While the growing city of Johor in Malaysia sprawls toward Skudai, for now, the multicultural town remains resolutely its own. Strong shopping and dining offerings make it a pleasant stay for visitors to the larger Johor Bahru area.
Like much of Malaysia, Skudai is characterised by its mixed population of Malay, Chinese and Indian residents. The result of this postcolonial melting pot is a diverse range of cuisines peddled at restaurants and street stalls throughout the city. Many shopping centres are built around Skudai including AEON Taman Universiti, KIP Mart, Skudai Mall and Skudai Parade.
Sixteen kilometres from Johor Bahru city, Skudai is about a 20 to 30-minute drive north of the larger city. Buses run between Jalan Wong Ah Fook near Johor Bahru City Square to Jalan Kempas Bahru, which lies about a 10-minute walk from central Skudai. The total travel time by bus and foot falls under an hour.
Skudai is just one corner of Johor’s growth corridor. Other prominent features of the area include the Senai International Airport, Tanjung Pelepas Port and Iskandar Puteri. The Universiti Teknologi Malaysia also lies within Skudai, as does the Johor Bahru Tengah Municipal Council headquarters.