17th to 24th Feb 2019

The Automobile Association of Singapore (AAS) organizes multiple trips throughout the year, known as Autoventures. As my dad and I had never taken a roadtrip with the AAS before and we love looong roadtrips, we jumped at the chance as soon as we found out about this trip.

Day 0- 16th Feb (Saturday)

We spent a few hours today to prepare the car for the long journey. The main task was to affix several stickers on different parts of our car (i.e. the Thai and Malaysian tourism board stickers, as our AAS convoy was registered with them).

Day 1- 17th Feb (Sunday) S’pore – Ipoh (560km/ 6 hour drive)

the beginning!

We had to meet at McDonalds, West Coast at 530am. The reason for us to meet at this ungodly hour was so we could beat the traffic along the Tuas checkpoint.

Thereafter, we drove to said checkpoint. Clearing customs was a breeze as there was minimal traffic. We drove to Tankak town in the state of Johor for breakfast.

After breakfast we headed to a pomelo farm. It was my second time, so the novelty was worn. It was fun nevertheless, as we received a nice guided tour by a friendly guide.

Therafter, our convoy headed toward Ipoh town, the location of our lunch stop. We parked up at one of the side streets and made the short walk to Yong Suan Nasi Kandar Ayam Merah. As the name suggests, this establishment is best known for their Ayam Merah (or red chicken). Nasi Kandar is a plate of steamed rice which is served with a variety of side dishes (chicken, beef, fish,vegetables, etc.) of one’s choosing.

There was a quite long queue. It took us about half an hour to get to the front of the line! But it was well worth the wait. Their Ayam Merah which they are known for was truly divine, albeit a tad hard. Bear in the mind though that the gravy is a bit spicy, so do order a cold drink if your threshold for spicy food is low.

After lunch we had bean curd and soya bean. They were excellent, albeit the former being quite warm for the scorching heat! But it was contrasted nicely by coolness of the soya bean drink. It really hit the spot!

After lunch we made the short trip to our accommodation for the night- Weil Hotel (all links open in a new tab). Apparently this hotel has a bit of history. According to our convoy leader, Weil Hotel used to be a hospital. Once it was abandoned, it was bought over by a company which turned it into a hotel.

It was a very nice establishment, but alas we could not enjoy most of the facilities such as the infinity pool, as we reached in the evening and were just dead tired from all the driving and eating. After checking-in, most of us just rested until dinner time. After dinner we had an early night, as there was a fair bit of driving to do plus we had the arduous task of crossing the Malaysia- Thai border for the first time!

Day 2- 18th Feb (Monday) Ipoh- Hat Yai (340km/ 4- hour drive)

A New frontier- crossing the thai border!

Day 2 started with us bright dark and early. We had to eat our breakfast quickly so that we could check out by 8am and begin driving by 830am. The plan was to drive up to the Sadao border checkpoint by 1pm.

Before heading for the checkpoint, since we were early, we headed to a temple in a cave in Ipoh itself. What amazed me was how clean and well-maintained it was for a place which had no admission charges whatsoever.

After soaking up the tranquility of the temple, we headed towards the border. Thanks to some spirited driving on the Malaysian North-South highway, we reached the Sadao border crossing right on time. The border crossing is not that seamless as the Singapore- Malaysia one we are used to. A lot more paperwork is required- in addition to passports, the vehicle log card, 3rd party Thai insurance, Thai immigration forms (all of which were pre-filled and provided by AAS just before the border). We had to get out of the car during passport stamping and to hand over the log card to the staff in order to receive the import permits. All this made it a bit cumbersome, not to mention waiting in the sweltering heat!

One good thing about crossing this border was that there is hardly any traffic, so we managed to clear customs in about an hour. After which we headed to the Makro Wholesale Market for some shopping. We spent an hour there. The main draw of this place was the discounts. Since it was a wholesale market, one could get pretty decent bulk discounts and coupled with the favourable exchange rate, some of our group forgot we only had an hour!

After the car- boots were filled with shopping, we carried on to our hotel- Centara Hotel Hat Yai.

The hotel is located just above the Central Departmental Store- which is a huge multi-storey mall and right smack in the middle of the night market. Since Hat Yai is only 30 miles or so from the Malaysian-Thai border, there is no shortage of Muslim food and a lot of the locals speak Malay too.

After we checked-in we just rested and took a walk down the night market and ate dinner at one of the many Muslim restaurants nearby. We needed the fuel for tomorrow where we would be reaching Ko Samui!

