The Trip At A Glance

Day 1 // The Delayed Start

Pick-Up Was "Confirmed At 9AM" — Arrived At Noon

Started the morning the right way — kopi peng from my usual coffee shop at my house. Ice cold, strong, exactly what you need before a cross-border run. Nothing fancy, nothing branded. Just the real thing. The original plan had a driver picking us up at 9AM to collect the rental in JB. Classic. High chance of delay from the start, and sure enough, we didn't get the keys until around 12PM. First lesson of any cross-border family trip: never plan the first activity too tight. Buffer it hard.

With the car finally in hand, we stopped at a petrol station along the way — quick fuel-up, grab some snacks, let the kids stretch. Small stop, but honestly necessary after the morning waiting around.

1:30PM — Four Points by Sheraton Desaru: Hotel Welcome Package (The Unplanned Kind)

Checked in at Four Points by Sheraton Desaru. Decent property, reasonable expectations for a family stay. Then things got interesting. The room had two problems back-to-back: no hot water, and at some point we got locked out. Not exactly the relaxing arrival you picture when booking a beach hotel with two kids in tow.

The hotel staff came through though — free breakfast for the rest of the stay as compensation. Appreciated. And for anyone else checking in there: the hot water system has a specific trick to it. Turn all the taps to max hot first, run the water until it starts heating, then dial back to your preferred temp. The tap is the main trigger for the heater to activate. Also check the door battery — low battery means the lock acts up. Useful intel for future guests.

2:00PM – 5:00PM — Desaru Mini Zoo

First activity of the trip and a solid choice. Reviews don't lie — this place is a must-visit if you're in Desaru with kids. RM20/person, and another RM20 for a basket of animal feed. The kids had a blast. Good mix of animals, interactive enough to keep them engaged, not too overwhelming. Entry: 9AM–7PM daily.

Evening — Food, Convenience Stores & One More Door Problem

After the zoo, we swung by 4 Turn Island for Subway and some local snacks around 5:30PM. A good halfway-house option when you're between activities and the kids are hungry. By 7PM we hit the Eco Shop nearby for supplies. KFC at 8PM for dinner — simple, reliable, no arguments from the peanut gallery.

Then the door acted up again at 9PM. And the heater again at 9:30PM. Both sorted by 11PM after working through the tricks above. Everyone bathed, everyone in bed. Honestly, for a Day 1 with that many hiccups, it ended fine.

// Note: The shopping mall nearby requires a short drive — about 15 minutes on foot which isn't realistic with kids. Keep the car key handy for any evening runs.

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Day 2 // The Animal Farm Circuit

9:00AM — Breakfast, Then Roll Out

With free breakfast secured (see: hotel compensation above), we fuelled up properly before heading out. Grabbed a kopi peng from the nearest coffeeshop — became the default morning ritual from Day 1. Ice coffee, local style, non-negotiable. By 10:30AM we were at the first stop.

10:30AM – 12:30PM — Desaru Ostrich Farm ⚠️ Permanently Closed

A genuinely fun stop, especially for the kids — RM25/adult, RM20/kids. The ostriches are exactly as chaotic as you'd expect, and getting close enough to feed them is equal parts terrifying and hilarious for the little ones. We visited in November 2024, which puts us among the last batch of visitors ever before the farm shut its doors for good. Desaru Ostrich Farm permanently closed on 28 December 2024 — so if you're planning a trip now, take this one off the list. It's a shame; it was a genuinely good stop.

12:30PM — Lunch Somewhere

Grabbed food nearby before heading to the next farm. Flexibility is key here — just find a spot that works for the family rather than hunting for something specific.

1:30PM – ~3:30PM — Desaru Alpaca Farm

RM35/person, with an optional RM3 bowl of leaves to feed the animals. Open 10AM–6PM. If you've done the zoo and ostrich farm already, the kids are well-warmed up by now — they know the drill with animal feeding and are significantly more confident. The alpacas are more photogenic than you'd think. Worth the entry.

4:00PM – 6:00PM — Desaru Fruit Farm

This one exceeded expectations. We booked a 4-seater buggy ride through the farm — proper experience, not just a walk-through. Fresh fruit straight off the trees, the whole "farm-to-mouth" thing lands differently when you're actually on the ground doing it. Close at 6PM daily, so time it right. Highly recommend the buggy option — it's a level up over just strolling the stalls.

6:00PM — SKS Mall Desaru

Ended Day 2 at SKS Mall for dinner. Decent options inside, aircon welcome after a full afternoon in the heat. Back at the hotel by 8PM — kids were done for the day, and honestly so were we.

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Day 3 // Nothing On The Agenda, And That's The Point

9:00AM — Standard Breakfast + Kopi Peng, As Required

Another morning, another kopi peng at the same local coffeeshop . By Day 3 it had become the unofficial morning ritual of this trip — ice cold, dark, cheap, and better than anything the hotel lobby would've served. Fuelled up at the complimentary hotel breakfast, then genuinely had no plan for the day. That was the plan.

