IKEA Tebrau, located in Taman Desa Tebrau of Johor Bahru, is right next to AEON Tebrau City, about 14.5Km from JB CIQ. The huge outlet offers a somewhat cheaper (but not all items) alternative to the IKEA outlets in Singapore. Together with AEON Mall and nearby Tesco Extra, they formed another shoppers’ heaven.
This post will effectively help you to get to 3 shopping places:
IKEA Tebrau (our primary focus)
Aeon Tebrau City
Tesco Extra Tebrau City
It is easier to get to IKEA Tebrau via Woodlands Checkpoint (a.k.a. 1st Link) from Singapore. After crossing the border, use public bus services to get there from JB Sentral without having to drive. Alternatively, use Grab but will require mobile data.
Travel by Public Bus
Take myBAS T10 from the bus terminal below JB Sentral or from Larkin Sentral to IKEA Tebrau. The service will depart from JB Sentral, make a short stop at Larkin Sentral and then continue towards Kota Tinggi.
The service will make a stop at AEON Tebrau City and then IKEA. However, the area around IKEA is all fenced up. So, it is easier to walk to IKEA by dropping at the bus stop at AEON Tebrau City instead of directly at IKEA. Board the bus and tell the bus driver you are going to "Tebrau City".
If you are not sure where to alight, here's a tip to help you:
Ensure you have the Google Maps app or Apple Maps app installed on your mobile phone.
Locate and mark AEON Tebrau City on the map app before you cross the border. This will allow the app to cache the map on your device before you go offline when travelling.
After boarding the bus service, launch the map app and show your own location on the map — don't worry, GPS location services do not use mobile data, you can keep your phone on Airplane mode.
The bus services will travel along Tebrau Highway. When the map or location indicator shows that you are nearing AEON Mall, ring the bell and alight.
Walk up the slope behind the bus stop and you should be able to see the blue building of IKEA Tebrau to your right.
Watch out for vehicles when crossing the roads.
Coming back? Use the overhead bridge to cross the highway and board myBAS T10 at the bus stop opposite AEON Mall.
Travel by Grab Service
Taking Grab's cab service may be a better option in terms of flexibility in timing and also saving the hassle of using buses, especially after buying some stuffs. The fare to IKEA Tebrau should be around RM15 from JB Sentral and RM21 coming back (prices may vary depending on surcharges during peak hours).
Local taxis will be around RM20-25 from the taxi booth below JB Sentral — the fare charged by the booth is fixed. However, coming back may be more than RM35 as it will be up to the taxi drivers to charge. In Malaysia, taxi drivers are known to rip-off Singaporeans, foreigners and even locals. (Taxi charges quoted here are based on personal experience — which is why I don't use local taxis when travelling in Malaysia.)
Make your trip more worthwhile: