Search the Community

So, today travelled to China, gonna be a long one, 2 weeks. The trip starts in Foshan. Arrived hotel 9.30pm, tired and hungry Pretty large room

Anyone visited there for holiday recently? Any recommended place for food and visit?

Just come back from Cherating. Stay @ The Legend Resort, Cherating. It was my first time driving to Cherating. No GPS. Just road direction given by bro here as a guide. Total journey from Singapore to Cherating. Start @ 6.40 am. Reach there 12.45 noon. It was longer than expected because at the E8 (Lebuhraya Pantai Timur), I exited at Kuantan. So end up in Kuantan town. Ask the people there for direction. Quite easy, just head to Kuala Terengganu direction to reach Cherating. Here are some of the picture.... 1) After Causeway, just head to EDL and drive to Yong Peng exit....

Arrived this evening On the way to hotel at river Arrived at hotel Went for a walk Respect this fella lifting up a bunch of cables for his truck to pass Why are bottle beers here costing $4 per bottle? Snails

At hotel lobby taking to lobby staff Me: Hi could you please recommend a good dimsum restaurant? Lady: Yes very good restaurant Me: Yea yes I like very good restaurant Lady: ok out of the hotel turn left one block down very good restaurant Me: ok thanks so name of restaurant please Lady: oh it’s very good restaurant you can’t miss Getting agitated by now Me: Yes its a very good restaurant but I need to know the name of the restaurant can you please tell me the name of the restaurant? I arrived at the restaurant finally :oops:

I know there are lots of threads about malaysia etc. Have read comments by @enye, @dleodleo and many others in desaru and other threads. Maybe can get specific comments for stuff to do for kids in MY. Planning a 4 (maybe 5 day road trip) in June to Kidzania KL. Driving in daytime and need for regular toilet breaks for the kids will take quite a while to get to KL. Day 1 - drive up to Petaling Jaya area Day 2 - kidzania Day 3 - Farm in the City and ? drive down to Malacca to stay one night (The long drive is quite sapping for me, so i prefer to make the return trip to SG a shorter one) Day 4 - nuah and return to SG If i stay a day 5, what to do around the area? Going up Genting is an option but probably seems a bit short to go up just for 1 day... District 21 seems good, but maybe my 4 year old son can't enjoy much. 10 best things to do in KL with kids. http://www.kuala-lumpur.ws/magazine/10-things-kids.htm

Greetings! Did a short getaway to Guangzhou, China with my wife a short while back. We were looking for a short getaway, and at first we looked at the region, but finally decided that it would be more fun to go to China instead. So we chose Guangzhou, which was a 4 hour flight (like flying to Hong Kong). It was a free and easy trip. We didn't cover very much, but hey, this was supposed to be for rest and relaxation. Before I jump into what we say, check out this new 'All Fours Movement' (coined by me). Elderly crawling up hill on all fours? This was at Yue Xiu Park, Guangzhou. Quite bizarre, but they seem to know what they were doing. Stay tuned for more.

Had a good 6hrs sleep on flight nice dinner too Starter Duck confit Cheese Breakfast chose pork porridge

For some quick and impromptu family bonding and outing within half a day, busy parents, have you considered bringing your kids to a pony ride ? Beats going to the crowded hot zoo, the Gallop Stable is one great place to get to nature and animals. The old premise at Ponggol has come to an end as their land lease had expired and with no possibility of renewal ( god knows why, government future development I believe ). Gallop Stable is now re-opened at Pasir Ris. Do check out this new ranch ! https://youtu.be/5c9N7A5d7XA This video and post has no affiliation to Gallop Stable. This is just a plain sharing post for families with kids to enjoy.

