Muar

Muar sits at the mouth of the Muar river and was laid out on a grid by the Johor administration in the 1880s, which is why the civic buildings - the customs house, the courthouse, the government offices, the Sultan Ibrahim mosque - line up along the waterfront in a row of matching neoclassical and Anglo-Malay fronts, better preserved as a group than in most Malaysian towns of the size. It was made the royal town of Johor in 2012. The other thing Muar is known for is breakfast: the Muar-style coffee shops, the mee bandung, and above all otak-otak, spiced fish paste wrapped in coconut leaf and grilled, which is sold along Jalan Haji Abu and taken home by the box. The riverside promenade and the Tanjung Emas park are the walking.

History

Muar's history is thought to go back before the founding of the Sultanate of Malacca, and on 5 February 2012 Sultan Ibrahim declared it the royal town of Johor (Wikipedia, Muar (town)).

The main sights

• A waterfront row of civic buildings - customs house, courts and offices in a line.
• The Sultan Ibrahim mosque - the 1930s royal mosque on the river.
• Otak-otak - grilled spiced fish in coconut leaf, the town's export.
• Coffee-shop breakfast - the Muar kopitiam culture and mee bandung.

When to go

All year; mornings for the food. A day.

Practical notes

The heritage buildings are looked at from outside; few are open. The town is quiet and there is little organised for visitors. Otak-otak stalls sell out by early afternoon.

Nearby

Malacca is north-west; Gunung Ledang and Tangkak are inland.

Key facts