I have always wanted to drive up north but never had the guts after reading about all the horrors that can be found on the Malaysian highway. When the opportunity arise to join Wheels For Fun for a food and cultural tour to Damai Laut in Ipoh, I immediately gathered my best mates, Keith and Joe, to make plans for our very first road trip. Packed with two guitars, 20 music CDs, and a video camera, we were ready to take on the wild open road.

6.30 a.m. Rendezvous point at Petrol kiosk across Second Link.

12 of the 14 cars had already lined the road shoulder when we arrived. Each car had a number tag, a Tourism Malaysia decal and a large Wheels For Fun logo pasted on to help us identify one another during the trip. There is a strong sense of camaraderie and empowerment to be part of the convoy. Of course, my 1.6 litter Mazda is no match for the gigantic Lexus or Cefiro, but the salient road marshals from Wheels For Fun were strategically stationed at junctions to help direct us the right way lest we fall too far behind.

At the first light of dawn, engines revved and we were off on our way to the next check point. From then on it was just the highway and the gang for company.

First Pit Stop

Our first stop was a dingy hut at Yong Peng that serves soup-only Yong Tau Fu. The food was disappointing but what caught my attention was the organiser's attempt at the Fear Factor challenge. Each team is given a chance to win some mystery prize if they can count accurately the number of "eye balls" in the bucket of murky water. After the lunch break, it was back on to the roads again.

The next check-point took us to a ruin near Batu Gajah, 15 km south of Ipoh, to the much talked about Kellie's Castle. Kellie's Castle, one of Perak's more prominent landmarks, is known for its mysteries and haunting history. It is believed that the spirit of the owner still lies within its moss-covered walls. However, the facade of the incomplete building exudes more 16th century romance than gothic horror. There were rumours of hidden passages and trap doors, but we only managed to find a well-concealed door that led to a small basement with nothing of interest.

Perhaps the only spooky incident that we experienced was when an old Malay man came up from behind us as we were trying to peer beyond the locked door. Mumbling incoherently, he simply stood there motionless. Paying him no heed, we tried a couple more times before we turned to leave. The old man was no longer there, but at the far end of the corridor we found one of the tour leaders, Christopher, and asked him about the room. Apparently the room was locked after the tourists had an experience that was unexplainable. He stopped short of telling us more when he saw the look on our faces. As if on cue, I turned away only to set my eyes on an old newspaper article that had the headline "Haunting at Kellie's Castle".

Saucy Food Tale

If there's one thing that Wheels For Fun is well known for, it is Albert's penchant for food and spontaneity. After we left Kellie's Castle, the itinerary became little more than program guidelines. On route to the Swiss Garden Resort, every subsequent rest stop showcases the popular delicacies that Ipoh has to offer - from the authentic die-die-must-try Ipoh Hor Fun to the famous Ipoh's White Coffee. The highlight of the day has to be the famous Pomelo Girls of Perak. When we arrived, the ladies from all 15 stalls emerged in unison to offer us a taste of their fruits. Most of them were clad in sexy weekend outfits, posing and flirting with any potential customer looking their way. The family men and their wives tend to gravitate towards the older and less appealing farmer's daughter while we were only too eager to chat up with them.

After 12 hours of driving, we finally arrived at the Swiss Garden Resort. The warm shower and soft bed was a welcome change, but just when we thought that it was all over, we were off on the roads once again to scour for the best dinner places. We ended up at Restoran Bei-King. Typical of Wheels For Fun's 'Order more, never less' mentality when it comes to good food, the seafood dishes were served quickly and seemingly unending. With Albert's generosity, we had durians for dessert.

The earlier half of day two was free and easy.
While the rest of the group went off to Pang Kor Island for a scenic tour, we chose to enjoy the amenities at the resort instead. When it started to get dark, it was safety first with convoy movement formation. This time we pampered our taste buds with Ipoh's fabled "bow-tie" chendol, roadside mango and finally seafood dinner at a rubber plantation with more of Albert's durians. The night's highlight is the theme party at the resort's Kara-OK lounge.
If there is any one advice I can offer to you folks who are thinking of going on a road trip. I say to you, bring your friends and a pile of your favorite CDs and leave the rest to the good people at Wheels For Fun.

And the sweetest deal of all? All that amount of food, fun and experience cost me $188* only. *price quoted was for triple sharing room excluding petrol, tolls and personal expenditure. Price varies for single, double or triple sharing.

Contact Wheels For Fun at
Tel: 6235 2591 for other road trips.