Got back recently from a most interesting trip to Xi'An China. This was a couple trip (left our kids at home, they got school lah), and also a belated birthday celebration for dear Wife. We wanted to try something different, so we decided to go to Xi'An, the historic capital of China, to take a look. Based on our research, there was so much to see. Didn't want to Scoot to Xi'An Yes, I know that Scoot flew direct to Xi'An. But, hey, birthday celebration - so can spend a bit more lah. We ended up flying to Xi-An on China Eastern, in Business class. China Eastern flies through Shanghai, so the schedule was: 1. 17 May MU 566 - dep Singapore 2310, arr Shanghai 0440 2. 18 May MU 2335 - dep Shanghai 0645, arr Xi'An 0930 This flight turned out to be an adventure in its own right! When we got to the airport on 17 May evening, there were long lines at the check-in. At first I thought the Economy check in was just slow, but something wasn't quite right because the line wasn't moving at all! We headed to the Priority Check in, only to be told that our flight was re-timed to next morning 0800hrs! DUH! Apparently the Shanghai Airport unilaterally did the re-timing, due to some bad weather over Guangzhou. What to do? Either we waited at the airport and let them put us up at a hotel, or we go home. Counter staff told us that there were more than 500 pax that were due to fly (because 2 flights were re-timed), and if we wanted the hotel option, we had to wait for the bus to come, and the hotel was somewhere downtown (i.e. not airport hotel). So we decided to take a taxi home so that we could have a proper sleep, and come back to the airport early tomorrow morning (i.e. before 6AM). We got to the airport before 6AM the next morning. We knew we had to change our connecting flight. We would have missed MU 2335 (dep Shanghai at 0645hrs). So the China Eastern counter staff changed our flight to MU 2162, dep Shanghai at 1730hrs. Based on our re-timed MU566, we would have landed in Shanghai around 1300hrs. So a 1730hrs flight was the next available fight out. At least we got seats. So we felt relieved. They issued our boarding passes (for both legs) and checked our luggage through. Ok, it was time to go to the lounge at Terminal 3 to relax. China Eastern uses the SATS Premier Lounge at Terminal 3. With our lounge invites issued by check in counter, we got in. It was very busy that morning! Even the China Eastern cockpit crews were there having their breakfast. Fortunately we could find some seats, but the staff were slow in clearing up used cutlery, making the place look very messy, as the video below shows. Well. the mess didn't bother me too much. I got some breakfast, including meat congee, laksa, noodles, otah-otah. Soon, it was time to board, and we made our way to the gates, which was a rather long walk at the end of the Terminal. When we got into the gates, I noticed that the cabin crew were still at the gates. Was the aircraft even here? Well there was no aircraft at the gate! Oh no, no plane, no need to go to Shanghai! Well, fortunately, the plane arrived shortly thereafter, being towed in. Managed to take this video clip. I think the plane was parked at a remote stand overnight, that's why they had to tow the plane to the gate. Travel Insurance Documentation Oh, before I forget, we had bought travel insurance for our trip. So we would be able to claim something from the insurance policy due to such a lenghty delay, but important to get an official letter from the Airline to prove that the flight was delayed. We asked at the check-in counter, and they told us to get the letter at the boarding gate. We asked again at the boarding gate, and indeed they gave us 2 copies of the letter. My point is that if you don't ask, you won't get anything. This is what the letter looked like. Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner Thrilled to see that the plane was one of their very new Boeing 787-900 aircraft! We were in for a treat because this model of aircraft carried their latest Cabin products, which you will see later. Boarding commenced shortly and a wonderful sight greeted us when we boarded the Business class cabin. It was gorgeous and very classy indeed! I was seated in 8L and my wife in front of me in 7L. Flight Experience on China Eastern Business Class The flight experience was very nice. We ended up taking off at around 9AM (instead of 8AM). All the seats could turn into a flat bed at a push of a button. Even though the flight to Shanghai was not long (under 5 hours), I had time to take a short nap. My wife told me she watched movies throughout as there was some Chinese show that she liked. They didn't have menus at the seats. Rather, the stewardess comes around to take your orders for the meal after takeoff. In that process, she showed me the menu. I made a flight review video, and I hope you enjoy watching. When we arrived in Shanghai, we had an aero-bridge and walked straight into the Terminal. After the earlier fight re-timing, we were expecting any more surprises, but a bigger challenge was to come! Stay tuned for more...

