Kota Tinggi is situated at the estuary of Sungai Johor and is approximately 40 kilometre from Johor Bahru, the state capital. Kota Tinggi district is located to the south of Peninsular Malaysia and is the biggest district in the Johor with an area of 3,500 square miles.

The name Kota Tinggi has its own history. It was given by Sultan Mahmud because of the high ground it was built on when compared to the river level.

This district is famous for its tourist destinations not only for the state of Johor and Malaysia, but also well known in the neighbouring countries such as Singapore and Indonesia.

Here are 6 places in Kota Tinggi we visited while in Kota Tinggi and we stayed at The Lotus Desaru Beach Resort, thanks to Tourism Johor and Gaya Travel….

Desaru Fruit Farm

Desaru Fruit Farm in Kota Tinggi is an award-winning tropical fruit farm in Johor that occupies about 100 acres(45.5 hectares) of land planted with over 120 species of tropical fruits which includes both seasonal and non-seasonal fruits.

Desaru Fruit Farm offers bonding activities for students, family and company outings…

Upon arrival to the farm, we boarded the truck which brought us into the orchard. The truck dropped us off at the Dragon Fruit section where we learned some facts about Dragon Fruit… Then we continued across the lane to a shady path, thanks to all the passion fruit plants which had grown on the trellises over us, which provided a pleasant shade, not that it was necessary as it was evening and it was drizzling…

There are many instaworthy or many great spots of photo opportunities…

Once our little tour was over, we took the truck back to where we started from…

There we were mesmerised and tempted with smorgasbord of fresh fruits, all fresh produce from the farm itself…

Website – https://dff.world/
Address – Desaru Fruit Farm, Sungai Cemaran, Desaru Kota Tinggi

Linting Wetlands

To get to the Linting Wetlands, you have to take a boat from the Belungkur Ferry Terminal

Linting Wetlands is a river ecosystem dominated by tidal mangrove forests, situated in Kota Tinggi…

Located at the middle of the mangrove river ecosystem, lies the Belungkor Forest Reserve, which is surrounded by several fishing villages.

About 80% of the locals living here are fishermen who depend on the mangrove ecosystem for their daily livelihood..

You can find horseshoe crabs (belungkas), mangrove clams (lokan) and Sea cucumber (gamat)

The mangrove also produces plenty of herbs which can be beneficial to humans…

To get there, you can hire a boat for RM500 for up maximum of 8 pax… This will include a welcome drink… And maybe add on a guide.. Our guide Blerong was very insightful and entertaining and told us facts and myths of the surrounding areas…

Dont forget to check out a unique mangrove treehouse and “playground” which was built without nails at the small mangrove area of Kampung Tanjung Linting…

Website – https://instagram.com/belungkor_adventure
https://instagram.com/bleronganakusop
Address – Kampung Linting Kota Tinggi

Kota Tinggi Museum

The Kota Tinggi Museum traces the history of the Johor Sultanate, which started soon after the Malaccan empire fell to the Portuguese in 1511.

Kota Tinggi was chosen as a site for the museum because of its historical significance as the seat of the old Johor Sultanate…

A little walk through the two-storey building will bring you past interesting rare exhibits from the 19th century to the present, including century- old porcelains, huge canvas paintings, ancient musical instruments and  weapons such as keris and spears…

Website – http://www.ywj.gov.my/muzium-kota-tinggi/
Address – Kampung Makam, 81900 Kota Tinggi, Johor

Tanjung Buluh Beach
Tanjung Buluh Beach was recently given a facelift and is now pretty “happening” for beachgoers, as well as, professional surfers and aspiring surfers…

The beach is beautiful – fine white sand with pebbles in certain areas, and huge rocks giving shape and character to the beach.

And the waves rushing ashore in rapid succession made this beach a great place to practise surfing…

Surfing can be a lot of fun but it is also pretty challenging as beginners can find it hard to balance and fight the waves as they paddle out to sea… It requires stamina and a desire to improve to become a good surfer…

There is a little surf school dedicated to teaching and grooming a little group of kids from a nearby school  surfing every fortnightly and you’ll be impressed how talented these kids are!!!

Address – Pantai Tanjung Buluh , Kampung, 81910, Johor

Kota Tinggi Street Art
The Kota Tinggi Street Art is a great place to visit to kill some time if you’re in the area…

A leisurely stroll along the back alleys of the Kota Tinggi Street Art area might make you hungry or peckish as the murals depict food and hawkers as well as the history and culture of Kota Tinggi including a mural dedicated to Amalina Bakri..

The back alleys were clean and you can walk thorough them comfortably… And take as many photos as you like

Address – 21, Bawah Jalan Tambatan, Pusat Perdagangan Kota Tinggi, 81900 Kota Tinggi

Desaru Coast

Desaru Coast is a premium integrated destination resort with a unique blend of international renowned resorts and villas, a riverside dining haven, a conference centre championship golf courses and a fun-filled adventure waterpark.

This premium integrated destination lets you be your ideal self and  provides you with the perfect escape for the discerning traveler, be it leisure, a golf getaway or simply for those in need of an adventure and it comes with a whooping 17km of unspoiled beachfront….

Bring your friends and family to the Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast for a splashing good time… Set against the backdrop of Kampung-themed surroundings, the waterpark consists of a unique mix of wet and dry rides offering something for everyone…

Or just rest and unwind in one of Desaru Coast many gorgeous world class brand hotels… The Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast is all-inclusive resort you’ve been looking for.

Heart-pounding, soul-touching, and passionately unpredictable, Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast is a music-infused, memorabilia-bedecked experience…. Guests there cab amplify the good vibes with poolside Mexican cuisine and an underwater sound system or even fuel some late-night benders in your luxury suite with handpicked records, personal playlists, and Fender® rentals….

Have not had a chance to truly experience it but soon… I hope..

Website – https://desarucoast.com/
https://www.hardrockhotels.com/desaru-coast/

Where we stayed –
Lotus Desaru Beach Resort
The Lotus Desaru Beach Resort & Spa is “The resort for all reasons” surrounded with water, this internationally known beach is the most popular beach along the east-coast in the district of Kota Tinggi, has a stretch of about 26 km of pristine, sandy beach and fringed with palm trees.

The Lotus Desaru is huge and pracrically has everything you need in a resort including spa, shops, beach, water sports, swimming pool and even a water park! It’s so big that you’ll probably need to get from point A to point B via a tram…

The hotel and residence blocks looks like a fairy tale castle from some children’s story book…

For this visit, we stayed at one of their 2 rooms suite… The apartment or suite came with a small kitchen and dining table, and sofa… And can sleep up to 4 pax..

There is a king sized bed in the master bedroom and a tub in the bathroom  and  twin beds in the other room with a shared toilet (the other door opens to the hallway….

The Lotus Desaru offers 4 different room categories.. All pretty impressive and to suit your needs from a single bedroom suite up to the penthouse

There is an little avian sanctuary with plenty of peacocks, parrots, geese, ducks and many other avian creatures.

The Lotus Desaru is a great location for any holiday, incentive groups, small meetings, weddings, fun gathering and even family reunions.

The Lotus Desaru also houses Water Theme Park too which features a lazy river, 3 pools and a kids’ club, as well as a spa and a range of land and sea-based activities and games..  You won’t have time to get bored…

Website – http://www.lotusdesaru.com
Address – Lot 1854, Jalan Desaru, Bandar Penawar, 81930 Kota Tinggi, Johor