Senibong Cove & Permas Jaya

In the Masai neighborhood of Johor, about 25 km east of the city center, one can put together a decent run in two upscale, master-planned residential communities on either side of Highway 35. The area is quieter and less traffic-choked than other sections of Johor. Note: the pedestrian connection between Senibong Cove and Permas Jaya isn’t great, due to lack of sidewalks.

Senibong Cove. This new neighborhood situated across the Johor Strait from Singapore features hotels, restaurants, and high-end residences. The best bet for a run here is to combine the 0.7 km wood-surfaced waterfront path along the attractive cove with some of the area’s residential streets. Generally there are sidewalks here, but not everywhere. You can also run across the bridge to Island Park and run on some of the residential streets there. There are also some nice, small green areas in Island Park. Overall, it’s possible to stitch together a run of a few km in this area.

Permas Jaya. This neighborhood, popular with professionals, is on the north side of Highway 35. For running, it’s a mixed bag — some streets nicer than others. The best option is the area west of Jalan Permas 11, across the highway from the golf course.