Family-friendly activities in Johor Bahru

If you’ve already been to the Hello Kitty Café here, then a trip to the Sanrio Hello Kitty Town across the Causeway is a must on the weekend itinerary. It’s an entire town! With Hello Kitty! And her friends!

The main attraction is a tour of Hello Kitty’s home, and then there’s the Purrfect Stage, with performances by the feline and her squad – here’s looking at you, My Melody and Bad BadtzMaru fans. Also check out the Wishful Studio, where your kids can create Hello Kitty-themed souvenirs. If that’s too much pink in a day, there are always cafés in the theme park to refuel.

www.puteriharbour.com/play/sanrio-hello-kitty

Seventy rides, slides, shows and attractions all themed after our favourite plastic bricks are the stars of LEGOLAND Malaysia. Hop on LEGO NINJAGO: The Ride, a fully immersive 4D dark ride inspired by the LEGO line of the same name. On it, you’ll battle ferocious snakes, ghosts and skeleton armies before coming face-to-face with the Great Devourer himself.

www.legoland.com.my

Are your kids too young to have experienced the greatness of the now-defunct Fantasy Island? Then set them loose at the Austin Heights Water and Adventure Park – it’s as close as it gets to the good old days. If the kids are brave enough, send them down the Rainbow Hood, a tubed water slide that carries riders down its dark, twisty tunnel . Our favourite, though, has to be the Supersurf. This water slide has six highspeed lanes, allowing the entire family to race downhill with zero brakes. For a dryer experience, however, there’s always the Adventure Park, complete with zip lines and obstacle courses.

www.funtime.my

Aside from the usual shopping and eating attractions, Johor Bahru is also known for its natural offerings. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre is the Kota Tinggi Waterfall, popular among locals. Imagine the amenities at your typical water park – from water slides to a full-fledged resort nearby – but set within the embrace of Mother Nature.

www.wetworld.my/kota-tinggi

You’ve played the games and you’ve watched the 2016 animated film of the same name. The natural next step, then, is to bring your kids to the Angry Birds Activity Park. Located within the KOMTAR JBCC Shopping Centre, this indoor playground is the best way for your little ones to burn off excess energy. There are giant trampolines, child-friendly parkour tracks, an enormous foam pit and even a go kart track for the pint-sized petrolheads – and, yep, everything here looks just like the furious fowl.

www.angrybirdsactivitypark.my