Malaysia: Transformation of mangroves at Danga Bay, Johor

Behold the beauty in the south
Sim Bak Heng New Straits Times 19 Jul 12;

TRANSFORMATION: Once a piece of swampland devoid of human activity the charming Danga Bay today is a landmark for visitors near and far

JOHOR BARU: THE Danga Bay here is a typical case of an ugly duck transforming into a beautiful swan.

The era of the ugly duck was the time when the area was mangrove swampland and the only crowd puller was the then Lido Beach. Yet, the Lido Beach has little infrastructure and has failed to become a tourist spot.

During the economic slowdown in the late 1990s, no businessmen with a sound mind dared to dump in their money to develop this swampland along the Johor Straits, or had high hopes of strong returns on investment in this location.

As most developers withdrew from this part of Johor Baru, Tan Sri Lim Kang Hoo, the managing director of Ekovest Bhd, came in.

While most people could see only plenty of mud in the mangrove area, Lim saw visions of a waterfront city of the future.

He could visualise what Danga Bay would be like in five years, ten years, or even further.

Today, the Danga Bay development is slowly taking shape and is already a landmark not only in Johor, but the country.

It is surely a beautiful swan in the making.

At present, Danga Bay has an international convention centre called the Danga Bay Convention Centre which can seat 3,600 people for a banquet or 8,000 people for a conference.

Besides the convention centre is the Bay Leaf which features the Lazio Restaurant and Bar, as well as a seafood restaurant fit for family dine-outs and for entertaining guests.

An open space between the Lazio and the Johor Straits offers the perfect chill-out location for visitors to have drinks with friends while enjoying the sunset view at Danga Bay.

The spot is a popular choice for bridal photo shoots.

With the yachts and the scenery of Johor Straits as the backdrop, it is a sight to behold and a feast for the senses every evening.

Danga Bay has become a port of call for yachting enthusiasts worldwide.

After it became the stopover for the Sail Malaysia Darwin-Langkawi Yacht Rally in 2009, it is a choice location in the world yachting map.

Danga Bay is not only meant for adults. The Danga Bay Theme Park is popular with children as it offers many rides in the evening.

For adults, the theme park offers a perfect family get-together.

While most developers can't wait to build residential and commercial property on their land to make money, Lim took the unconventional way by investing on non-profit "social components" first.

He took on the responsibility of turning Danga Bay into a tourist and recreational spot, a task most developers would assign to the government.

The social components alone in Danga Bay have cost Lim some half a billion ringgit in total investment.

In fact, the only commercial element initially was the Danga View Apartment blocks. This was later followed by the Danga Walk shop offices. Now, of course, work has started in the high-end Tropez Residence.

"Turning Danga Bay into what it is now needs more than just money. It needs vision and plenty of courage.

"I've always dreamt about transforming Danga Bay into a beautiful waterfront city of the future since I first set sight on this place.

"We're still long way to realising the dream. But we've laid the foundation for bigger and better things to come," he said.

Danga Bay offers more than just activities inland.

The Danga Cruise brings tourists for a tour along the Johor Straits with food served onboard, offering an altogether different style in outdoor dining.

Chartered boats or water taxis are available for those interested in touring the islands across the Danga Bay.

The fun in Danga Bay is never-ending.