Sunway Puteri Hills in Iskandar Puteri, Johor
Surprise surprise, there’s another new hotspot popping up in Johor. This time, Westies will be the ones squealing with joy, as the new Sunway Puteri Hills lifestyle hub in Iskandar Puteri, Johor has officially opened earlier this August, and is just a short drive from the Tuas Checkpoint.
Unlike the shiny new SKS City Mall in JB, it isn’t your traditional retail haunt with rows of shops to satisfy the shopaholic within, but it still might be worth a visit, especially if you’re a huge foodie. Here’s what we saw when we swung by, from IG-worthy cafes with astounding views to a palatial banquet hall perfect for hosting dream weddings.
The current exchange rate is S$1 = RM3.17 as of 1st September 2026.
How to get to Sunway Puteri Hills?
Sunway Puteri Hills is located within Iskandar Puteri, a city in Johor. The city is right across the border, and from the CIQ 2nd Link, it’ll take you roughly 15 minutes of driving to get to Sunway Puteri Hills.
Image credit: Wikipedia
If you’re not driving there yourself, another way of getting there is to take a Causeway Link (CW) bus into Johor via the CIQ 2nd Link. For those taking the bus, your journey will begin at either Jurong Town Hall Bus Interchange, Boon Lay MRT Station, or Tuas Link MRT Station.
Image credit: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
It doesn’t matter which CW bus you take, as the buses at these locations will drop you off at the Tuas Checkpoint first. It’s worth noting that unlike the Woodlands Checkpoint, the Tuas Checkpoint is strictly a vehicle-only border crossing, so you’ve got to be ferried over via one of these cross-border buses.
The pick-up point for those boarding the CW bus from Tuas Link MRT Station.
For the purposes of this article, we hopped on the CW bus from Tuas Link MRT Station. Exit the MRT station via Exit A and follow the signs to get to the boarding point for the CW bus. It’s located just a few metres down the walkway from the Tuas Link MRT Station bus stop.
They accept Visa, Mastercard & EZ-Link as forms of payment. If you tapped in with the former, keep your ticket for free bus transfers.
A bus ride to the Tuas Checkpoint costs S$4.50, which is pretty costly considering the checkpoint is just 1km away. As such, make the most out of your CW bus ticket by transferring to the new CW7S bus service, as it’s free to do so. In fact, you can enjoy free transfers to any of CW’s bus services from CIQ 2nd Link as long as you’ve boarded one to get there.
This is especially handy to know, because local regulations prohibit private hire vehicles from entering the CIQ 2nd Link’s vicinity, meaning a CW bus is your only way out of the checkpoint. The CW7S bus departs from CIQ 2nd Link at the following timings: 8am, 9am, 10am, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm, 10pm
The CW7S bus makes stops at Sunway Big Box and Sunway Citrine first before arriving at Sunway Puteri Hills. Depending on the traffic, the bus ride will take roughly 15 to 20 minutes. A physical bus stop is still in the works, so you’ll alight at a roundabout in front of a guardhouse, where a buggy will pick you up and transport you further into Sunway Puteri Hills.
By the way, parking is free at Sunway Puteri Hills. There should be ample parking too, as there are 500 open-air parking bays.
What to expect at Sunway Puteri Hills?
The first thing you’ll notice about Sunway Puteri Hills is its unique layout, which is essentially a cluster of 15 standalone bungalows that house eateries within. Most of them have an outdoor, sheltered balcony too, if diners would like to take in the surrounding views.
Image credit: Sunway Group
And it’s definitely well worth taking your meals al fresco, as you’ll be treated to views of the Straits of Johor and mangrove forests on one side, and the Jeffrey Cheah Circuit on the other.
You heard right; apart from feeling the cool sea breeze on your skin, you might catch a glimpse of supercars zooming across a private, members-only motorsports track when it fully opens in September. If you’re a motorhead yourself, the circuit even has warehouses to store your exotic cars in, so grabbing brunch right after burning rubber on the asphalt is definitely on the books.
But of course, the food is what you’ll want to make the trip here for. Sunway Puteri Hills prides itself on being the home of several local brands, supplemented by a couple of regional names. For starters, we sat down for lunch at a’rest Cafe, which has comfortably nestled its first flagship outlet – and largest one to date – in Sunway Puteri Hills.
The Smoked Duck Carbonara (RM26.90, ~S$8.47) & Mango Jasmine Tea (RM13.90, ~S$4.38).
They’re well-known for their delicious cakes which come in all sorts of flavours, such as Mango Pomelo (RM16/slice, ~S$5.04), Taro Pandan (RM19/slice, ~S$5.99), and Dark Chocolate Sea Salt (RM18/slice, ~S$5.67). Their thin crust pizzas like Salmon Mentai Pizza (RM33.90, ~S$10.68) are a fan favorite for passing round the table, while their creamy pastas (from RM26.90, ~S$8.47) hit the spot when you’re famished.
After wolfing down a hearty meal, we took the time to stretch our legs before the post-lunch food coma settled in. Although there’s a spacious balcony within a’rest Cafe, we opted to take in the view at the open space beside the cafe. There’s an outdoor seating area here to catch some sun, as well as a little hut that’s used to disseminate information about the development’s ongoing promotions and events.
