Kukup Fishing Village

Kukup Fishing Village is a traditional water village built on stilts over the Straits of Malacca at Kukup in Pontian District, Johor, Malaysia. Known as one of the largest fishing villages in the region, it features wooden boardwalks connecting stilt houses, seafood restaurants and aquaculture kelongs. The village is noted for its fishing heritage, mangrove surroundings and proximity to Kukup Island National Park, offering visitors insight into coastal village life and local seafood culture.

Visitors can expect a stilt village built entirely over water, connected by wooden boardwalks and jetties. The setting includes rows of wooden houses, seafood restaurants, souvenir and dried seafood shops, and active fishing boats and kelongs (offshore aquaculture platforms). The surroundings are mangrove-lined waterways with views of the Straits of Malacca. Visitors can walk the boardwalks, dine on seafood, observe fishing and aquaculture activities, and take boat tours to nearby mangroves and Kukup Island.

Kukup developed as a Chinese fishing settlement in the early 20th century, growing around fishing, aquaculture and mangrove resources at the southwestern tip of Johor. The stilt-house layout reflects adaptation to tidal coastal conditions and the area's long-standing fishing economy.

The village reflects the coastal fishing culture of Johor, predominantly Chinese fishing community traditions, stilt-house architecture, kelong aquaculture practices, and seafood-based livelihoods that continue to shape daily life and visitor experiences.