MY · Johor · 1.92°N 103.18°E

ayer hitam

Clay pots, ceramics and bags of keropok, just off the North–South Expressway.

Best time
Any time of year. Weekdays are easier for browsing and parking.
How long
Half a day
Getting there
About 2.5–3 hours' drive from KL on the North–South Expressway; take the Ayer Hitam exit. Yong Peng is 15 minutes away, and Batu Pahat and Kluang are about half an hour.
Save postcard
MY · Johorayer hitam1.92°N 103.18°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Clay pots, ceramics and bags of keropok, just off the North–South Expressway.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingAyer HitamMY, Johor
KLayer hitam
≈ 214 km from KL, as the crow flies
Ayer Hitam, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia

Photo: Chongkian · CC BY-SA 4.0

1 / 2

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Before the expressway, this junction was the rest stop on the old trunk road between KL and Singapore, and Ayer Hitam has stayed a roadside stop ever since. It calls itself Bandar Seramik: rows of shops sell clay pots, vases and garden jars, next to stalls piled high with keropok and kerepek.

Makan

  1. Keropok and kerepekPrawn crackers, tapioca chips and banana chips by the bag, for the rest of the drive.Map ↗
  2. Otak-otakSpiced fish paste grilled in leaf packets, sold warm from the roadside stalls.Map ↗
  3. Jagung rebusSteamed sweet corn from the stalls by the junction.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. The pottery shopsShop after shop along the main road, with garden pots, vases, jars and claypots for the kitchen.Map ↗
  2. Aw PotteryA family pottery at Machap, about 10 minutes south, going since the 1940s. Watch the potters at work or book a hand-building class.Map ↗
  3. Arena WarnaA covered bazaar in the town centre for snacks, fruit and handicrafts.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Clear the boot before you go, and ask the shop to wrap pots well. The big glazed jars are heavier than they look.
  • Make a day of the drive with Yong Peng's fish balls or Kluang Rail Coffee.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.