It has been a long time since I visited Taiwan. This time, my in-laws were interested in visiting the country. They wana see Taichung and Taipei, so it was an excellent opportunity for me to include a road trip to satisfy myself. Having driven on the left in USA last year, I do not see myself having much trouble with driving on the left. So why not and they(in-laws) get to experience an overseas driving holiday. Also we planned it in late Feb for the cooling weather and to see the cherry blossom. Average temperature was around 16 - 18°C but it got warmer around 20°C when we left Taiwan. For this thread, I will touch on more of my driving routes. Half of the trip is driving and the other half is on public transport. Day 1 An overnight flight on Scoot and arrived in Taoyuan Airport 5.10am. OMG, it was too early in the morning. Did not expect to arrive so early so we just sat around in the airport while my bro-in-law went to buy sim card for data. Next we took the MRT to Taoyuan HSR station, about 20 mins ride only.Our arrival at Taoyuan HSR station was early too as our scheduled booked train is at 8.05am. So we just sat around the station. My in-laws first time ride HSR, so it was something new for them. I planned it. It took 45mins of ride and we arrived at Taichung HSR station. This is the place where I had booked our car and pick up of the car was. I went with Hotai rental, a large local rental car company. It offers the option of returning the car at a different city. Had booked a 2.0L Toyota Wish for the five of us. The car had 45K km on the odometer. Took me a while to install my car camera(Blackvue DR650S), all the wirings to charge hp and hp holder. I am using two hp, one with Waze and another with Maps.Me.

Yes, I am again in the air and flew out of Singapore on the 12th evening, SQ322, the A380 direct flight.... Well, have been on this type of seat configuration many times before, so it is not as exciting as before. But as always, couples of drinks, good food, and a good night rest before arrival...... Service not as good as previous experience, maybe because stewardess is young and new.... I was not asked if I wanted a drink when I woke up and she walked pass the aisle a few times,.... walk through... I had to stop another to ask for coffee... haiz.... What is a trip report without pictures.... Plane took off from Terminal 3, shots of other SQ planes at the terminal last night... Traditional leg room shot..... some champagne before taking off....

Currently on a road trip to the national parks in yellowstone and grand Teton. Will only be here for a few days before moving to San Francisco but I will not be driving there as opposed to driving to the national parks in USA. Yellowstone and the old faithful geyser Some scenery And you don't need a big car. I got the economy kia model.

Hi guys, thinking of driving up to Batu Pahat, any places of interest and food places to recommend? I'm planning to go to Glutton Square and the Tua Pek Kong Temple by the sea side, does anyone have the addresses and directions there? Thanks in advance.

