Malaysia has no shortage of fantastic tourist spots from historical and natural sites to delicious restaurants. If you’re planning to travel up north to Kuala Lumpur from Johor Bahru or Singapore, there are plenty of exciting places to visit along the way. And best of all, you can have fun visiting numerous attractions without breaking the bank.
In fact, RM200 is more than enough for one person to enjoy a road trip from Johor to Kuala Lumpur. To keep it simple, this cost doesn’t include toll fares and fuel, though we estimate that to be around RM100. Don’t worry, there’ll be a breakdown of the toll and fuel costs below.
Now that’s out of the way, here are eight spots from Johor to KL you can visit for under RM200.
Start Your Day with Kacang Pool Haji in Larkin, Johor
1. Kacang Pool Haji
Before you hit the open road on your road trip to KL, have some breakfast at Kacang Pool Haji in Larkin, Johor Bahru. Hailed for serving one of the best Kacang Pools in Johor, this outlet is a must-visit. The signature dish here is, of course, Kacang Pool – a meat and bean gravy usually served with a thick, fluffy slice of toast. Other dishes to try here include a variety of Lontongs, Mee Rebus, and more. After breakfast, it’s time to head to Melaka via the North-South Expressway (NSE) or better known as the PLUS highway.
Spending budget at Kacang Pool Haji: RM20 for a typical meal.
Drop By Melaka for Sightseeing & Lunch
From Johor Bahru, enter the PLUS highway at the Skudai toll plaza and exit at the Ayer Keroh toll plaza. This part of the road trip will take approximately two and a half hours with a toll fare of RM20.34. There are plenty of places to visit in Melaka, and a lot of them are within walking distance of each other.
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Along the way, there are two R&R (rest and relaxation) stops which are the Machap and Pagoh R&Rs. Both these R&Rs are quite spacious with clean bathrooms, convenience shops, and plenty of restaurants.
2. Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum
This museum is a replica built to represent the palace of the Sultan of Melaka. The museum showcases over 1,000 items from the Melaka Sultanate including drawings, photographs, weapons, musical instruments, and more. Admission tickets to the museum cost only RM2 for adults and RM1 for children.
3. St. Paul’s Church
After the museum, you can visit St. Paul’s Church on top of St. Paul’s Hill. Entry is free so you can just walk up the hill right outside the Sultanate Museum and you’ll get there in a few minutes. If you’re interested, you can also visit other museums along the way: the Architecture Museum and Stamp Museum.
4. The Stadthuys
This iconic red building was built by the Dutch as a government administrative center and is now a history museum. This museum displays Melaka’s long history from the Malay Sultanate era all the way to its development in the present day. The red walls and white louver windows make for an excellent photo opportunity so don’t miss a visit here. The entry fee is RM5 for adults and RM2 for children.
5. Jonker Street
After visiting the historical attractions of Melaka, it’s time to have lunch at one of the many restaurants on Jonker Street. Just a short walk from the Stadthuys, Jonker Street offers delicacies such as chicken rice ball, Nyonya cuisine, gula Melaka cendol, and even kuihs. Depending on what you buy here, you can spend anywhere from RM20 for a simple meal up to RM100 if you decide to ‘tapao’ some snacks for friends and family.
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6. Klebang Coconut Shake
After lunch, take a short drive down to the famous Klebang Original Coconut Shake at Klebang Besar. Said to be the original coconut shake shop in Melaka, you’ll find long queues here, though the wait is worth it. Alternatively, you can head to Batu Berendam Coconut Shake which has two branches to satisfy your coconut shake cravings. You can expect to pay RM6 to RM11 for a drink at these outlets though you can get snacks such as nasi lemak as well.
Spending budget in Melaka: RM100 including entrance fees, food from Jonker Street, and Coconut Shake.
Feed the Ostriches in Seremban
The next stop on the road trip is Seremban. To get there, enter the PLUS highway at the Ayer Keroh junction and exit at Senawang the Senawang toll plaza, which will cost you RM6.97 in toll fares. If you need to refresh yourself on the way, you can stop at the Ayer Keroh R&R stop. While there are a lot of places to visit in Negeri Sembilan, we’ll keep it to two to save time.
7. Kedai Kerepek Paroi
After you’ve had your fill of Nyonya kuihs and Western desserts at Jonker Street, it’s time to make a pit stop in Seremban for some traditional Malay snacks. Kedai Kerepek Paroi sells all kinds of snacks including different types of kerepek, rempeyek, cheese tarts, and even frozen items like instant satay and rendang. Prices range from RM1.50 for a pack of belacan to over RM20 for something like a packet of rendang.
8. Jelita Ostrich Farm
If you’ve always wanted to feed ostriches, you can drop by the Jelita Ostrich Farm just a few minutes drive away from Kedai Kerepek Paroi. The entry price is RM8 per person and that also gets you a small packet of dry corn to feed the ostriches, goats, geese, and other animals. You can also buy ostrich eggs, avocados, and skin care products made of ostrich oil.
Spending budget in Seremban: RM80 for snacks, souvenirs, and Ostrich Farm entrance fee.
That puts your spending at RM200, and that’s if you buy a lot of snacks at Jonker Street and Seremban. Otherwise, you could spend even less than that.
Final Stop, Kuala Lumpur
With your snacks and souvenirs from Melaka and Seremban in hand, it’s time to continue the road trip from Johor to KL. Just enter the PLUS highway from the Seremban toll plaza and head straight to the Sungai Besi toll plaza. The toll fare for this stretch of the trip is RM5.25. If you’d like to rest, the Seremban R&R along this route has ample parking, a nearby petrol station, and various restaurants from mamak to fast food.
That concludes your affordable, fun journey from Johor to KL. A lot of the attractions along this route are free or have a minimal entry fee, so most of your spending would be on food, snacks, and souvenirs.
Besides the RM200 spent on the food and attractions, we estimate that you’ll need to spend RM32.56 on tolls and another RM70 on fuel, depending on your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Want to save on travel costs? Bring some friends along and split the bill. You’ll not only save money but have more fun too.
Visit the CARSOME Service Center for Your Car Issues
If you’d like to get your car checked or serviced after your road trip, why don’t you check out the CARSOME Service Center located at Ampang and Petaling Jaya. Our service centers have experienced, trained technicians who’ll take care of your car no matter your needs. And that all comes with affordable, transparent prices so you don’t need to worry about paying more than you should.
Get Quality Pre-Owned Cars with CARSOME Certified
No matter where you are in Peninsular Malaysia, you can find an affordable, quality used car at CARSOME. We put each CARSOME Certified car through a strict 175-point inspection and professionally refurbish it to ensure top-notch safety, comfort, and aesthetics.
You can drop by our centers in Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, and Johor. For more convenience in shopping for your next car, simply browse our website or download our app.
