Guide to travel to Johor Bahru (JB) alone.

JB is a great place for doing your nails and hair. The price is halved or less than that for the same services you do in Singapore. Moreover, many hair stylists and manicurists working in Singapore are from Malaysia.. but they charge more in Singapore as they are paid in the SGD currency instead of Ringgit Malaysia.

I always go in to JB by myself all the time! So for all the ladies out there who are terrified at the idea of going into JB alone.. there's nothing to be afraid of! You just need to take a few precautions:

1. Ensure you have small change instead of all big notes of RM50
2. Avoid eye contact with strange people
3. Do not wear flashy watches or accessories
4. Don't keep taking out your phone to play with it unless necessary
5. Go in the morning and return before the rush hour
   Travel in at 10am and leave before 4.30pm
6. Get ready Rm2.50 in exact change to board the bus back

I take bus from Queen Street (Near Bugis MRT) and it costs S$2.50 for one way. On the way back, I take the same bus but it's only RM2.50 back cos it's from Malaysia. I either take the Smiling Bus or SJE Singapore-Johore Express. Remember to keep your receipt/ticket because you will need it to reboard the bus after you clear one customs. For example if you are taking bus in from Singapore, after you clear the customs you can board the same bus without paying the bus fare again, vice versa. The ticket conductor will usually check before allowing you to board the bus.

City Square Shopping Centre is now directly linked to the Customs Building so you can walk there without fear of being robbed or harassed! (Just ignore the taxi touts near the lifts) It is really safe. But if you decide to venture to the other malls, than you have to be careful.

If you want to do your nails, there are very little choices in City Square so you have to venture future to Holiday Plaza. You can take a taxi there and the taxi driver will not turn on their meter.. so the moment you arrive, just stuff RM7 into his hands. That's the market rate and make sure you have small change because if you give him a RM10, he will not give you any change back. Avoid the blue colour taxis! They turn on their meters, but for the same distance, it's RM18! I tried out of curiosity once and ended up paying RM11 more than the market rate!

There are other malls like Pelangi Plaza (too small), or Jusco Tebrau (too far) but for first-timers, I will advice you to either stick to City Square Mall than slowly venture outwards.

Had lunch at KFC at Holiday Plaza before going for a manicure..

Love the pop up hearts!! :)

Bought new shoes from Vincci!! ^^ Finally they have something I like!