Kluang Rail Coffee, Johor

When the British left Malaya after independence, besides leaving behind a good civil service, good legislature and the english language, it also left behind a good railway system.

Connecting the small towns along the west coast of the peninsula, the railway was the main form of transportation before the advent of highways and expressways. The railway stations in these small towns became hubs of activity.

One such small town was Kluang in the southern state of Johor. Even with the decline of the railway as a the main form of transport these days, the railway station in Kluang still stands until today.

One of the main reasons why the station still remains an active hub until today, is its prominent location in town. The other is of course the presence of the Kluang Rail Coffee kopitiam.

The original Kluang Rail Coffee.

A kopitiam is of course an ethnic chinese coffee house and is now an endearing symbol of the malaysian identity. Kluang Rail Coffee was founded way back in 1938 in the Kluang railway station. Today it has become a landmark of Kluang town and an institution in itself.

The Kluang Railway Station. Adequate parking at the station.

The railway station is a simple single storey structure.

Although it has been modernised, it still evokes the feel of colonial British Malaya.

You can still sit and watch trains goes by.

Not many trains nowadays though.

The Kluang Rail Coffee takes up a prominent location in the station.

For a kopitiam, it does have a substantial menu.

But of course the main attraction is the Bun Kaya.

When you think of a kopitiam, you of course think about breakfast and having a cup of local coffee, soft boiled eggs with pepper and soy sauce and toast with thick slabs of butter and kaya (coconut jam).

You can get all of that here as well, but there is also a bunch of other stuff on the menu as well. Our top tip here is to forget the toast, instead go for the Bun Kaya. The bun is soft and fluffy on the inside and charred and smoky on the outside, with generous lashings of butter and kaya. The difference here is that it is toasted with charcoal which makes the difference.

Rojak Mee

The Karipap, or malaysian syle curry puffs.

Cucur Ikan Bilis

Some prices. Very cheap and affordable.

If you are in the area, and are craving for some old-fashioned grub, why not head here and get your fix. While the owners now have other outlets in the town, and there is also that other Kluang Station franchise chain all over the country now, nothing beats the authenticity of the original one located in an actual railway station.

Be advised that it is extremely popular, and you may need to wait awhile to grab a table whenever one becomes vacated. Being primarily a breakfast and teatime venue, it is not open for dinner.

Kluang Rail Coffee

Address: Jalan Stesen, 86000 Kluang
Telephone: +60 17-755 7273

UK Farm, Johor

The guys behind UK Farm started out in 2003 with 2 acres of land located in Parit Yaani, Johor as a goat farm. Jamnapari goats were imported from Indonesia and the business involved the production of fresh goat’s milk and goat’s meat.

Subsequently in 2007, they obtained 100 acres worth of land from the Kluang Modern Agriculture Project. This allowed them to venture into sheep breeding and start the production of frozen sheep’s meat. Their sheep species now include Domba Garut, Damara, Barbados, Santa Ines, Malin and Dorper sheep.

In 2008 they diversified their business into leisure farm tours in the year of 2008 and launched the UK Agro Resort in 2010. Aiming to provide visitors with an authentic and memorable farm experience, the UK Farm also offers a wide range of facilities that cater to various needs such as a restaurant, farm market, conference room, chalets, dormitory, barbeque area and camp site.

Like a Computer Wallpaper.

To enter the area, you need to drive through a wash trough.

Drive through unsealed roads through farmland.

Take a right turn when you come to this intersection.

When you see this signage, you have arrived at UK Farm.

The main building of the UK Farm Agro Resort. Plenty of carparks available.

Entrance fees (as per Dec'17)

Purchase your tickets here.

Things you can do here.

Restaurant at the Main Building.

The entrance ticket allows you on a bus tour of the farm.

Map of the UK Farm.

While you wait for the bus, there is a small park to explore.

Statue of a Goat.

There is a small mini-zoo as well.

Peacocks and other animals.

Plaque telling about the Selangan Batu.

Selangan Batu, a log from a 100-year old tree.

Finally the open air bus arrives.

Get on the bus, and a short briefing by the guide.

First stop is at the Goat Farm facility.

The Shelter housing the Goats.

The Goats!

You can feed the goats with the food provided.

They are always hungry.

And eyeing you for food.

Where is the food???

Baby goats in their pen.

Feed them with the milk bottles provided.

So cute!

After the Goat Shelter, you will walk over to this shed where you can buy milk, yogurt and ice-cream made from goat's milk.

This is also where the goat milking process will be demonstrated.

Next the bus will take you to the next stop, which is where the ducks are reared.

Besides the ducks, is the chicken enclosure.

The next stop for the bus is where there are some other animal enclosures. This is of course the Ostrich.

Some deer.

Plenty of rabbits.

You can feed the rabbits with pellets.

Some of the rabbits are running around freely.

The next stop is a mock up of an Orang Asli village.

A tree house.

Other traditional dwellings.

Then a short orang asli demonstration of blow-piping.

The final stop brings you to a passion fruit growing area. Here you can also see the dormitories which can be booked for a farmstay.

In this modern day and age, where urban children do not know what a chicken is, other than as a drumstick in a KFC meal, visiting a agro-farm like this U.K. Farm can be an enlightening and educational experience.

Although U.K. Farm seems more set up as a tourism experience rather than an actual working farm, a visit is still worthwhile.

U.K. Agro Resort

Address: Plot 8, Project Pertanian Moden Kluang, KM13 Jalan Batu Pahat,86000 Kluang,                   Johor, Malaysia. 

Tel:         +607-759 7555