Kukup National Park & Tanjung Piai National Park

Kukup

Kukup is a small fishing village located about forty kilometres southwest of Johor Bahru, in the district of Pontian, Johor, on the Strait of Malacca in Malaysia. It is famous for its open-air seafood restaurants built on stilts over the water. Some of the restaurants are geared for tour groups, and it is particularly popular with tourists from Singapore. Regularly scheduled ferries connect Kukup with Tanjung Balai in Indonesia.

Kukup became more prosperous when the famous Singapore Arab Syed Mohamed bin Ahmed Alsagoff (also known as Nong Chik) obtained the approval of the Sultan of Johor to develop the southwest coast of Johor. Many government organisations were set up there, including a harbour and port. Boats and ships from the north to the south would stop there, loading and unloading cargo, leaving for Singapore or Malacca. Shops were opened and many people came there to settle down. At that point, many people disagreed with the name Kukub on the grounds that it was not a Malay name, so they changed it to Kukup.

Due to its rapid development, Kukup became one of the big towns in Johor. This was due to the coming of Tuan Syed Mohamed Alsagoff (or Nong Chik, as he was also called), a Singapore Arab who had sought and obtained approval from Sultan Abu Bakar Johor to explore and open up agriculture lands in the southwest Coast of Johor, bordered by Sungai Permas, Sungai Pontian Kechil, Sungai Pontian Besar, and Sungai Jeram Batu. (Sungai in Malay means river.) Kukup was rapidly developed under Constantinople Estate owned by Tuan Syed Mohamed Alsagoff. Because of this, the whole place was named "Kukup District". Kukup District was replaced with "Pontian District" when the main road linking Pontian and Johor Bahru was completed in 1900. At that time all the government organisations in Kukup were shifted to Pontian. While developing the Kukup area, Tuan Syed Mohamed Alsagoff even issued his own currency.

Pulau Kukup National Park

Pulau Kukup (English: Kukup Island) is a mangrove island located at about 1 km offshore from the 150 year-old fishing village of Kukup in Pontian, at the South-western region of the state of Johor, and towards North-west of Tanjung Piai, Peninsular Malaysia. The area of the island is 6.472 square kilometres and is surrounded by 8 square kilometres of mudflats. Pulau Kukup's status as a remote hinterland changed in the 1990s when scientists began focusing on the island's biodiversity a unique ecological characteristics. In the interest of preserving this unique habitat, Pulau Kukup was gazetted a national park in 27 March 1997. In January 2003, this island was granted the status of a "Wetland of International Importance" or RAMSAR Site, by the Geneva-based Ramsar Convention Bureau.

Tanjung Piai National Park

Tanjung Piai, one of the largest mangrove habitats in the world, is also the home to many different species of birds , beady-eyed mudskippers, multi-coloured mangrove crabs, and crab-eating macaques. Also found here is the tree-climbing and scavenging macaque monkeys.

Situated in Mukim Serkat, and about 90km from Johor Bahru's city centre, Tanjung Piai offers a scenic view of the Straits of Malacca. There is also a National Park there for visitors to observe the habitat of the mangrove dwellers.

Experience the lifestyle of a typical Malay kampung community and see the process of how 'Gula Melaka' is made using the traditional way.

Whenever you're hungry, you can always head to one of the many seafood restaurants available there for a meal. The restaurants are perched on wooden jetties.

Enjoy the beautiful evening sunset, and perhaps, when the sun sets, fireflies would appear and turns the swamp into a beautiful lightshow.

VISITOR'S COMPLEX

Opened in September 2001, this building houses an Information Gallery, the park's office and a prayer room/surau. Visitors can purchase entry tickets from the front desk and make enquiries about guided tours and facilities available.

BOARDWALK

The park is connected by a network of 1.2 km boardwalks, which takes visitors right into the heart of the mangrove forest.

OBSERVATION TOWER

This tower is used to have better viewing of the surrounding mangrove and bird life.

CAMPSITE

A unique camping experience on varied height platforms under the mangrove trees. It can cater for 20 tents or a total of 80 campers at one time.

BALAI SERI TANJUNG

Measuring approximately 30 ft x 20 ft, this area often utilized as VIPs and Special Guests' dining area.

JETTY

350m Main boardwalks leads right out into the Straits of Malacca. On a good day, visitors can enjoy the breathtaking sunset and a clear view of Karimun Island in the Straits of Indonesia and the Pulau Kukup mangrove island.

HOW TO GET THERE ?

FROM KUALA LUMPUR (KL) / JOHOR BAHRU (JB)

The fastest route is via the North-South highway. Exit at Simpang Renggam (after Machap). Head to Pontian/Benut and follow the signboards to Tanjung Piai.

From Johor Bahru, take the Jalan Skudai and head for Pontian/Pontian Kechil. At Pekan Nenas, turn left at Sri Bunian, follow the rural road and take the right turn at Jalan Tenggayun. Thereafter, follow the signage to Pekan Pontian, reach a cross junction then turn left to Tanjung Piai.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

From Johor Bahru

Take a bus from Larkin Bus Terminal to Pontian (one-way bus fare is MYR5.40). Upon Ariving,  You will need to take a bus from Pontian to Kukup (one-way bus fare is MYR2.90). Upon arriving at Kukup bus station, you can get a regular taxi service to Tanjung Piai National Park (Normally taxi fare is MYR30.00 one cab for 2 ways). (You will have to book in advance with the cab driver for the return passage because will be no taxi available there).