Fellow MCFers, Am fairly new to Singapore and have been lurking around this forum for a while after I got my car. Having done road trips in europe,India one of my goals of being in Singapore is to explore SE Asia by road. Started on the earnest by making a few trips to Penang, KL and was planning to make a trip to Thailand,Laos and Cambodia. But then broke it down to two legs. First leg to cover Southern thailand and then next trip to cover Northern Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. This though resulted in me working out this route for a week long trip.. It was just me driving as well in the entire care. So, it is "Me time" all through. This is the route that I worked out.. https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Singapor...amp;t=m&z=7 Some of the earlier posts by bro Fongmy, Shore gave pointers on requirements to drive a Singapore registered car in Thailand. Thank you guys for the wealth of information available. Being aware of all these made crossing the borders the least painful. That is what my trip meter looked like for the entire trip. I started the trip meter after crossing Tuas checkpoint and having entered malaysia after @ 30 minutes from the checkpint. So, easily that will add up another 60-70 kilometers. First day: 18th August 2021 Started from my house in Hougang at @7:00 AM. My plan was to hit Hat Yai by sun down and start over night there. Had our Friday beer bust at the office and went to sleep only at 12:00 making it difficult for me to get up at 4:00 as I wanted. Departure delayed by 3:00 hours. That is the fun of driving it aint it? You are on your own. Left home at 7:00 and hit Tuas. Singapore side was ok, and was thinking how is it that possible. The Malaysian side is when it really got delayed. Pile up of cars and it took more than 35 minutes to clear the Malaysian side. Anyway I was out of the Tuas Checkpoint by 8:15 which is not that bad given that it is Hari Raya Pooja. Unevenftul drive all the way to KL and took the right exit heading towards Ipoh. The traffic was free flowing and I was left wondering what is going on, whether people are taking it easy on the roads. Was expecting heavy traffic. The trouble started only after crossing KL, joining E1. A few kilometeres before Slim river exit the jams started and it went on till I crossed Bidar That is the E2 Expressway. The jam ran for many many kilometers. On the final count, the stretch of @38kms between Slim River and Bidar took more than 3 hours to cross. But the traffic eased after Bidar. I found many many cars parked in Slim River exit, and the entire stretch till Bidar. Am curious if any Malay bros could throw some light on the reason. It was interesting to see so many people out on the road having fun, though it was a problem driving. But hey, we are all on vacation to have a good time. I would have done Penang usually in 6.5 to 7 hours but that day took around 10 hours. I reached Penang by 5:00 PM and was contemplating whether I should drive all the way to Hat Yai or break at Penang as it is already sun down. But I was still feeling ok and decided to push forward. Crossed Alor Setar by 6:00 and was in Bukit Kayu Hitam by 7:00 after purchasing Thai insurance for 15 MYR and a Thai SIM card. The guy also filled up Thai Immigration form for 1 MYR. Quiet convenient and took around 15 minutes at this guy's shop. There are a series of shops and you can stop at any one of them as they all provide pretty much the same service. Saw many many Malaysian cars and the guy gave a second look when I said I am in a Singapore Car. The border crossing was bit of a pain in the neck, with the procedures. I had to park my car in an open car park. As I hold an Indian passport, have to get Visa on Arrival. I had already confirmed with the Thai embassy that this border post issues that. Went through that, costed me 1500 Bahts Visa fee. They took a web cam picture, recorded my entry. The next process is to get the Customs declaration form. This gets filled by the official in a computer and it was not that bad. She entered all the vehicle details in a form, tore it away and gave me to give it to the customs officer. I gave it to him and then he instructed me to go to the parking lot and drive my car through that entry point. There is only one exit and when you drive through you will pass through this guy, who will check your vehicle number against the filled up form and give you a copy. Hold on to it as if it is yourlife. I had been asked this document in multiple places but it was easy once I was beyond Hat Yai. You need to return this while exiting Thailand and I dont know what they can do, if you dont have this document. So, keep this safely and if possibly keep a copy. Anyway I was out of the customs and legally in Thailand along with my car by 8:15 PM. The bureaucracy took some time but it is not that bad. I saw many hotels as I cross the border but decided to hit Hat Yai, my planned destination. Reached Hat Yai by 9:15 PM. I had not booked any hotel and felt that I should have. After such a long solo drive you dont have energy to look for a hotel. Hat Yai has many one ways. Called a couple of hotels that I had the numbers and they were both full. Out of luck, drove to Tunes Hotel. They did not have any rooms but the front office lady was kind enough to call BP Grand Towers and book me there. It costed my 1280 Bahts for a night. Went to have a drink and asked for cashew nuts and beer, thinking I will get some handful of cashews. Imagine how much cashew nuts I got. A plateful, good enough to be consumed for dinner. And that is my steed parked in the BP Grand Tower parking lot. Asked the watch man to keep a watch and gave him 50 bahts. He was more than happy to keep watching the car when I was sleeping. - This is what Thai's call as Cashews for snack! Plateful good enough for dinner That is my car in the BP Grand Towers parking lot among the Thai trucks.

Hi everyone, per topic, was at Stuttgart for a holiday. Per title, will be sharing some of my experiences during the trip. All photos were taken with my iPhone camera, so I do apologise if the quality is not up to standard. Nothing eventful on the first day, arrived at Frankfurt and took a train down to the main station of Stuttgart, approx. 1hr 20min. For those who are unfamiliar, look out for the 'Long distance trains' sign at the airport, which will bring you to the platform, which looks something like this Reached Stuttgart main station, rather old building, constructed in the early 1910s till early 1930s I believe. the entrance to the ticket hall headed to my airbnb apartment thereafter, theres a vantage point nearby where you can get quite a nice view of the city center will update the rest as soon as I can, cheers

OK. Finally got time after my post-dinner kopi to post this. Those interested, please put nickname and PM contact details so I can create WhatsApp group. I apologise beforehand if my information/knowledge is outdated. Last Melaka run was a good 4 years ago. Thank yew for your sarpork. Oh.. if less than 4 cars, I calling it off. Date: 16 December 2017 (Sat) Assembly Time: 0630hrs Assembly Location: Kartright Carpark (511 Upper Jurong Road, #01-05, Singapore 638366) Set-off Time: 0700hrs via Tuas Link Proposed rest-stop (outbound): Machap Proposed rest-stop (inbound): Gelang Patah Car 1: terrylmt Car 2: Car 3: Car 4: Itinerary: Walk-walk, see-see, buy-buy, eat-eat...

https://youtu.be/u5b4acZCORQ But I notice there is no F5-E fighter Jet on display .. why ?

