Search the Community

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

Bros I figured that I want to do a little road trip with friends before I have to give up my car.. See some of the nice places around M'sia, and not just the typical stuff. The plan is to go in October just before the school holidays, or end of Sept.. so I can also see the East coast before the annual monsoon. Some ideas: Perak rice fields Makan in Ipoh Tasik Kenyir in Trengganu Food in Penang I won't mind stopping in Malacca along the way, but I have been there a lot of times If anyone has a similar plan or done this before, please share, thanks! Also please share if you have tips on food spots, places to stay (under $100Sin), and sights to see. Cheers

My wife’s friend invited us to go over to New York, USA to visit her and stay at her place. So we agreed and planned for a visit in Autumn before the winter snow comes and it will be too cold to walk around. My wife’s friend stays at the suburbs of New York City but still within New York state so it is a good place to stay and still able to visit New York City. After extensive search on various websites, we settled for Qatar Airways flight with a stopover at Doha, Qatar. Initially, wanted to try the SIA direct flight but wifey say she does not want to seat in the aeroplane for 19 hours and also the cost was more than double of what we can get on Qatar Airways. We listed down the places of interest we wanted to visit since it was our first time to USA. And since it was NYC, most of the places will be what we saw in the movies and TV. Then we planned for shopping and throw in a road trip to satisfy my desire to drive long distances in USA. My wife’s friend provided some tips on places to visit and my colleague/trusted friend in the office provided me with lots of tips on what to see, where to eat and how to get around NYC as he is a regular to USA. His twin brother stays there and he visits him every year. There was enhanced security check for everyone bound for USA at Doha, Qatar airport. They first check if you have ESTA, if yes, your name will be already on their list. Then it is time to strip down your clothes. No sweater or jackets, remove belt, footwear, keys, coins, wallet, hp and anything from your pockets. Next, empty all your hand carry items in your bag. All electronic devices like laptop, camera, drone, tablet, hp, etc must be placed separately in another tray. They wipe down all electronic devices and put the cloth into the ion scanner to check for traces of explosive/gun powder (I guess). I left my drone in my carry-on bag and when the x-ray detected it, was told to go back to the line and repeat the process again. Passengers were already boarding the plane while I was still going thru the checks. Many ppl were in the same scenario too. Touch down in JFK airport. It was a wet morning. I left SG on Fri night and reached NYC on a Sat morning. Woohoo, as if time stood still. But in fact, it was already Sat night in SG. Have flown exactly 24 hours and the time difference between NYC and SG is exactly 12 hours. The queue at immigration was terribly long, 45 mins before we get to see the officer. And over here, they see u as a family. Ya, whole family stand in front of the officer and he ask questions and stamp passport. For us, he didn’t ask much as it was our first time there, only ask how long we will be in USA. Retrieved our luggage and followed the instruction that Enterprise car rental had provided me. Took the air train to where all the car rentals are located. For Enterprise, got to take a shuttle bus after alighting from the air train as it was further away. The temp was around a cool 14°C. Had booked a Rav4 but there was no Rav4 on site so the guy provided me with a Hyundai Tucson. Less than 10,000 miles on the odo, still got new car smell. Loaded our luggage and drove to my wife’s friend home, another 40+km away. Had to keep awake and ensure I drive the correct direction. Somehow lost my way while I was on the freeway as there was a split 3 ways and I guessed the wrong one. Did a few rounds in a neighbourhood and got back on to the freeway. Entrances to the freeway were not clearly indicated on the road, no big signboard.

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

Yo bros and sis...need advise liao. Maiden trip to Batam with my Missus coming Wednesday for a short getaway. Staying at BCC hotel & Residence. Any nearby good makan/spa/massage (clean) to recommend? What else to do there huh? Check the threads here and last one is in April and not really relevant. Dun turn my thread into la sup thread ok. [laugh]

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...