Mid-Morning — Hotel Swimming Pool

Straight to the pool after breakfast. No schedule, no itinerary, no farm animals requiring coordination. Just the family in the water for a proper stretch. Four Points has a decent pool setup — the kids needed no convincing and could've stayed there until checkout. Good call to build in a full rest day. After two back-to-back activity days, everyone needed this.

Late Morning — Beach Walk (Reality Check)

Walked over to the nearby beach after the pool. The honest take? It's fine, but don't come expecting Bali. Sand's decent, the water's okay — but it's very much a Singapore east coast beach situation. Calm, familiar, slightly underwhelming if you've been to anywhere further afield. The kids paddled around, we walked the stretch, then called it and headed for food. No regrets, but it's not the main draw of Desaru.

Lunch — Back At The Coffeeshop

Headed back to the same local coffeeshop from our morning kopi run. Kept it simple — rice and whatever was on the table that day. The kind of lunch that doesn't need a review. Cheap, unpretentious, hit the spot.

Afternoon — SKS Mall Desaru (Again)

Second visit to SKS Mall. Not because it's spectacular, but because it's the only proper air-conditioned walkabout option in the area. Good enough for a casual browse, keeps the kids occupied, and you're not melting in the afternoon heat. Did another lap, picked up a few things, called it a successful nothing-day activity.

6:00PM — Western Dinner

Sat down for a proper western dinner by 6PM — a deliberate gear change from the hawker and KFC routine. Good call. Everyone got a proper meal, the adults got something resembling a sit-down dinner, and the kids were well-behaved enough for it to count as a nice evening out.

Evening — Hotel Facilities: Games Corner, Movie Corner & Live Band

Headed back to the hotel and actually used the place properly for once. The games corner kept the kids occupied for a solid stretch — the kind of thing you only notice exists on the last night when you're not rushing somewhere. There's also a movie corner, which rounded out the wind-down nicely. The cherry on top: a live band performing in the hotel that evening. Wasn't expecting it, ended up being a great way to close out the night. Kids were entertained, adults had an actual chill evening. Day 3 done right.

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Day 4 // The Exit Run

9:00AM — Final Breakfast & Check-Out

Last complimentary breakfast. Packed up, checked out by 10:30AM. No drama this time — the door worked fine on departure. One final kopi peng for the road? You already know the answer.

12:00PM — Johor Bahru

Arrived back in JB around noon. Spent the time on a proper mall run — Sunway Big Box for whatever we needed. Final stock-up, one last meal, and a chance to grab anything we missed before heading home.

Before 4PM — Return Vehicle with Full Tank

Pumped petrol before returning the car — total trip was roughly 307km. Keep this in mind when estimating fuel cost. Return was smooth, no issues with the vehicle beyond what was already documented at check-in.

What We Visited — Quick Reference

• Desaru Mini Zoo — 9AM–7PM daily. RM20/pax + RM20 feed basket. Must-visit, kids loved it.
• Desaru Ostrich Farm — ⚠️ Permanently closed as of 28 Dec 2024. We were one of the last visitors. Skip the planning — it's gone.
• Desaru Alpaca Farm — 10AM–6PM. RM35/pax, RM3 for leaf bowl.
• Desaru Fruit Farm — Daily, closes 6PM. Go for the 4-seater buggy tour. Awesome experience.
• SKS Mall Desaru — Good for both dinner and a daytime wander. Air-conditioned sanity in the afternoon heat.
• Eco Shop — Nearby the hotel, useful for supplies and random purchases.
• Local Coffeeshop (near hotel) — Kopi peng every morning, lunch on Day 3. The real MVP of the trip.

What We Skipped (And Why)

• Firefly Valley Leisure Park — Opens from 1PM, but it's about an hour's drive from the hotel. Removed from the plan due to late-night driving — not worth the risk with the kids.
• Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast — Would've been a full-day activity on its own. Fun, but time didn't allow.
• Golf (Els Club Desaru Coast) — Not this trip.
• Crocodile Farm — Didn't feel right for the kids.
• Desaru Jetty Walk — Passed on it. Bedok Jetty is longer anyway.

Final Thoughts

For a 4-day family trip just across the border, Desaru punches above its weight. It's not a glamorous destination — but it's exactly the right kind of low-pressure, easy-to-navigate escape when you've got young kids and limited bandwidth for complicated logistics. The hotel issues were annoying in the moment but forgettable in hindsight. The farms were the real highlight — genuinely good experiences that the kids still talk about. And building in a proper rest day on Day 3 was the right call — don't try to fill every slot. Sometimes the pool, a beach walk, and a kopi peng is enough.

Would we go back? Probably. But next time we might consider booking a different hotel.