Ulu Tiram is a town that grew as a result of Johor Bahru’s outward development. Located about 20km away from the city centre, it is traversed by the Senai-Desaru Expressway (SDE), which goes from the west to the east of Johor, as well as by the trunk road of Tebrau Highway and Jalan Kota Tinggi, connecting Johor Bahru to the North-South Expressway (NSE).

Some of the more well-known neighbourhoods within the town include Taman Desa Cemerlang, situated off the main roads of Jalan Lebuh Cemerlang and Jalan Cemerlang, Taman Pelangi Indah, Taman Bukit Tropika, Taman Puteri Wangsa, Taman Bukit Tiram and Taman Bestari Indah.

In Taman Desa Tebrau, a neighbourhood about 10km away from the Ulu Tiram town centre, residents will be able to find a Tesco Extra store, AEON Tebrau City mall, IKEA Tebrau and Hospital Sultan Ismail. Moving towards Johor Bahru, there are also many amenities all along the main trunk road, Jalan Kota Tinggi.

Nevertheless, on the whole Ulu Tiram is a self-contained town. The central area of Ulu Tiram is comparatively matured, and therefore has most of the urban amenities one would usually need – post offices, a police station, clinic, banks, pharmacies, religious institutions, car workshops, petrol stations, eateries, supermarkets, and several schools – SJK (C) Tiram, SK Ulu Tiram and Sekolah Agama Bandar Tiram.

There is a Today’s Mall, situated at the northern side of Ulu Tiram. Inside this mall is the Tiram Indoor Water Park and Superstar Cinema, in addition to a Giant supermarket. Primary and secondary schools abound in the town too, ranging from a Chinese school to Malay-medium national schools like SMK Puteri Wangsa and SMK Pelangi Indah.

For tertiary education, there is the Crescendo International College in Taman Desa Cemerlang, which specializes in law and accounting programmes. The neighbourhood is also home to an Econsave Cash & Carry supermarket.

Overall, Ulu Tiram is a good place to stay in if you are looking for a location with a more serene atmosphere that is still close to basic amenities. However, public transportation is hard to come by in the town, so it is best if those who choose to stay here have their own means of transport. Also, traffic in the area can be heavy during peak hours, especially along the main roads.