Tanjung Piai, also called the Cape of the Golden Leather Fern, is situated in the Pontian District near Johor Bahru. It is located at latitude 1° 16.00′ North, making it the southernmost tip of mainland Asia and the Eurasian continent.
Tanjung Piai, which faces the Johor Strait, is also one of the few places to see two neighboring countries: Singapore and Indonesia. It is also the Southernmost point of Peninsular Malaysia.
Arrive at Tanjung Piai
We arrived at Tanjung Piai at around 1:00 PM and found a spacious parking lot, making it easy to park the car.
However, we were taken aback to find that the pathway leading to the jetty was inundated with water. As we were wearing long pants and jeans, we opted to take an alternative route to reach the monument. This landmark was erected in 2001. This eco-friendly concrete fiber structure measures 20 meters in height and 10 meters in width. The Johor state government constructed it and painted it gray, reflecting the richness of the mangrove swamp forest and the intertidal mudflats in the area.
The park has ample visitor facilities, including a 1.2 km network of twin walkways, a visitor complex housing an information gallery, and a unique campsite in the mangrove forest.
However, upon reaching the visitor center to the wooden jetties, we were informed that it was not safe to enter the network of boardwalks due to the high tide caused by the alignment of the sun and the moon.
Based on our understanding, the walkway is built on a mangrove swamp, allowing visitors to explore the swamp jungle. With some luck, you may spot dusky leaf monkeys or mud crabs during your walk. You can also watch ships passing by and see the skyline of Singapore from a distance. A globe monument was added to the southern tip of mainland Eurasia in 2006.
According to locals, this exceptional high tide occurs only 2-3 times yearly. Although we were not able to go into the coastal mangrove, in return, we managed to witness a rare sight of high tide, which occurs rarely and mainly only during certain days at the end and beginning of the year.
The water level was relatively shallow. Many visitors, both adults and children, were happily playing in the water.
The water level receded around 3:00 PM, and the jetty reopened for visitors. However, we had to leave as we had other plans. It was a missed opportunity, but we were glad to have visited and experienced the southernmost point.
In 1997, Tanjung Piai Johor National Park was established to protect this unique site, particularly the mangrove swamps and muddy areas that play a significant role in our ecosystem. Despite being the smallest park, covering an area of 325 hectares, Tanjung Piai is the most visited among the five Johor National Parks. It is an interesting place to spend a day, appreciate the beauty, take pictures of the scenery, and admire the relationship between humans and nature.
Watch the video we shot at Tanjung Piai 👇👇.
Here are some other places we might want to visit in West Malaysia
- Port Dickson is a small town on the west coast of Peninsula Malaysia, south of Kuala Lumpur. It is famous for its beautiful beaches and holiday resorts and is approximately 1.5 hours from Kuala Lumpur.
- Teluk Intan is a small and charming town in Perak, about two hours drive from Kuala Lumpur. We have written an article about all the places we visited during our trip to Teluk Intan.