Road trips made fun!

Driving

I’ve always liked to go on road trips. It’s just the idea of heading out to someplace different and spending the night (or three) there, all the while enjoying the local quirks, culture and people that appeals to me. I’ve been doing this for a very long time, ever since I graduated from university and came back to Kuching to start-up a tech company.

Makeshift Bridge

The best thing about road trips is that a group of like-minded people can get together during the weekend and just go somewhere, anywhere. Part of the appeal is to explore and discover. I remember one of the early road trips where it took us two weeks (!!!) to find the place in question.

In some cases we like to go to towns with plenty of outdoor things to see and do, but on occasion we will also visit cities. They have much to offer as well, and it is great for a change of pace. One big tip if you do so however, contact local information numbers and request any sort of transportation assistance and information they may have. Usually cities are ready to help outsiders find their way with maps and helpful information to familiarize with the area. That saves huge amounts of time. No more wandering around just hoping we bump into a good place to eat or a hotel. And in some cases, they will have special public transportation passes for tourists like ezpassny, and those save a lot of money. It can make the difference between having to pick and choose what to do, and just seeing it all. Definitely keep this in mind if you find yourself in a new place.

Annah Rais Hot Springs

The first time we set out, we totally missed our destination – the signage was close to non-existent and we got stuck on an unpaved muddy logging road, but still made the best of the experience. It’s the journey that matters right? We managed to reach Annah Rais Hot Springs the second time.

Grampians

I’ve had a love of road trips since I was a kid – my dad used to bring me around and I think the earliest documented road trip on my blog was to The Grampians in Victoria while I was studying in Melbourne. Yup, that was in 2002 and I still haven’t lost my passion for it.

I recently got a complete engine rejuvenation from Shell. My engine oil was switched to Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology – it’s a fully synthetic motor oil and the only motor oil in the market that has a base oil made from natural gas instead of the usual crude oil. It’s so pure that it cleanses your car from the inside out!

Shell Engine Rejuvenation

I have noticed a huge improvement in my mileage since the Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology. I hadn’t realized the two were connected! I always keep an eye on my odometer to see how I’m doing in the fuel department and was quite surprised to see an increase in my gas mileage. That translates to quite a lot of fuel savings!

I was quite curious as to how this works so I did a bit of Googling. It turns out that synthetic low viscosity motor oil have oil molecules of a small uniform size as compared to those of regular non-synthetic oils. This decreases friction and improves fuel economy. You can save up to 1-7% just by switching your stock motor oil to a fully synthetic brand.

Shell VPower Racing

Speaking of gas, I also got a full tank of Shell V-Power Racing with Friction Modification Technology. This isn’t the Shell V-Power 97 you see at Shell stations but a higher grade of fuel which allows the engine to turn more freely. I’ve missed this since I’ve used up my tank of Shell V-Power Racing and the gas station I usually go to doesn’t have it.

Raya Jam

The performance boost that I got while using it was quite remarkable – the engine really delivers more power to the wheels, in a measurable way. You can actually feel the car engine turning more freely and going faster, with more power whenever you step on the accelerator.

Stuck Car

My car is also less noisy now and I can feel a boost in power when I go up hills. I’ve actually gotten stuck on trucking roads before while going to Sekeping Serendah. It’s coz my car didn’t have the torque to power through certain areas and I’m sure if I try it again with my tank of Shell V-Power Racing, I’ll breeze through it with no problems.

Car Wash

It feels good to be able to drive with more power and at the same time reduce my gas mileage. Regardless of whether I’m making my way to a business meeting or going on a road trip, you just can’t beat better fuel economy and faster response while driving.

Durian Road Trip

I’ll be going to Penang this weekend to get some durians before the end of the season – and I’m sure I’ll have a great time with my newly rejuvenated engine. πŸ™‚

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9 thoughts on “Road trips made fun!”

    • Yeah, me too! πŸ™‚

      I used to go on rural adventures a lot when I was working in Kuching (and even when I was in Sibu). It’s fun to do that in Sarawak, since it takes us longer to get shorter distances than over here due to the highway (or lack of it).

      Reply
  1. I love road trips too. You get to see and enjoy many things that city cannot offer. Fresher air too.

    I have not been to Annah Rais. The nearest is Borneo Highlands which not far from Annah Rais but hope to visit it and enjoy its hot spring.

    Get a 4-W for long road trip. More comfortable especially on rocky roads.

    Reply
    • Nice! I’ve been to Borneo Highlands too! πŸ™‚

      It’s a lot nicer now, I hear. Yeah, Annah Rais was VERY HARD to find 10 years ago – no signboards at all. Well, there was 1 but it was pointing the wrong way, which was how we got lost the first time.

      The roads here are pretty decent compared to Sarawak but I agree, nothing beats a 4WD/SUV for the backroads and logging roads. I’ve often wondered where a particular road leads but couldn’t drive through it with my current car.

      Reply
  2. I go on a lot of road trips as well, and the longest journey took us 12 HOURS —- of course we made a pit-stop in between. What makes road trip special for me is probably the laughter we have in car. πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • My longest road trip was more than 3 days! πŸ™‚

      We drove from Melbourne to Perth (took us about 80 hours of non-stop driving, 1 of us while the other 2 slept). I actually wrote a post about it (and why we did that run in the first place) but it was deemed unwise and I later removed it (that was Project MC, long time readers will remember it coz it was my first synthesis).

      Closer to home, Kuching to Kota Kinabalu took us a long time too, as well as Kuching to Pontianak. Yup, I agree, it’s all about the company. I have very fond memories of my road trips.

      Reply
  3. Awesome lah !! We drove from Michigan to Florida last year with my friemds. We also borrowed the book traveling I-75 from the library, it gives u places to look that u normally wouldn’t see on the freeway. It also gave us a tips for where the police hide to where u might find backups. It was wonderful. We left at 3am so the other slept at least until Kentucky, they got dressed we ate breakfast in the car ( Well you know save some budgets ) Ahaks. I had packed sandwiches for lunch and we ate them in Georgia at a roadside park . Arghh I love it ! .

    Reply

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