I will be doing a road trip with my group of friends to Thailand. I have not done this before and will appreciate any suggestions from forumers here. BTW, there is 9 of us going in 2 cars , most probably an SUV and a Sedan. What to look out and prepare for in terms of the car conditions to minimise it having problems along the trip If I need essential stuffs for the car along the way, is it safe or avaliable to replenish them in malaysia My friends are ambitious and would like to drive all the way to Bangkok, How many days does that take (to and fro) What are some of the stops recommended for overnight stays Any other things that I should take note of Thanks guys

Has anyone tried the Jetpac esim from Circles.Life before, when going on trips? It costs $20/month, for 20 GB of global roaming data, and can cancel anytime (but will charge per month basis - meaning if go for 7-day trip and cancel on 8th day, still charge 1 full month). Is this a good idea? i'm on SingTel plan, and will be in M'sia and Thailand for a few days, so am considering between this or the readyroam by Singtel, which is cheaper at $15, but only 4GB. Any feedback or suggestion is appreciated. Thanks.

I have read on some of tips given by forumers here but those posting are quite old (a few years back) already. Am planning for a road trip early November. Will be having 12 days (including touching down and flying off days). Will be landing in Christchurch and flying off from Auckland. My friend told me that AKL is very boring so I intend to leave only one full day for Auckland. Will be spending most of the days in South Island. hence, I have only having 9 or 10 days in South Island. I am trying to cover everything that was recommended (eg. Sky diving, Milford cruise, Penguin watching, baby seal watching, whale watching...etc etc....) At first, I thought of getting a campervan, but after reading some review, better switch back to normal car. I will be traveling with one friend and I am the sole driver. Some questions: (my first trip to NZ) 1. Looking at the distance given by google map, from one place to another (eg. ChC to Lake terapo) seems very far, like around 220km, going through winding road. Does these road same as those in Msia old trunk roads? I wonder how far can I cover in one day. 2. Is it possible to cover from ChC to Dunedin, Te Anau, Milford Sound, Queenstown, Mt Cook, Arthur's pass, Kaikoura in just 9 days?? 3. Must I book the lodging place/motel in advance or can I book upon arriving? Without advance booking, I can determine when I'm tired, then can find a place to lodge and do not need to pressing on till reaching certain pre-booked lodging place. 4. Will there be ample stop/ lay-by areas for toilet break and rest or petrol top up? 5. Does parking in town area need parking payment? Thank you for any advice.

Hi guys, I'm wondering if any of you have done a road trip in Tasmania? Few questions I have so far: 1. When would be the best time to go? 2. If I want to do a canter van trip, would I need additional licence? 3. Any most preferred location that you've been to? Thanks in advance. Cheers.

Just came back from a road trip recently to Ipoh. As it is the first time up North, I relied on the GPS to guide me all the way. After the trip, I had a discussion with my colleague and was told that the route I've taken is not the fatest. The GPS guided me through KL, paid some toll and continued onto the NS expressway. My friend was saying that there is a direct link all the way north till I reach Ipoh before paying toll. Could someone probably advise me where is this connecting point and what should I look out for on the next trip. Thanks a million

