Exploring Malaysia 
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If you love the beach for whatever activity, Johor has a wonderful string of beaches and islands to choose from. Surrounded by water on 3 sides Johor is blessed with a beautiful coastline and these mainland beaches are easily accessible either by bus or taxi. Most of these beaches are well equipped with facilities such as car parks, restaurants, rest areas, benches, restrooms and accommodation. Equipment for boating, kayaking, jet skiing and wind surfing is also available for rent at selected beaches.
Desaru Beach
Desaru Beach, dubbed as the ‘Last Unspoiled Corner of Southeast Asia’ lies in the east coast of the Kota Tinggi district. Desaru which literally means ‘Village of Casuarinas’, offers a 26km stretch of pristine sandy beach fringed by casuarina trees and is ideal for a wide variety of activities. The stretch of beach, developed as a tourist resort by the Johor Tenggara Development Authority (Kejora), is linked to Kota Tinggi by a modern highway and has an international standard golf course and other facilities for sports such as tennis and canoeing. During weekends hawker stalls cater for an influx of day-trippers. Other nearby attractions include historical relics, a fishermen’s museum, firefly colony and fresh seafood.
Other beautiful beaches in Kota Tinggi and their distance from Kota Tinggi town are: Teluk Mahkota Beach (Jason Bay, about 38 km); Teluk Endau Beach (about 49 km); Tanjung Balay Beach (about 62 km); Batu Layar Beach (about 71 km) and Teluk Ramunia beach (about 76km).
Apart from Kota Tinggi, Mersing also boasts some of the finest beaches. Among them are Penyabong Beach, Air Papan Beach, Teluk Buih Beach, Tenglu Beach and Tanjung Leman Beach. Mersing is also the jumping-off point for the famous Tioman Island.
Other beaches in Johor are Stulang Laut Beach and Lido Beach (Johor Bahru), Rambah Beach (Pontian), Punggor and Minyak Beku Beaches (Batu Pahat). Lido Beach is a city beach for city dwellers to spend their evenings. Both the Punggor and Minyak Beku beaches are not suitable for swimming but ideal for enjoying the sea breeze.
Islands
Off the coast of Johor numerous enchanting islands offer golden idyllic beaches. More than 50 islands, many of which are located in the north-eastern district of Mersing offer a variety of activities. These beautiful islands feature crystal clear waters and a diversity of marine life and magnificent coral reefs. Many have been gazetted as marine parks and are perfect for diving, snorkelling and swimming. Visitors can also indulge in jungle trekking, island hopping or watching leatherback turtles lay their eggs on the beach.
Pulau Besar
Pulau Besar, literally "Big Island" is a secluded island with beautifully private stretches of soft beaches, clear blue waters and splendid coral reefs and forested regions. Believed to be the location of Malaysia's earliest civilisation, tales of mermaids and princesses as well as sacred graves and shrines abound here. Pulau Sibu Tengah, located further south along the coast is a delightful rustic resort destination. Two other Johor islands, lying further from the coast, are Pulau Pemanggil and Pulau Aur. Pulau Pemanggil is a large and popular resort destination, noted for its abundant marine life and clear waters. Pulau Aur, on the other hand, is a small island with three nearby islands – Pulau Dayang, Pulau Lang and Pulau Pinang which are rated among the best diving destinations within the Johor Marine Park Area. Interesting formations around the island include Rayner’s Rock, a solitary large boulder that breaks surface at about 4 metres, and the Pinnacles, a submerged reef.
Pulau Tinggi
Pulau Tinggi lies further south along the Peninsula rising 667m above sea level has a coastline dotted with intimate coves and vividly hued coral reefs offshore. The mountainous and largely uninhabited island is naturally endowed with fresh water, a sheltered harbor, fruits, rattan and timber, as well as some very fine beaches.
Pulau Sibu
Pulau Sibu is a refreshing hideaway, which is awash with lush tropical vegetation and endless stretches of golden beaches. Numerous sea caves carved out of rocks can be found around the island. Its waters also hide marvellous coral reefs and mysterious shipwrecks of Chinese junks and pirate boats. The unspoilt mangrove swamps are an enticement to spend some time away from the beach. You can also visit the kelongs or the village to see how the villagers on this beautiful island spend their time.
Pulau Tengah
Pulau Tengah and Pulau Upeh offer you the seldom found opportunity to watch the great leatherback turtles and Hawksbill turtles come ashore to lay their eggs every year.
Pulau Rawa
Pulau Rawa is a really beautiful island wonderfully covered with white sand, coves, and superb clear waters and shaded by tall palm trees. The island has many fascinating caves and divine offshore coral reefs inhabited by the many neon-coloured fishes and unusual marine life. The breathtaking Rawa Island Resort, set amid all these, makes Pulau Rawa a haven for fishing, scuba-diving, shell-collecting, lobster-hunting and underwater photography. Throughout these years, the Rawa Safaris Island Resort has grown into an idyllic international class resort. The resort has rooms of varying standards and sizes with the units built on either the hill side, a few metres from the beach or directly fronting the ocean. The rooms are well equipped with modern amenities. The restaurant in the resort also serves sumptuous seafood. The wooden chalets nestled amongst coconut groves complement the island's reputation as a quaint hideaway.
Closer to shore you can visit Pulau Kukup which is one of the largest uninhabited mangrove islands in the world. There are lots to explore on this island but the interior is not easily accessible. The boardwalk, which takes you around the eastern part of the island, lets you observe the mangrove life and different vegetation on the forest floor. At the end of the boardwalk scale up a six storey high tower for an excellent bird’s eye view of the island.