Long way around Malaysia road trip. SG->Kuantan->Kota Bahru->Penang->KL->SG Decided to go for a long road trip, to somewhere unfamiliar in MY that I have never been before and may never visit again. Wife said ok but must stop at KL for her to shop. So I did all the planning and the places of interests to visit. 21st Jul 2018 Set off from home at 6am in the morning. Reach Woodlands Causeway at 6.20am and there was a queue already formed. Same thing at MY side. Time check, 7.20am and we cleared both custom and immigrations. Exactly 1 hour to clear both sides. First stop, heading to Kiang Kee BKT for breakfast. It has been a while since I travelled on Tebrau highway. There were some changes in the scenery, more urbanised but basically the roads still the same. Was driving at a leisurely pace and just follow the cars in front. Reached Kiang Kee BKT around 8.30am. Not too crowded, there are still seats behind the stall. So we settled sitting behind. First look, it is the same old familiar piping hot claypot BKT. But after tasting it, the familiar taste is gone. Sad to say, IMHO, the taste has declined since my last visit couple of years back. Standard has dropped. The meat on the bones does not fall off easily already. You have to yank it off with your teeth. Very sad. I guess, with increased business, quality also suffer. But what to do, just eat lor. It will not be a must eat for me anymore, go into the “optional” category liao. After breakfast, 9am, set off to East Coast Mall, Kuantan on Route 3. The roads to Mersing was the same, up and down with left and right twisty bends. Took it slow as I don’t wish my passenger to vomit her breakfast on to my car mat. Was doing 80 to 90km/h. The scenery was the same old plantations and the odd kampong here and there. It was until Rompin a sleepy fishing village that the roads are finally clear of traffic and twisty turns that I can allow my car to stretch her legs. 120km/h was the norm now, woohoo. The passenger did not ask for a pee stop and I don’t need a pee stop. The car was more than ready to continue on the journey without stopping, thatz the advantage of having a 70L fuel tank that I had it full tank from SG. Pekan town flashed by and at around 12noon, we are in Kuantan city already. It was slightly hazy when we arrived. There was a strong smell of burnt forest in the air. East Coast Mall in Kuantan was one of our planned stop for rest, food and shopping. Had lunch, pad thai and proceeded to shopping in the mall. Then we crossed over via the back entrance to the mall next door, Kuantan City Mall. This mall was quieter but as modern as East Coast Mall. East Coast Mall attracts younger crowd cos it has a cinema within the mall. We did some grocery shopping at Giant, looking for lower priced household items and some necessities for the road trip like stocking up on mineral water to hydrate ourselves. They wanted to charge us for plastic bag but lucky we had our recycle bags with us.

Just purchased a box of walkie talkies ( 4 in a box ) for $50+ and I did a little short range test just to find out the sound quality and having a little fun. Great to have on a convoy trip with your friends , or when visiting theme parks or zoo etc.. where everyone can roam around freely and then call each other for a meal or drink together. Well, at least without incurring overseas charges. For about $12 to $13 per piece.. the price is unbeatable. Not selling nor am I a vendor. So please do not PM or ask me where to buy. Online do your homework. https://youtu.be/UaJwRp-45P4

I went on a road trip to Germany, Austria and Switzerland last December and thought I would share some photos with you guys. I booked a full size manual (3 series or similar) with Hertz but when I went to collect the car it was an Opel Insignia Stationwagen diesel instead. To be fair to Hertz during the booking process I specified I wanted a diesel as I would be travelling long distances and diesel is cheaper. When I went to collect the car in Germany they said that there were no more diesels available except the Insignia (wonder if it's true?). I was anticipating to drive the 3 series or maybe the C class so I was slightly disappointed. But at least I got a diesel and they gave me a stationwagen (not like I needed the extra space anyway) to make up for the different group of car. Nonetheless the Insignia was a good car to drive and was rather stable at 200kph on the autobahn although it was slightly noisy at that speed. It had gd fuel consumption, however there was an issue with the car that I will explain later. Here are some photos for you guys... BMW museum in Munich more to come.....

Hello all, As above. So far, HSBC quote me $104 for Classic Couple Plan.