I have been planning this road trip for a couple of months already. Read through the various blogs of ppl who have done the same road trip. Also find out what is the current procedure to cross the Thai border at Sadao. Booked the hotels, printed and filled the necessary forms to cross into Thailand by car. Arranged with my brother to come along with me for the drive up to Bangkok, then he flies home from Bangkok. My wife will fly into Bangkok and join me on the trip back to Singapore. So its basically chiong all the way up and take the scenic route back while enjoying the drive. SG -> Hatyai -> Surat Thani -> Hua Hin -> BKK -> Hua Hin -> Surat Thani -> Hatyai -> Ipoh -> KL -> SG The day before the set off, filled the car to the brim and took photo of my odometer as this is going to be a very long road trip. 6th July 2019 (Saturday) Kiss and hug my wife goodbye and set off at 4am to pickup my brother. I didn’t want to set off so early but my brother wana avoid the causeway jam. There were indeed no jams at all and we are into NSHW. I took the first drive. Stopped over at Pagoh Reststop for pee and topped up TNG card. We switched drivers, my brother took over the drive. Next stop was Tapah Reststop as the sun begin to rise. Fuel the car to the brim and I drove now. Our initial plan was to stop at Alor Setar and enter Thailand the next day. But since we are so early, might as well try to enter it the same day. By 1pm, we arrived at Changlun town. It is the last town in MY before reaching the border. It is only 10km to the border. We went to the Petronas station for fuel and to get our 3rd party Thai insurance and white card. Then drove further ahead to a coffeeshop for lunch, our first meal of the day. We had bak kut the and was pretty disappointed as there is no pork ribs. Owner said the ppl here are stingy and not willing to pay so cannot cook pork rib. So funny. Anyway, just fill the tummy and move on. Arriving at Bukit Kayu Hitam, MY side is a new custom and immigration building. No tolls/road charge/VEP to be paid. Just stamp passport and we are off, same as SG/MY crossing. However as we exited the building, we are stuck in the jam already. Traffic has built up from the Thai side till MY custom. Inching forward every few 5-10mins, it was painful. When we were near the Thai immigration checkpoint, the police ask my brother, the passenger to alight and go through the normal walk-in immigration. He did the same for cars around me, asking passengers to alight. When I was just four cars away from the counter, I messaged my brother to check where he is in the human queue. Alamak, he still queuing at the outside of the building, not yet even enter it. So I did what everyone in front of me did, I called my brother to come over to my car and we will clear immigration together. The process is very weird. You drive up to the counter, everyone alights from the vehicle and stand in front of the counter to clear immigration. The immigration officer don’t care how many ppl in the vehicle, he will just process your documents. So thatz what everyone did, calling their passengers to join them at the counter. The human queuing also has those tour buses passenger so would take longer time. After having my passport stamped, I proceeded to the counter in the next building to “import” my car into Thailand. There was no queue at all here. I walked up and let the officer process the documents. He printed out the importation form and told me to let officer sign and remember to return it once I exited Thailand. As I begin to walk away, the officer shouted at me to come back. He kept saying let officer sign and point to his back, the other guy seating behind him. I tot I was to drive the car up and there is an officer at the gate to sign it. So I handed the form to the officer to sign and he also reminded me to return the form upon leaving Thailand, otherwise 10,000 baht fine. By then, there was a guy walking to me and told me that my car has breakdown as my brother was unable to start the car. Therefore there was a jam at my lane. Oops, went back and saw my brother trying to start the car to no avail. Then spare remote I passed to him got no more battery juice and he don’t know how to start it manually. Faster start and drove off!!! Took us a total of 2 hours to clear this Thai immigration. Woohooo, we are in Thailand. As we were stuck in the jam, I quickly made an online booking with The Regency at Hatyai for the night. We gave up our hotel in Alor Setar and went straight into Hatyai. Hatyai is 50km away from Sadao border, the drive there was smooth. Not much traffic jams. Using Waze to guide us there. The Regency has underground private carpark and it is in the night street stalls area, just opposite Lee Gardens Plaza hotel. Very well known area. The hotel room was dated, like in the 80’s feel. We rested in the hotel room till dinner time and proceeded to take a tuk tuk to Greenway market for dinner. After that we came back to the hotel area and walked the street stalls. Then we rest for the night. Makan photo here : https://www.mycarforum.com/topic/2711591-makan-in-thailand/?p=6711758

Goin to australia soon. Which to get? Existing starhub data roaming or icc sim card? Telstra? Optus? Thks

Sea view at port dickson

Hey guys, planning a driving holiday to taiwan end oct. anyone done a driving trip with an itenary to share? 6d 5 night thanks! Starting city is taipei

Dear bros (and sisters), I know there have been threads about this, but I would be very grateful for a patient and helpful reply. :) I'm planning a trip (around 4 nights) to Cameron Highlands in early June with my family. My first time there. I'd like to stay near the summit of the hill if possible (not at the foothills). I'm thinking of putting up at the Brinchang Equatorial. Do any of you have any helpful pointers about reasonably priced but comfortable accommodation nearer the summit? There will be a total of 4 adults and a child, with 2 adults and the child (5 years old) in one room/chalet. Not particular about meals, since we're all strict vegetarians, so would be packing our own food. I have AA and NTUC membership - any accommodations with special discounts for these cards? Also, I would be grateful for any tips or pointers on the best route to take (I'm driving there). Thanks in advance.

