FAMILIES are making a splash at the refurbished Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) Hutan Bandar recreational park, with its upgraded water features quickly emerging as a crowd favourite.
Nurul Aniqah Mohd Jaaffar, 29, said she decided to bring her family for a visit after learning about the reopening of the park.
“My two kids had a splashing good time in the pool. We came at around 9.30am to beat the heat and stayed for about two hours.
“I was impressed by the upgraded facilities of the park.
“I had expected it to be a small area, but it turned out to be a big swimming pool and a water play area equipped with slides and playground features,” the housewife told StarMetro.
Nurul Aniqah added that the upgraded park felt more comfortable and was visually appealing, adding that it could become a regular weekend destination for her family.
“My children enjoy cycling, so we usually visit the Adda Heights public park, but I foresee we will come here more often.
“I also hope there will be regular maintenance and visitors will help keep the park clean for everyone to enjoy,” she said.
Another visitor, Lee Kai Xuan, 28, said the refurbished park in Jalan Tasek Utara, Kolam Ayer, was a far cry from what he remembered when growing up in Johor Baru.
“When I was young, my mother used to bring my siblings and I here. The swimming pool used to be smaller and the trails were not as conducive as they are now.
“Since it was my day off, I brought my mother and brother and spent about two hours walking around to take in the peaceful scenery,” said Lee, who works as a chef in Singapore.
He said the park’s shady trees and colourful flowers created a calming environment despite its city location.
“I plan to come back more often for morning jogs and activities like the flying fox.”
For housewife Siti Arvina Yunos, 48, the park is the perfect setting for a family gathering.
“After hearing news of the reopening on the third day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, my sister and I took the opportunity to have an outdoor gathering.
“It was a potluck and reunion packed into one,” she said, adding that the idea came about after seeing photos of the park on social media.
“We got everyone to dress up in our Hari Raya attire and had a family photoshoot against the lush greenery after our picnic.
“It was a fun and wholesome way to spend our festive break together,” she said, hoping more such parks would be developed in Johor Baru.
Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the park now featured a refreshed look that was more comfortable and visitor- friendly.
“Several new attractions were opened to the public beginning the third day of Hari Raya, including the children’s pool, flying fox, rope course, playground, nature trail, butterfly park and camping site.
“The park, which spans about 20ha, has been comprehensively upgraded with an allocation of more than RM13.5mil by MBJB to ensure better quality, safety and comfort for visitors,” he said.
Admission to the park is free, with selected activities such as the rope course and flying fox offered free of charge for a month in conjunction with its reopening.
He said the park was expected to attract up to 2,000 visitors a day as part of efforts to boost tourism in conjunction with the Visit Johor 2026 campaign.
Opening hours at the park are 7am to 7pm daily.
