How Johorean are you?

 How well do you know Johor? On facebook there is a quiz that asks several questions to prove how Johorean one is.

I am not a Johorean but have been based in Bandar Baru Uda in Johor Baru for almost five years. I took the quiz and found out I am 98 per cent Johorean.

So, how well do I actually know Johor?



The Johor State New Administrative Centre
 (above) is also known
the Jewel of Johor while Danga Bay
 (below) is JB’s premier waterfront city.



I know that it's known as the Southern Getaway of Malaysia, is known for its zapin and kuda kepang dances, and is blessed with beautiful beaches.

And its Jalan Wong Ah Fook is also famous.



But on a recent assignment to Endau-Rompin Johor National Park to cover and participate in Tourism Malaysia-Johor Office's Media-Tourist Agent Eco-Challenge, I realised that what I knew of Johor is just the tip of the iceberg.

It was my first trip to the park, also known as Peta, because of an Orang Asli settlement called Kampung Peta located along the route into the area.

Because there is no proper road into the park, I had to endure a bumpy ride in a four-wheel-drive as it made its way through the pothole-riddled muddy road.

Still, it was lots of fun and an unforgettable experience.

One of the brain-teasers posed by the organisers was to name the 10 tourism icons of Johor.

Mind you, as a journalist, I though it would easy and I zealously jotted down 11 of them.

My team was the third to cross the finishing line out of the 10 that took part.

However, later that night we found we were at eighth place.

This was because the challenge was not based on time, but rather on points given for answering questions correctly.

We finished our physical tasks at record time but fared badly when it came to the questions comprising 60 per cent of the total score.

Unfortunately, we only knew this when the winners were announced. All that rushing was to no avail!

It was an eye-opener. We arrived at the finishing line more than five hours earlier compared with the last team to finish. What a shock to learn that last team was the one who won the challenge!





Though they were slow at the physical tasks, they won because they had all the answers right.

Upon returning to Johor Baru, I surfed the Internet to learn more about the state that I was tested on. I was amazed at how much I didn't know!

So, just you know, the 10 tourism icons in Johor are:

The Sultan Ibrahim Building on Bukit Timbalan. It is perhaps the most distinctive structure symbolising Johor Baru.

Then there is the Sultan Abu Bakar Royal Museum at Istana Besar. It was commissioned in 1864 by the Father of Modern Johor, Sultan Abu Bakar.

Kota Iskandar, that was named after the late Sultan of Johor, Sultan Iskandar, comes next.

It was formerly known as the Johor State New Administrative Centre. Now it is fondly known as the Jewel of Johor and is the current administrative centre for the state government in Nusajaya.

Tanjung Piai National Park is home to many species of birds and mangrove flora and fauna, while Tanjung Kukup is the world's largest uninhabited mangrove island in the world.

Pulau Rawa is renowned for its beautiful beaches and offshore coral reefs, while Pulau Sibu is a an island of lush tropical rain forest.

Danga Bay or Teluk Danga is often referred to as the vision city of the south for being JB's premier waterfront city and the largest recreational park.

Endau Rompin National Park is one of the remaining large tracts of pristine lowland tropical rainforest.

Gunung Ledang or Mount Ophir is shrouded in mystical legends and folklore.

According to the legend of the Princess of Gunung Ledang, the Sultan of Malacca wanted the princess's hand in marriage and she, not wanting to marry him, demanded that the Sultan present her with seven jars of women's tears, seven trays of mosquitoes' hearts and seven bowls of the blood of the sultan's son.

After he was unable to meet these impossible requests, she fled to the mountain and continues to live in a hidden cave to this day.

Desaru boasts 25km of inviting beaches fringed by palms and casuarinas.

Kluang has the biggest dragon fruit orchard, organic vegetable farm, organic padi field, and pineapple and tea plantation.

To Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board Johor Office acting director Nizam Abdul Wahid, thank you, sir for making me more of a Johorean!