Had been driving in Thailand by a Thailand registered car very often. Most my drive is at the North Thailand, to the Golden triangle, Mae Hong Son, Pai, Chiang Rai, Nana etc. This time I'm gonna drive all the way from Singapore to Northern Thailand. I have a few doubts hope that any bros and sis can advice. My furthest drive so far is to Genting. Time is not an issue because I have the full months off ( July 2011) . My main concerns are the stop over as I tend not to drive over 600km per day except for the first day, Singapore to Penang. I hope someone can guide me through. Like the border crossing in Jalan Kayu Hitam. What must I do step by step. I had already have my log card ready, valid passport and IDL. But is it really necessary to buy another comprehensive insurance that cover Thailand since the local one only covers 80.5km from Thailand. A company quoted me $426.00 for 15 days coverage in Thailand but is out of my budget, anyone can comment on this or any recommendations will be appreciate!!! Can I buy the third party insurance for 1 month in Thailand border as I planned to stay in Thailand for around 16 days but the Visa crossing the border by road only stamp 14 days, what must I do to extend? And what is the preferred province to stop over for a night or two before heading North to Chiang Mai? Initially my plan is SG - PENANG - PHUKET - PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN - LOP BURI - CHIANG MAI. Is this route okay? For bros and sis have similar experience before, PLEASE , I really need your help advice on the route planning. Thank you very very much! [/font][/b][/size][/size]

My little one is now ten months old and we figured that we might try a short road trip first, before venturing further afield or flying. We don't want Johor, so it's going to be Melaka! It's only a few hours drive, enough to try out how to handle any toilet issues, meltdowns and others but with driving, I can make as many pit stops as I need and just slowly make my way there. It's been at least three years since I entered M'sia, so any tips will be most welcome. We don't really need to sightsee, just trying it out Currently the plan is to go in mid November, before the school holidays begin .. Some things we need: Hotel - a decent tourist class hotel - kid friendly - near a mall (aircon) - some nice eateries - safe parking for our car Is Makota still the go to mall? I'll probably use the NS highway but if there are interesting side tours I'll be happy to try them. Might drop by the Ayer Keroh A&W on the way there or back if it's still there.. Thanks in advance - and I'll post lots of pics when I do go, cheers

Hi All, anyone familiar with Langkawi? I will be bring my family of 4 for a short holiday in Dec. I've booked the flight but arriving time will be 8pm. Thinking of renting a car for our stay there, but feel that it will be quite a waste for the 1st night. So likely to take a taxi to hotel upon arrival. Do the taxi there go by meter? If not do they chop carrot when they see me & my family arriving so late with no other option? Thanks!

Hi Bros, Any recommendation on which Villa to stay? The location would be better if it is near or at patong. If it's not around patong area, which beach is nearer to patong? I understand that there are several Villa's that is near (but a walking distance) to patong and there are some that are really far from patong but still part of phuket. And, aside from the "happenings" in patong, anywhere in phuket has the same "happenings"? is patong the only happenings area? oh btw, it's just merely a 3D2N stay.. hehe.

Just come back from Desaru last Saturday. When with wife for short holiday. Drove in last Thursday. Stay at Lotus Desaru Beach Resort. I dont know whether u guys remember Impiana Desaru. The resort was abandon for more than 8 years. The Lotus group took over last 2 years, refurbish it and recently soft launch it. They having promotion now RM160 ++ for one bedroom suite. Going back there this Dec.

Has anyone ever been on a round the world trip? Been dreaming of one since 2004. As I get older I think to myself my life is half over.... I plan Singapore to Seoul by plane Seoul to China by ship China to Paris by train via transfer sobering and whatever rail there is Paris to new York by plane New York to West coast by land West coast to Japan by plane Japan to Singapore by plane Anyone ever had such dreams? Anyone ever travelled from Seoul to China by plane or china to Paris by train? As I get older I thinking to myself just yolo.

How often have we heard about the adventures of a man born about two thousand years ago? And now at Christmas, we celebrate His birth, and so what better way to know Him than to see His life and journey for ourselves? That was one of the main reason I set out to make this journey, to a place where strife and conflict mix with history, politics and adventure. It was also a bucket list item to see the place where they filmed Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade... Petra, who can forget the two Joneses riding out... So to see it for yourself is a really big deal:

Hi Everyone, I'm going to Italy in June for two weeks. Going Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan. Any tips on things to look out for? Any things that I should or must buy? Any restaurant or food that I must try? Any places that is out of the ordinary that I should or must go? Appreciate everyone's contribution. Thank you! Rayd8or

Think there is something wrong with my built-in oven . I can switch on the oven, but when i turn the selector (select different cooking) knob and the oven trip the house power supply. Anyone can advise what is the problem?