Ayer Hitam

Ayer Hitam

Ayer Hitam (Chinese: 亚依淡) is a rest town (Bandar persinggahan) in Batu Pahat District, Johor, Malaysia. Located just at the junction of route and route , it is known for its many outlets selling pottery and other crafts. It also is one of the interchange for North-South Expressway. It is the border town between Batu Pahat and Kluang district. Approximately 32 km away from Bandar Penggaram,Batu Pahat, capital of Batu Pahat district and 20 km away from Kluang.

History

Ayer Hitam^[1] simply means Black Water. A lively town, Ayer Hitam is always bustling with passing vehicles and people who travels north and south. This place is well known for its ceramic items such as flower vases in an assortment of colours, photo frames, jars, ashtrays, and other home decorative items. For a closer look, you can also watch the potters at work. Aside from quality souvenirs, Ayer Hitam is also dotted with many stalls selling local tidbits known as 'kerepek' among the locals. Amongst the famous ones are prawn crackers, steamed corn, tapioca chips, and the all-time must-try “otak-otak”. These food items are fresh and prepacked for you, and sold at reasonable prices.

Located in the district of Batu Pahat. Before the advent of the North-South Expressway, Air Hitam was a major route intersection leading to Malacca and Kuala Lumpur going northbound, Johor Bahru and Singapore going southbound, and Kluang and Mersing going eastbound. It was a popular rest stop for many tour buses and travellers between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Visitors could find souvenir shops, restaurants and locals peddling to sell their vegetables.

The E2 Expressway between Ayer Hitam and Yong Peng flyover is reputed to be haunted. Drivers would feel drowsiness and uneasiness as they drive through the area at night especially when there are no other vehicles nearby and accident rates around the area are much higher than usual, despite the road lacking any high-prone accident bends.