Right now, they’ve got a Snap & Win promo going on. Simply scan a QR code at the booth to complete a quick personality quiz. Show your results to the staff and they’ll hand you a frame to snap a pic with. Upload your pics on social media with, tag @sunwayputerihills, and follow their Instagram and Facebook pages, and you can redeem a RM50 Padini voucher at the Sunway Big Box Super App Counter.
While you’re exploring Sunway Puteri Hills, you might come across stamp rally booths scattered all around the grounds. Feel free to take a postcard with you, decorate it with a different stamp at each station, and drop it into the slit to have it posted once you’ve crafted a heartfelt message.
Image adapted from: @madeonmondayjb via Instagram
Next up, we swung by Made on Monday, a cafe with a minimalist brutalist-inspired interior that’s great for flaunting on IG stories. As for nosh, they’re famous for whipping up juicy lobster rolls (from RM146.30, ~S$46.09), while their Boston Aglio Olio (RM146.90, ~S$46.28) proves to be a major crowd pleaser here too.
We were also told that the outdoor bar area is perhaps the best spot to catch the sun dip below the horizon, as it sets over the Jeffrey Cheah Circuit.
We then made our way to Reef Seafood. As the name suggests, seafood is what they specialise in, along with other Chinese delicacies. In particular, you’ll be able to feast on American Oysters prepared 3 different ways, Geoduck, and even Alaskan King Crabs, which you can dig into from RM568/kg (~S$178.95) as part of an ongoing promotion.
If you are scouting wedding venues, Reef Seafood has one of the most impressive I’ve seen across the border. Connected to the restaurant is a massive banquet hall that comfortably accommodates 450 pax. Rental fees begin from RM20,800 (~S$6,553.11) for 5 hours, which is mighty reasonable for a venue of this scale.
There’s even a secret door at the back of the hall, which leads to 2 spiral staircases for couples to descend to make their grand entrance.
What’s more, the hall’s decor draws inspiration from the Louvre, with Renaissance-themed embellishments lining the ceilings and walls for all to see. The hall is also equipped with fog machines and an iPad-controlled, state-of-the-art lighting system, to make your special day that much more spectacular and memorable.
At the back of the restaurant, you’ll find a couple of tables and chairs set up for you to kick back and take in the magnificent ocean view. When it gets a little too hot for your liking, Reef Seafood also sells icy cool desserts here from time to time, so slurp on mango, red bean, or durian bingsus (RM12, ~S$3.78) for some reprieve from the sun.
But in our opinion, you’ll get the best vistas of the sea over at Makan Makan by Hock Kee. If you want to load up on local bites, this is the place to be.
Their menu is extensive, and is loaded with Malaysian must-tries such as Laksa (RM24.90), Longtong (RM18.90, ~S$5.95), Steamed Chicken Rice (RM17.90, ~S$5.64), and Nasi Lemak (RM10.90, ~S$3.43). Near the entrance is where you can shop for specialty spreads, coffee powder, and condiments to bring home.
There’s also an open-air space behind the kopitiam, where weekend markets are held regularly. It’s also where you can take a little stroll to walk off the calories, accompanied by a view of the shimmering seas and nearby mangrove forests. If you look closely enough, you can spot the Tuas Checkpoint across the waters, as well as the acres of forested land that the SAF uses for training.
Finally, we also popped by 2 eateries that provide Sunway Puteri Hills with some international flair.
Image adapted from: @kaetsu.jb via Instagram
Kaetsu offers a yoshoku-style dining experience with Japanese-Western cuisine such as Beef Stew Claypot Pie (RM68, ~S$21.42) and Japanese-Style Lamb Stew (RM58, ~S$18.27), along with a slew of premium skewers (from RM8, ~S$2.52).
Meanwhile, Khunya Thai will bless your palate with regional Thai dishes like Pineapple Fried Rice, Mango Sticky Rice, and Tom Yum Seafood Soup.
Image credit: @kennyhillsbakers via Instagram
That was pretty much all we saw, but Sunway Puteri Hills isn’t done just yet. In the coming weeks, they’re welcoming Kenny Hills Bakers, a cafe chain hailing from KL that’s widely popular all over Malaysia. Other brands to look out for in the near future are Cili Kampong that’s known for authentic, kampung-style Malay dishes, as well as Padi House, which serves up yummy fusion mains.
Sunway Puteri Hills is pretty much a heaven for foodies, but if you just need to scratch your itch for some retail therapy, Sunway Big Box is just a couple of minutes away by car. X Park Sunway Iskandar is also in the vicinity, in case you get your thrills from roller coasters rather than hunting for bargains.
And if you’re spending an entire day in the area, scoot over to Puteri Harbour in the evening to catch the sunset from a waterfront restaurant.
Plan a visit to Sunway Puteri Hills in Johor this August
We Singaporeans don’t really need extra reasons to cross the Causeway for some fun, but things can get stale when we’re hitting up the same ol’ cafes in JB. As such, Sunway Puteri Hills is a welcome addition to our Johor day trip itineraries, giving you a new reason to cross the border from the West of the Little Red Dot.
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For more things to do in Johor during your day trips across the border:
Photography by Ashley Hoon.
Cover image adapted from: Sunway Group