Kota Johor Lama

After the Portuguese took Malacca in 1511 the sultanate reconstituted itself downriver, and Johor Lama - old Johor - was its capital from around 1540, a fortified settlement on a bend of the Johor river with earth ramparts and a ditch, positioned to control river traffic. It was sacked by a Portuguese fleet in 1587 and never recovered its position. What remains is the shape of the earthworks in the ground, sections of rampart, and finds from excavation - Chinese and Southeast Asian ceramics, coins, cannon fragments - displayed in a small museum on the site. It takes local interest to get much from it: this is a field with a bank round it and a modest display, not a standing ruin, and the value is in the historical thread rather than the visual impact.

What you actually see

• Earth ramparts and ditch - the outline of the fortified capital in the ground.
• A riverside position - the bend of the Johor river the fort was built to control.
• Excavation finds - ceramics, coins and cannon fragments in the site museum.
• The 1587 sack - the Portuguese attack that ended the settlement.

When to go

All year; mornings before the heat. Half a day.

Honest expectations

There is no standing architecture - the site is earthworks and a small museum. Captions are thin. It is a considerable drive down a rural road with no public transport.

Nearby

Kota Tinggi and its waterfalls are upriver; Desaru is on the coast.