Tired Of JB? Try These Family-Friendly Things To Do In Kulai Just 1 Hour Away
ATV rides, a durian farm and traditional villages with vibrant Instagrammable murals
By Lyla Lee -Â
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Want to head over to Johor Bahru, Malaysia over the weekends, but the thought of squeezing with half of Singapore in KSL stresses you out more than Monday meetings?Â
Kulai might be your new favourite escape.
If you haven’t heard of Kulai, it’s essentially a quaint Johor town about an hour’s drive from Singapore, with plenty of Instagrammable spots, cosy cafes and surprisingly fun family-friendly activities. It’s just far enough that most Singaporeans don’t bother, but near enough to make a unique day trip out of it.
Location-wise, it’s pretty near Johor Premium Outlets (JPO) and Senai Airport.Â
Think of it as “JB, but make it kampong”: cheaper eats, fewer crowds, and a strong Hakka Chinese community famous for dishes like lei cha (thunder tea rice).
How to get to and around Kulai, Johor
The best way: By car
If you have access to a car, this is hands down the most fuss-free way.
Head in via Tuas Second Link, then continue on the North–South Expressway (PLUS) towards Kulai; the drive usually takes about 1 to 1.5 hours depending on traffic, with a few tolls along the way.
With a car, you can hop easily between out-of-the-way spots like Zhong Cheng Durian Farm, Starfish Leisure Farm, Putuo Village and Hua Guo Shan Temple (more on these later).
For the truly determined: without a car
You can also get to Kulai and make your way around without a car… We mean, it’s doable, but in our opinion, not worth the trouble.Â
Via public transport
- Cross into JB first or KTM Shuttle Tebrau
- Continue to Kulai on KTM intercity trains or buses from JB Sentral
- Then take local taxis or ride-hailing to your actual destination.
Best Family-Friendly Activities In Kulai, Johor, Malaysia
If your usual Johor routine is indoor playgrounds and pasar malams on repeat, Kulai is your plot twist. Here, the kids can see farms, temples, monkeys and wall art instead of just escalators and claw machines.
Zhong Zheng Durian Farm
Come durian season, Zhong Cheng Durian Farm turns into a rustic paradise for durian lovers.
Expect rows of trees, fresh fruit and a proper kampong atmosphere — great for kids who love the king of fruit and for them to discover where durians actually come from.
You can snack on different varieties, learn a bit about how they’re grown, and snap all the “I-picked-my-own-durian” photos for social media.
Where: Jalan Merpati, 81030 Kulai, Johor Darul Ta’zim, Malaysia
Starfish Leisure Farm - ATV, animals and kampung fun
Starfish Leisure Farm is perfect for families with active kids and teens who need more than just another mall playground.
The highlight: ATV rides along dirt roads outside the farm, with guided routes lasting around 30 to 45 minutes. Single-rider and two-person ATVs are available, with kid-friendly passenger options, making it easy for parents to ride with younger children.
On top of that, there are small animals like rabbits, ducks and fish to feed, and simple traditional games scattered around the grounds — the kind of low-tech fun city kids rarely get.
Address: 81000 Kulai, Johor, Malaysia
Putuo Village – Cafe, culture & IG photo ops
Putuo Village is Kulai’s big “wow, didn’t expect this here” moment — a 43‑acre Buddhist cultural village tucked beside the Gunung Pulai forest reserve, with temples, bamboo groves and plenty of photogenic corners.
The main draw for most visitors is Purple Bamboo Valley, Malaysia’s largest bamboo forest, where you wander through tall bamboo, bamboo swings, hanging chairs and stilt houses that look like a backdrop from a period drama.
Beyond the bamboo, Putuo Village has temple spaces such as the Bodhi Sanctuary, prayer wheel corridors, wishing trees with ribbons, and other Buddhist‑inspired features that make it feel more like a spiritual park than a typical tourist attraction.
When you’re done exploring, you can recharge at Fat Bamboo Cafe, a cosy vegetarian cafe within the village that serves drinks, cakes and light bites in a calm, minimalist setting – reviewers mention bamboo ice cream served in bamboo cups and charcoal‑fired bamboo rice as standout items.
That being said, there’s a small entrance fee to access the village: RM10 (S$3.17) per adult, with lower rates of RM5 (S$1.58) for seniors and kids below 12. It’s a reasonable price for how well‑maintained the grounds are and how many photo spots you get in return.
