Royal Abu Bakar Museum

Istana Besar was built in 1866 for Sultan Abu Bakar, who is generally credited as the architect of modern Johor, and it is Victorian in a way that is startling in the tropics - an English country house in plan and detail, in cream stucco with a portico, set in gardens above the Strait looking across to Singapore. It became a museum in 1990, and the approach taken was to leave the palace furnished rather than convert it into galleries, so what you walk through are the throne room, the banquet hall and the family rooms with the contents in them: gifts of state, Chinese and Japanese porcelain, hunting trophies, furniture from Europe, and a room of Johor regalia. The gardens outside are still used for royal occasions, and the museum closes when the family needs the grounds.

The main sights

• A Victorian palace in the tropics - 1866, English in plan, above the Strait.
• Furnished state rooms - throne room, banquet hall and family quarters intact.
• Gifts of state - porcelain, European furniture and diplomatic presents.
• Johor regalia - the state collection displayed in the palace.

When to go

All year; check it is open before travelling. Two hours.

Practical notes

The museum closes without much notice for royal functions - confirm first. Photography inside is restricted. Captions are limited. Dress code is enforced.

Nearby

The Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque is next door; the Causeway to Singapore is close.