Long Distance Driving Tips Heading for the highway With the June holidays around the corner The Highway offers you and your family some crucial pointers on preparing both yourself and your car for long distance haul, whether its just across the Causeway or even further afield. Things to check before a long trip Tyres Check if the tyre treads are still good - there should be a minimum of between 2-3mm thread depth. A thread wear indicator is a raised part of the tread that will appear when the thread is reaching its minimum safe tread depth. On most cars the front tyres will wear out faster than the rear ones. If they have about 5,000km on them, it might be good to have them rotated with the rear tyres. Tyres should be rotated every 5,000 to 10,000km in order for all four tyres to wear evenly. Note: on some high-performance models, the rear tyres will be a different size to the front tyres. In this instance the tyres should never be swapped over. Always check that front and rear tyres are the same size before rotation. Remember to check that the spare tyre is useable - it tends to be forgotten until it needs to be used - by which time it's too late. It should be under slightly more pressure than the other four tyres. The owner's manual should have the recommended pressures for each tyre, including the spare. Always set the tyre pressures when cold to ensure the correct inflation pressures. Engine Long distance driving is actually less taxing on an engine than stop and go city traffic. Even so, if it hasn't been serviced for a while, it would be wise to bring the car in for a check-up. Another thing to look out for might be the condition of the various rubber hoses - if they are soft and swollen, they should be changed before they burst. Other things to look into are levels for coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid and the windscreen washer reservoir. If you are not mechanically familiar with your vehicle, the AA offers a comprehensive pre-trip vehicle inspection for you. Emergency Equipment Anyone driving along a highway must have is a reflective warning triangle. Should a car breakdown, you should pull over to the road shoulder and deploy the triangle at least 60m behind the car - more if you can safely do so. It should be placed far enough to allow the other cars to reduce speed and avoid your car. Also remember to get all the passengers out of the car and off the highway. Other things that might come in handy include a can of tyre foam, a multi-purpose flashlight that includes a blinker, and an empty emergency petrol can. Should you suffer a breadown, remember that as AAS members, you have access to the services of AA (Malaysia) when you are across the Causeway. Call their toll free 24-hour emergency hotline at 1800 880 808 for assistance or advice on the location if the nearest approved workshop. More details are available on the internet at www.aas.com.sg. Pre-Trip Health Inspection Basic checks you should always carry out on your car before a long distance trip. Headlights Carry spare headlight bulbs and ensure main beam and dip are working. Engine Check fluid levels for coolant, brakes, power steering and windscreen washer. Tyres and Wheels Ensure no sharp objects are embedded and tread is at least 2mm deep. Baby Seat Should be securely fastened. Follow manufacturer's instructions. Petrol Have at least 3/4 tank filled before reaching Singapore customs. Overseas driving tips Take frequent breaks Most Singaporeans are not used to long distance driving as we don't get much exposure to journeys longer than an hour. In most instances highway driving is quite a monotonous activity and spending many hours behind the wheel puts a tremendous strain on the driver. If there is a single designated driver, make frequent rest stops, and someone should be assigned to keep the driver alert and entertained. Not all highways are equal Most of us are used to the PIE or CTE, which are wide and well-lit, but this may not be the case for highways outside the major city areas overseas. Because of night lighting is often poor or non-existent, try to avoid doing any long distance driving at night. Beware of jetlag Jumping into a rented car immediately after a 12-hour intercontinental flight is not a good idea. The combination of jetlag, unfamiliar roads and the unfamiliarity of the car increase the chances of an accident happening. It is probably more prudent to take a taxi or airport limousine to one's hotel immediately after the flight, and collecting the rental car after a night's rest. A handy rule of thumb for overcoming jetlag is that it takes one day for every timezone crossed. This means if the time difference between Singapore and London is seven hours, it will take seven days for one's body to fully recover. Few of us will have the luxury of this time frame to adjust our body clocks, so caffeine and exposure to sunlight are some of the more popular short cuts that people used to adjust their body clocks. Getting prepared Try to do some research before embarking on a long distance drive. The information one gets from maps and guidebooks of the place you are going to visit seldom goes to waste. A host of maps are available from the AA. More often than not, there may trains or buses to most locations you want to visit. Whenever possible, renting a car should be limited to local drives to out-of-the-way locations. Should you be driving, the AA has offices all over the world which can help one to plan suitable itineraries and driving routes. Using the right rubber Save fuel with the right tyre To really stretch the fuel dollar and get the most mileage from each tank of petrol, you should consider installing energy conserving tyres, otherwise known as tyres with low rolling resistance. Not only do these tyres save fuel, they