Kelapa Sawit Wall Art – Hakka murals for your feed
Kelapa Sawit is a traditional Hakka village just outside Kulai that’s had a major glow‑up thanks to its Wall Art Street, also known as “Let’s Art at Sawit”.
Back lanes between Jalan Kelapa Sawit 2 and 3 are lined with colourful murals — think Totoro, Spiderman, durian swings, old‑school satay stalls, koi painted on the ground, butterflies and slogans in Chinese and Hakka — turning a simple stroll into a full photo walk.
The street art started around 2014 as a local project to revive the village and celebrate its Hakka heritage, palm‑oil history and everyday life, and new pieces still pop up over time.
On your walk, look out for Hakka coffee shops that serve lei cha (thunder tea rice), yong tau foo and choy pan (vegetable dumplings) — places like Hakka Sawit and other village eateries are popular with locals for homestyle Hakka flavours at very wallet‑friendly prices.
Address: Kampung Sri Paya, 81000 Kulai, Johor, Malaysia
Hua Guo Shan Temple – Monkeys all around!
Hua Guo Shan Temple is one of Kulai’s quirkiest family stops — partly for the temple grounds, mostly for the wild monkeys.
The monkeys don’t hang around all day; they usually start appearing closer to late morning, so aim to reach around 10.45am onwards if you want to see them in action.Â
Entry to the temple is free, and according to Google reviews, it’s easy enough to get here by Grab if you’re not driving.Â
Right outside the temple, look for the small stall selling herbal jelly. It’s a homemade dessert at around RM5 (S$1.59) per cup, and the uncle running the stall is known to be friendly and very chatty, exactly the kind of old-school interaction that gives the place extra charm.
Just remind kids (and overexcited adults) to keep a respectful distance from the monkeys, hold onto their snacks and bags, and treat this more like a nature encounter than a petting zoo.
Address: Jalan Sedenak, Kampung Baru Sedenak, 81000 Kulai, Johor Darul Ta’zim, Malaysia
Where to shop (and hide in air-con) in Kulai, JB
Even in kampong Kulai, you’re never too far from a mall.
IOI Mall Kulai — Kids’ cinema with playground + cheap loots
IOI Mall Kulai is a fun mall for the kiddos. For families, it ticks a lot of boxes:
GSC with Play+ hall: Kid-friendly cinema with a playground and ball pit just outside the theatre. It’s free to use if you’ve got a movie ticket, and kids get around 30 minutes before and after the movie to go wild.
Mr.Toy: Toys at wallet-friendly prices, perfect for small bribes or “okay, last toy” negotiations.
Molly Fantasy: Arcade with claw machines and simple games. Great for quick and cheap entertainment.
For parents (and anyone who loves cheap household finds), IOI also delivers on the value front:
Ninso: Most items cost RM2.60 (S$0.82), from home goods and stationery to snacks and random cute things you didn’t know you needed.
Mr.DIY, Guardian, Watsons, Valu$: All the usual suspects for hardware bits, beauty, health and everyday essentials without Singapore price tags.
Address: LG-01, Lower Ground Floor, Lebuh Putra Utama, Bandar Putra Kulai, 81000 Kulai, Johor, Malaysia
Aeon Mall Kulai Jaya — Bigger mall with more stuffÂ
Aeon Mall Kulai Jaya is your “serious errand” mall: big Aeon supermarket, department store, and all the usual chain dining and retail that make it perfect for a final stock-up before heading home.
It’s great for grabbing diapers, snacks, or last-minute essentials before heading back to Singapore — plus some final food and shopping to round off the trip.
Our favourite stores at this mall include Hockhua Tonic and Eco Shop (another RM2.60 shop), along with the usual mall suspects such as Daiso, Auntie Anne’s, Boost, Famous Amos, Guardian and more. Check out the full mall directory here.Â
Kulai’s malls offer a more local vibe, but you still get plenty of retail therapy, just with fewer Singapore plates in the car park.
Address: PTD 106273, Persiaran Indahpura Utama, Bandar Indahpura, 81000 Kulai Jaya, Johor
So… Is Kulai worth the trip?
If you’re tired of bumping into your neighbours at every JB mall, Kulai is a refreshing change.
Yes, it’s slightly further, and yes, you’ll pay a bit more in tolls — but in return, you get cheaper food, quieter malls, farm adventures, temples with monkeys, wall art and a glimpse of kampong life that’s hard to find in Singapore.
And best of all, you can actually breathe without worrying you’ll bump into your boss at the next Chagee queue.