Hidden in plain sight: The Malaysian city you should visit next

The hulking fortress blocks the way of anyone trying to cross the water. With a 300-metre-wide facade of concrete and glass, and a central turret as tall as an air-traffic-control tower, Singapore's Woodlands Checkpoint is an imposing modern citadel.

As the main immigration centre for travellers between Singapore and Malaysia, this is the busiest international crossing in the world, with about 350,000 people passing through every day. Constant escalators leading to brightly lit halls make it feel more like an enormous factory, processing weary commuters down a production line of bureaucracy until they're packed into vehicles and delivered across the border.

As I shuffle along the line with thousands of other ID-wielding travellers, I realise I've made a huge mistake - leaving Singapore on a Friday afternoon. Most people who pass through Woodlands Checkpoint are Malaysian residents who head into the island nation for work. I've now ended up not just with the daily commuters, but also the weekly ones coming home for the weekend. After a 90-minute wait for the bus from the city centre, plus a 30-minute ride to the immigration centre, and then a line to have my passport checked, I'm only now finally able to ... sigh, join another queue for another bus.

At least this ride is shorter. And has interesting views. From the Singaporean side, I'm creeping across the kilometre-long Johor-Singapore Causeway that cuts right through the water. On the other side, a spaghetti junction of roads and bridges heralds my arrival to Malaysia, although the high metal fences corralling the vehicles into another state-of-the art fortress is reminiscent of the immigration procedures I went through 20 minutes ago. This time, after more bright corridors and another dispassionate stamping of my passport, I'm spewed out into the middle of a shopping centre.

This is Johor Bahru (or JB, as it's often called), the second-largest city in Malaysia but one that's usually overlooked by tourists. Those who do pass through are often just trying to get between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore by land rather than air (a six-hour bus ride for about $20, compared to a one-hour flight for about $80). Most visitors who do actually come for the destination are here to visit the theme parks and family-friendly adventure activities on the outskirts, Legoland being one of the most popular.

However, I'm convinced there must be something here in Johor Bahru to justify a night or two. For example, I've heard something about a temple made of glass, so that seems like a good place to start.

As it turns out, I am a fool, because a "glass temple" does not mean the building is transparent. It is far from a disappointment, though, as the Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Hindu temple has an interior decorated with more than 300,000 pieces of colourful glass on the walls, ceiling and columns, like an immersive rainbow mosaic that glints at you from every direction, along with vivid statues wearing yellow garlands.

Like much of Malaysia, JB is a melting pot of religions. In the oldest part of town, the Arulmigu Rajamariamman Devasthanam temple boasts a more traditional Hindu design with vibrantly coloured sculptures and a small museum about the Indian population. Nearby, the Old Chinese Temple, one of the earliest structures to be built in the city, is a small sanctuary of red lanterns and golden bells flanked by modern skyscrapers, where a guardian beckons me over and points to a side corridor full of important treasures. And, of course, there's the palatial Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque, which blends Islamic design with British colonial architecture so the minarets look like English clocktowers (only Muslims can go inside, but it's still worth seeing from the outside).

Exploring the heritage district of Johor Bahru, as I do all day, reveals endless treasures. Although it was only founded in the middle of the 19th century, the small jungle fishing village grew quickly and each building tells a chapter in a broader story of multiculturalism, from the colourful shophouses to the glaringly white churches, and the extravagant palace of the Sultan.

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Even a simple stop for lunch is a cultural experience, when I grab a bite at a busy eat street called Meldrum Walk. With dozens of food stalls, I decide to forego my usual favourites of chicken rice or char kway teow and opt instead for a famed oyster omelette. A couple of older gentlemen sitting at the table next to me are impressed with my choice, which I know because they tell me several times in between drinking their beers and placing bets on horse races with the roving bookie moving between tables.

And just around the corner, I discover the hipster gentrification that's appeared in much of Malaysia has also made it here. Instagram-friendly cafes and an artisanal bakery provide the first clues of the makeover, but it's even more obvious when I emerge in a car park where the entire walls of multilevel buildings have been painted in colourful murals.

It's a reminder that Johor Bahru is a busy and modern city. In fact, outside of the old town, megamalls and huge office buildings are emblems of the wealthy financial centre that it's become. But for visitors, it's this heritage heart and its variety of treats, old and new, that is definitely worth a stop or a quick trip from Singapore - just don't do it on a Friday afternoon.

Getting there: From Singapore, an off-peak trip takes about one hour (including immigration) and costs $5 by bus. From Kuala Lumpur, the bus takes 4.5 hours and costs $11.

Staying there: Good budget hotels are from $40. The four-star Capri by Fraser starts at $110 for a deluxe studio. See frasershospitality.com

Explore more: tourismjohor.my

The writer travelled at his own expense.