Desaru in July and Desaru in December are two different places. The resort coast faces the South China Sea on Johor's south-east corner, and from about November the northeast monsoon brings heavy rain and big waves, so the KL to Desaru drive is best planned for April to October. The drive itself doesn't change with the season: about 380 to 390 km and four hours or so each way, almost all of it on two expressways.
The route in two legs
| Leg | Road | Roughly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| KL or PJ to Senai | North–South Expressway, south | About 300 km, three hours | The long, plain part. Plan one stop at a rest area |
| Senai to Desaru | Senai–Desaru Expressway (E22), east | About 80 km, an hour | Leave the North–South Expressway at the Senai Utara exit |
The Senai–Desaru Expressway crosses the Johor River on a long bridge and ends near Bandar Penawar, the small town a couple of kilometres inland that serves Desaru. Both expressways are tolled; check current tolls on the operators' websites and load your Touch 'n Go card for both directions.
You don't go through Johor Bahru at all, which is the point of the E22. If you want JB on the same trip, our guide to driving from KL to JB covers that leg.
The season, and the sea
Desaru's beach runs for about 22 km. It's the nearest beach to Johor Bahru, but be realistic about it: the water is often murky and the sand greyish, nothing like the islands. People go for the resorts, the waterpark and the space.
April to October is the settled season, with June to August the busiest. From November to around February or March, monsoon winds bring heavy rain and high waves to this coast, and the sea is often too rough for swimming. Our guide to driving in the monsoon season explains what that means for the roads in Johor and on the east coast.
What's there
Desaru Coast is a stretch of resort hotels with villas and golf courses, among them the Hard Rock Hotel, Anantara and Lotus Desaru. Around them:
- Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast, with one of the largest wave pools in Southeast Asia. Its opening days have varied, so check its calendar before you plan a day around it.
- Desaru Fruit Farm, more than 100 acres of fruit with guided tours and tastings.
- Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm, near Kota Tinggi.
- Kota Tinggi Firefly Valley, for evening boat rides through the mangroves.
- The fishermen's museum at Tanjung Balau.
They are spread out across Kota Tinggi district, so even a quiet weekend at Desaru involves some driving between them.
The car
For four hours on an expressway, pick for comfort. A large, quiet SUV with space for luggage and beach gear is the right shape: the Volvo XC90 costs RM 1,400 a day. For two people who want a proper long-distance saloon, the BMW 740Li costs RM 3,300 a day. Our guide to luxury SUV rental in Kuala Lumpur compares the bigger SUVs.
Mileage
Grandpride rentals include 120 km a day; the add-ons are +50 km, +100 km or unlimited.
| Day | Roughly | Covered by |
|---|---|---|
| Drive down | 380 to 400 km | Unlimited only |
| A day around Desaru, the fruit farm and the fireflies | 80 to 150 km | The included 120 km, or +50 km |
| Drive back | 380 to 400 km | Unlimited only |
The drive days decide it: choose unlimited, which costs less per kilometre than paying for the distance over. Fuel goes back at the same level, and rental cars stay in Peninsular Malaysia, so Singapore isn't part of this trip. Only the named renter drives, which means one person does about eight hours over the two travel days. If that's a stretch, a chauffeur can do the long legs; one-way trips are priced on distance, and you can request a quote on Book a chauffeur.
Combining Desaru with Legoland Malaysia is the obvious family version: the two are on opposite sides of Johor Bahru, so you can split the nights between them.
