director, Wayne Lee. Between 36 and 45 types of fireworks are available under Malaysian regulations, depending on the licensee.
The store’s customers select their fireworks after viewing demonstration videos, before heading to an open area to let them off.
The safety procedures include a minimum distance of 5m to 10m for smaller, fountain-type fireworks, while aerial displays call for 30m to 50m of clearance, Lee added. There must also not be overhead cables, vehicles or flammable materials nearby.
One of the store’s latest promotions is a remote-controlled ignition system, which allows fireworks to be triggered from a safer distance. With a push of a button, a sequence of timed bursts can illuminate the night sky.
“I’ve never seen fireworks (from) up close (as that), except for probably NDP (National Day Parade),” Ravi says. “This one was personal. It felt like it was right there for me.”
4. GAZE AT THE MILKY WAY
A different kind of sparkle fills the night sky in Kampung Mawar, where light pollution drops sharply.
The village in the Mersing district has become one of Johor’s beloved stargazing spots, along one of the darkest stretches of the state’s coastline, far from the glow of urban centres. The contrast is striking, says stargazer Nurul Syahirah Nazarudin.
On the Bortle scale — which measures night sky brightness from one to nine — Singapore is at level nine, while Kampung Mawar is at 4.9, revealing constellations, shooting stars and, on clear nights, even the Milky Way.
Armed with telescopes, binoculars and astronomy apps, visitors can identify constellations like Orion and trace stars invisible from Singapore.
“Working (all day) … sometimes can take a toll on you,” Syahirah says. “When I stargaze, I feel I’m disconnecting myself from all of the stress.”
A primary school teacher with no formal science background, she adds that astronomy is not only for astronomers and other scientists, but is also something anyone can enjoy, in their own way.
5. CRUISE THROUGH THE JOHOR STRAIT
Most journeys between Singapore and JB are made across land; few travellers experience the border from the water, especially after dark.
But in recent years, cruises have emerged as a popular after-hours activity, with the cooler weather after 6pm. Instead of a private yacht, which can cost thousands of ringgit, visitors can opt for shared cruises run by operators like Promark.
For RM160 (US$40) per person, passengers can enjoy a two-hour cruise — meal and drinks included — through the Straits of Johor, tracing a route from Senibong Cove and along the state’s southern coastline, skirting the maritime boundary between Malaysia and Singapore.
As the boat glides across the water and the Causeway looms overhead, lit up against the night sky, coastguard vessels patrol at regular intervals.
“(People) are used to crossing the border between Singapore and JB. But then they’ve never seen this view (of) this border like this,” says Promark night cruise guide Wong Joe Ning. “So calming, so chill.”
Watch this episode of the Walk on the WOW Side series here. The programme, On The Red Dot, airs on Channel 5 every Friday at 9.30pm.