Day 3- 19th Feb (Tuesday) Hat Yai- Surat Thani- Ko Samui (320km/ 4- hour drive)

Onto the car ferry for ko samui!

Day 3- The day we got to travel by car ferry! I think it was the second time our cars would have been transported via car ferry (the first being when they were imported into Singapore). As usual, the day started early at 8am. Upon check-out we drove towards the Don Sak Pier Terminal. Along the way we stopped at an interesting looking rest stop along Highway 41.

The theme was very Wild West/ cowboy-esque, which was unique and unexpected for somewhere rather isolated.

After relishing a cup of coffee and bagging some souvenirs, we carried on toward the pier. Before reaching the pier we stopped for lunch in a town (the name for which I forget), where we had a scrumptious meal of chicken rice. The restaurant was manned by a very warm and welcoming Thai lady who made us feel right at home!

Thereafter we fought post-meal drowsiness to make it to the pier so that we could board the 2pm ferry instead of the 3pm one. With some spirited driving, we made it to the Donsak International Port.

After some waiting to sort out the paperwork, we were allowed to board the ferry. Only the drivers was allowed to be in their cars while they drove them onto the ferry, all passengers had to disembark and walk alongside their cars.

As the ferry trudged along at a leisurely place, we passed the time by catching forty winks and enjoying the breeze while looking out into the blue horizon.

After two hours we landed onto the island of Ko Samui,
namely the Samui International Port. We got back into our cars and drove out of the ferry onto the island.

After a 40-minute drive on one of the island’s main highways we arrived at our hotel where we would be staying at for the next three days- Renaissance Koh Samui Resort & Spa.

The hotel was really a welcome sight after the long drive in the immense heat and slow ferry ride. After we checked in we just rested in the hotel for a while. At around 8pm we headed out to Fisherman’s Wharf for dinner.

Also known as Fisherman’s Village, it consists of a narrow street with rows and rows of restaurants, massage parlous, souvenir shops, etc. littered on both sides of the street. The weekends is a busy period with throngs of tourists strolling around, making walking in a straight line a bit of a challenge!

Our guide chose a nice Indian restaurant for us to eat at, Kohinoor Indian Pub & Restaurant. The food was delicious and coupled with the welcoming staff and decor, really made our evening. Who knew one could find delicious Indian food in the heart of Ko Samui?

Day 4- 20th Feb (Wednesday) Ko Samui: Lad Koh Viewpoint, Grandfather Grandmother Rocks, Namuang Safari Park, Malay Kampung (Village)

Lad Koh Viewpoint

The next day, as always we started off early in the morning straight after breakfast at 8am, to a place called the Lad Koh Viewpoint. With its stunning views and direct access to the sea front via a walkway and some steps, it was great fun and a fantastic place for pictures.

Grandfather & Grandmother Rock- Hin Ta Hin Yai Rocks

After soaking up the fabulous views we made the short trip over to the Grandfather and Grandmother rocks, which basically are 2 unique rock formations shaped like the male and female reproductive organs respectively.

Namuang safari park

Our next stop was at the Namuang Safari Park. It is touted as an adventure park which has elephant and ATV rides along with 4×4 rides to a nearby waterfall. It was a short hop away from the Grandfather and Grandmother rocks. There is a small wooden rickety bridge connecting the carpark to the Park itself. There were many people trying to shake their friends off the bridge, including those from our group!

After the arduous journey crossing the shaky bridge, we hopped on the elephants for our 20 minute elephant ride.

It was a slow ride as the elephant followed a meandering path around the park which was also shared by ATV riders. It was a nice experience but I would recommend bringing along a cap or an umbrella as the ride can leave you fully exposed to the blazing sun.

After the ride was over, we proceeded onto a very short 10 minute 4×4 vehicle ride up to the waterfall. This ride in my opinion was way more enjoyable than the elephant ride. The driver was quite generous with the accelerator has we raced up and down the undulating path and bumps.

The short journey only brought us to the start of a 20 minute semi-challenging trek up to the waterfall on a narrow, unpaved, pedestrian-only path. But it was worth it as at the top, we were greeted with this;

Not the largest waterfall one would ever see, but a nice sight after a tough trek in the heat. At 80 metres high it is the largest waterfall in Ko Samui.

Thereafter, we trekked back to where we would again get in the 4×4 to main entrance/exit of the Park to go to our next stop. 

malay kampong

We had lunch at Melayu Samui Seafood Restaurant
A small, unassuming spot in a secluded part of Ko Samui, which is the only Malay Village on the island, it is easy to miss. But miss it at your own peril, as the food is absolutely delicious. It has a real home-cooked feel to it and coupled with the food’s freshness and variety, the restaurant is a real gem. The food took a while to cook, but definitely worth the wait!

