Bus Guide: Getting to Pekan Nanas in Pontian District, Johor (柔佛.笨珍.北干那那)
Pekan Nanas (北干那那), a.k.a. Pineapple Town, is a small town located in Pontian District (笨珍) of Johor, West Malaysia. Similar to Pontian Kechil, Pekan Nanas is a peaceful spot that does not attract large crowds like Johor Bahru, but it does have a fair share of great food options, cafes, home stays, etc, waiting to be uncovered. There are durian and pineapple plantations near Pekan Nanas too.
For those of you who likes to explore quiet places for hidden gems, Pekan Nanas may be a good place to try — I did.
Read: Johor Story 7: A Day Trip in Johor Bahru & Pekan Nanas (北干那那) for Eats
A. Going from Singapore
First, go via Woodlands Checkpoint. After clearing JB Customs, use SBS Transit 170 or Causeway Link CWL at the bus bay of JB CIQ to get to Larkin Sentral.
Read: Bus Guide: Singapore to Larkin Sentral in Johor, Malaysia
There are a couple of bus services to Pontian by different bus companies from Larkin Sentral. Pay the fare after boarding the bus at Platform A.
Maju 96
Fare: Ask on board
Journey: 1 hour
Operating Time: 5:10am ~ 7:55pm daily
Frequency: 15-30 minutes
myBAS T50
Fare: Ask on board
Journey: 1 hour
Operating Time: 6am ~ 10pm daily
Frequency: 30 minutes
B. Going from JB Sentral
There are two ways to get to Pekan Nanas from JB Sentral:
Take myBAS Service T13 to Larkin Sentral and change to Maju 96 / myBAS T50 (see above).
Take myBAS Services T30 / T31 / T32 to the bus stop opposite Paradigm Mall (≈ RM2), then change to Maju 96 / myBAS T50 at the same bus stop to Pekan Nanas (≈ RM3.70). Using this route, you can plan a stop-over to shop at Paradigm Mall on your way to Pekan Nanas or on the way back.
Points to note:
I use Paradigm Mall as a landmark for changing buses because it is more prominent and easier for travellers who are not familiar with Johor Bahru to recognise — hopefully. Do use a Apple Maps / Google Maps if unsure.
It may be more economical and faster to use Grab services to Paradigm Mall if there are 3 or 4 of you in a group.
From Pekan Nanas to Johor Bahru
Getting back to Larkin Sentral or JB Sentral is just the reverse but take note of the last-bus timings departing from Pontian Bus Terminal:
Maju 96 → Larkin at 7.55pm
myBAS T50 → Larkin at 10:00pm
The buses will take approximately 30 minutes to reach Pekan Nanas from Pontian Bus Terminal.