Desaru

Desaru, the popular beach resort, is located on the eastern tip of the peninsula (near Singapore - about 
1½hr drive from Johor Bahru). 
It has clean sandy white beaches with a lush tropical forest that goes for about 25 kilometres. You can walk nearly 50 meters into the sea and still the depth is approximately 4 feet deep).

Desaru is a popular destination for tourists as well as locals. It is a village of casuarinas with 25km of unspoiled beaches and a lush tropical forest. The  clean water has made many water sporting activities such as snorkelling, fishing, boating and canoeing possible. You can do also other activities without the blue sea. You can do golfing, jungle trekking, horseback riding and tennis. There are many resorts and hotels here that cater to a variety of budget. There are resorts and hotels for the  budget traveller as well as families seeking fun in the sun.

The beaches are lined with casuarina trees dotted by rustic fishing villages. Nearby are cascading falls, natural lakes and jungles where one can go jungle trekking.
To make your visit more memorable, visit Tanjung Pengelih to see  the relics of World War Two and the historical relic of the Malay Johor Riau Empire at Johor Lama.

Getting to the largest district of Johor at the south-eastern end of the peninsula, requires an hour's drive from Johor Baru. From the north, the easiest way is to take the Kulai exit of the North-South Expressway followed by a 90-minute drive to the historic town. The coastal road is a lot more scenic.
There are reliable public transportation services from all major towns. There is a direct ferry service between the Tanah Merah ferry terminal in Singapore and Sebana Cove, about an hour from Kota Tinggi.

reference:

http://www.malaysiasite.nl/desarueng.htm