With its simple wooden furnishings, coupled with its open-air decor, it exudes an understated, back-to-basics feel. Very true to its kampung (village) vibe. While waiting for the food to be served, a cat got really friendly with me.

Besides chilling with the cat, some of our group while waiting, decided to take a walk towards the beach. The village’s predominant activity seems to be fishing, as there were multiple fishing boats bobbing in the water along with many tiny fish laid out to dry on the flat praised platforms on the shore.

After our hearty meal, we proceeded onto our next destination.

jungle club

Our expedition leaders brought us for tea at around 4pm to the Jungle Club
It is a boutique hotel & restaurant with the latter providing breathtaking panoramic views of the Gulf of Siam. It was a really steep ride up to get to the venue.

After the refreshing drink and soaking up the mesmerizing views, we headed back to the hotel to recuperate for the next day- our final full day in Ko Samui.

Day 5- 21st Feb (Thursday) Ko Samui

Mummified Monk Temple

Day 5 was a free and easy day. We decided to check out the Mummified Monk Temple on our own. As the name suggests, its a temple which has on full display, a monk who passed away in 1973. Amazingly, his body did not decompose too much and the locals decided to display it in this temple.

Thereafter, we decided to try our hands at shooting. The shooting range was just a stone’s throw away from the temple.

After which we returned back to the hotel for lunch and rest. We set out in the evening for go-karting. It took us a while to get used to it, but once we did, it was exhilarating (and also a bit nauseating)!

Day 6- 22nd Feb (Friday) Ko Samui- Surat Thani- Hat Yai (370 km/ 6.5 hrs drive)

From day 6 onwards we embarked on our return journey back to Singapore. Day 6 was basically the reverse journey that we took on day 3. We did not stop that much, with the exceptions of toilet breaks every 1.5 hours or so.

We got on the return car-ferry to the mainland of Surat Thani, after which it was long drive down to Hat Yai all the way to the South of Thailand. Upon reaching, we went on the cable car at the Municipal Park.

municipal park hat yai

This park is the perfect way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. It is located 6km from Hat Yai city centre and is atop a hill, thereby giving panoramic views of the city.

After admiring the views we headed toward the cable car entrance. It was a short but enjoyable ride. It took us even higher to where a temple was situated. Just outside the temple, every 15 minutes, firecrackers used to go out. That spectacle was fun to watch as firecrackers are banned in Singapore.

After this, we headed back to the Centara Hotel Hat Yai for our 1-night accommodation.

Day 7- 23rd Feb (Saturday) Hat Yai- Penang (220 km/ 3 hrs drive)

On Thursday morning, we said our goodbyes to Hat Yai and Thailand as we headed south across the border to Penang. We reached Penang roughly at 3pm. After checking-in at Hotel Jen Penang, it was free and easy with nothing planned for us. So we decided to visit Penang Hill.

Standing tall at 2,733 feet (833 meters), it used to be a retreat during the British colonial period, but now Bukit Bendera (its local name) has become a tourist destination. The top of the hill is accessible via the funicular railway, one of a kind in Malaysia.

If possible, try to get a space at the front of the train for the best views, like above. The ride is about 10 minutes long and the train reaches speeds of about 60 km/h.

At the top, after reaching the upper station, we had to walk for about 10 minutes past the food court to reach the scenic views. Due to its altitude, it was tad cooler, which was a welcome respite from the blazing heat down below at street level.

After soaking in the scenic views and enjoying the cool weather, it was time to head back down via the funicular. Important tip- if possible try to leave earlier (before sunset) or some time after sunset, as the queue was ridiculously long when we wanted to leave (just after sunset). However, there is a VIP section which allows you to skip the long line. You pay extra and you get to the front of the line where you can wait in the air-conditioned waiting room. When the train arrives, the staff will call you and you can wait at the front of the line and be the first to board the carriage!

After that we took a cab back to the hotel where we had dinner and retired for the night in preparation for our long journey home.

Day 8- 24th Feb (Sunday) Penang – Singapore (700 km/ 7 hrs drive)

As like every other day, we started our journey bright and early at 8am. It was rather uneventful. We regrouped for the final time at Gelang Patah R&R to return our walkie-talkies and GPS sets and to bid our final goodbyes. We went our separate ways then, bringing back happy memories that will stay with us for a long time to come!