are also designed to last longer than normal. Here are just some low rolling resistance tyres worth considering: Bridgestone Turanza GR-80 The successor to the popular Turanza GR-50, the GR-80 boasts a tread pattern that is specifically designed to suppress vibration and noise from the road surface. This tyre also uses AQ Donut II technology, which consists of a unique compound that promotes wet handling and improves durability. Michelin XM1 Apart from being a quiet and comfortable tyre, the XM1 uses Michelin's Energy Green X compound to allow it to have low rolling resistance. Michelin claims that cars fitted with this tyre will save about two litres of fuel for every 1000 kilometres travelled. Also, the XM1's generous silica content should provide first-class wet performance and excellent longevity. Pirelli P3000 Energy The P3000 Energy is a "green" tyre that is like no other. It not only promotes better fuel consumption, but Pirelli also managed to place it in the "T" speed rating (up to 190km/h) segment, which is a rarity for this kind of tyre. This incredible performance is due to the development a the newly developed tread compund and pattern. Those seeking for a tyre that is capable of providing both performance and fuel-saving benefits should give the P3000 a try. Passion for Performance On the other side of the spectrum, a long distance drive may be an excuse to really push your car to the limit. For these performance enthusiasts gripping power and high-speed stability are paramount, and fuel efficiency, longevity and noise are secondary. Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Position Jam-packed with Bridgestone's technical know-how from their Formula One racing experience, their flagship Potenza S-03 is one of the top players in the ultra-high performance tyre category. By applying the AQ Donut II technology, the S-03 has better straight-line stability and a consistent surface contact that enhances both wet and dry handling. Michelin Pilot Sport 2 Hoping to continue the success of the Pilot Sport, the second-generation Pilot Sport is a completely new tyre from its predecessor. It has a more rigid construction, softer compound and a reduced grooved tread pattern for better contact patch and more responsive handling. The VCP (Variable Contact Patch) system allows the rubber contact area to increase during cornering, while the asymmetric tread pattern should provide outstanding wet and dry handling. Pirelli P Zero Rosso "Zero" refers to zero limit or no limit, and the "Rosso" name is there because it symbolises the love of driving fast cars. By formulating some of the most technologically advanced ingredients for the tread compound, the P Zero Rosso is circuit-ready and should also provide excellent performance in the wet also. Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini are some of the manufacturers that equip their cars with the P Zero Rosso from the factory. If you can afford it . . . For drivers who are willing to invest a bit more money, a long distance trip might be a good excuse to install the following equipment: Ttinted window film For long drives, the full-strength of the equatorial sun beating down on a car can turn its interior into a green house. The installation of a window film can help to significantly reduce the heat penetration into the passenger compartment and reduce the glare of the sun. As the airconditioning has less work to do to cool the car down, there could be a fuel savings of about 3% on fuel. Note: Ensure the film you purchase is accepted by the LTA's Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board (SPRING). Legally, the light transmission for the front windescreen and two passenger windows must be at least 70% and the rear windscreen and passenger windows must be at least 50%. Automatic fire extinguisher An automatic fire extinguisher containing a fire suppression agent can be installed directly around the engine. If and when a fire occurs, a pressurised canister of halotron gas will be released, absorbing the surrounding oxygen and extinguishing the flame. The extinguisher system is completely self-contained and requires no external wiring or electrical supply. In-Car Entertainment Passengers - especially children - easily get restless when in the car for an extended period of time. You might want to consider installing an in-car entertainment system that can play DVDs and VCDs in addition to conventional CDs and radio. There are many of these kinds of systems to choose from now, such as the Blaupunkt IVDM-7002 with its built-in 7-inch screen to save you the hassle and additional expense of separate monitors. What do all those signs mean . . . Malaysian road signs aren't all in convenient English - many are written in Bahasa Melayu. DOn't drive ignorantly into danger. Stay safe by learning what these signs mean - take this guide on your holiday trip with you. THANKS TO AA

So who has not been to Oz and in particular Sydney? Blue mountains? Harbor bridge? Koalas? I think most of us have seen them all .. How about a chill vacation where one simply sits back, and have more caffeine in five days than one does in a month? Try some of the nicest food and simply kick back and absorb the atmosphere whilst not doing too much? Let me show you a few places to eat, drink some java and do something different ... First, what's Sydney without Pho? It's as ubiquitous as chicken rice in SG... with so many migrants from Vietnam over the years, it's no surprise that they do a good pho soup. Add good quality Aussie beef and you have a marvellous combination. Madam Nhu: How about ending off a nice day with a brilliant sunset:

Sharing pics of my Maldives trip. I stayed at Kuda Huraa and Landaa Giraavaruu. First Up: Kuda Huraa My big fist Baby reef shark Landaa Giraavaru