Plan to drive to Malaka over the weekend

[pwgagt]

Hi bros,

I have a road trip plan to Malaka this weekend with family. It is the first time for me to drive there. Any tips? Is it second-link ok (because it is closer to my place)?

Thanks in advance. :D

[AE121]

Hi bros,

I have a road trip plan to Malaka this weekend with family. It is the first time for me to drive there. Any tips? Is it second-link ok (because it is closer to my place)?

Thanks in advance. :D

use GPS if u r not familiar with the place. 2nd link is fine :)

check that all lightings are working if you intend to drive there in the wee hours and back late :D

[pwgagt]

use GPS if u r not familiar with the place. 2nd link is fine :)

check that all lightings are working if you intend to drive there in the wee hours and back late :D

Hi AE121, Thanks for the tips. Will do the check before we go. :D

BTW, My wife was worrying about gangsters, but I don't think they will hang out on the highway, right? :D:D:D

[Phantom]

Hi pwgagt,

I may be driving in too ... but subject to my kids' recovery from flu.

I have been driving in to Melaka, KL & Penang several times in a year. It is advisable to use 2nd link if you don't intend to stop by in JB to buy any stuff. You pay more but 95% of the time the traffic is smooth.

Stop by the busier R & R if you need to take toilet break (those with eating place) and try to park at the higher human traffic area. Avoid the the stop point with only toilet facilities. Be alert to any suspicious pple around. Lock the doors immediate when you have entered the car.

Last but not least, be nice to the other traffic users, you should be fine.

Have a safe and pleasant trip!

[garrett09]

touch and go card get ready and have sufficient money to and fro...

[pwgagt]

Hi pwgagt,

I may be driving in too ... but subject to my kids' recovery from flu.

I have been driving in to Melaka, KL & Penang several times in a year. It is advisable to use 2nd link if you don't intend to stop by in JB to buy any stuff. You pay more but 95% of the time the traffic is smooth.

Stop by the busier R & R if you need to take toilet break (those with eating place) and try to park at the higher human traffic area. Avoid the the stop point with only toilet facilities. Be alert to any suspicious pple around. Lock the doors immediate when you have entered the car.

Last but not least, be nice to the other traffic users, you should be fine.

Have a safe and pleasant trip!

Hi Phantom, thank you for your reply! Hope I can see you on the road :D

[pwgagt]

touch and go card get ready and have sufficient money to and fro...

Hi garrett, thanks. :D

[RoyceC]

Top Tip on Food.

Try to go and eat the portuguese seafood stall 7. eat the salted egg crab..
its located at the portuguse settlement. cant really tell you where but its like 2-3km away from Equitorial.

Madam King Popiah(thats not the real name). it located outside madam king departmental store. Opens after 5pm. Near hotel mimosa.
Warning - alot of lard!

Pm me if you need the actual directions

[RoyceC]

Top Tip on Food.

Try to go and eat the portuguese seafood stall 7. eat the salted egg crab..
its located at the portuguse settlement. cant really tell you where but its like 2-3km away from Equitorial.

Madam King Popiah(thats not the real name). it located outside madam king departmental store. Opens after 5pm. Near hotel mimosa.
Warning - alot of lard!

Pm me if you need the actual directions

Found It.....

Portuguese Square
Portuguese Square Jalan Dalbuquerque, 75050 Melaka, Malaysia
i like stall 7. but i have a melakan friend who eats at stall 1.
be there either at 530-6 then can choose to eat teo chew steam parrot fish too.(that's if the fishman caught one tt day).
*dun ask me y its called portuguese seafood.

BTW theres a mango juice with sour plum thats not bad at the end.

Madam King's Department Store
126 Jalan Bunga Raya, 75100 Melaka, Malaysia
remember to take q number at this road side store.

If u need more eats let me know.:)

[pwgagt]

wow, RoyceC, great tip. Thanks a lot.

[RoyceC]

no prob. enjoy your trip!

[pwgagt]

Hi bros, I am in Melaka now. 2nd link was quite ok today, q not so long, probably due to PE. Stopped at Jusco first to have lunch, then had two short break at Machap and Pagoh. With GPS, experience is quite good :)

[pwgagt]

Quick trip summary for my C4HB:

1. 531km in total
2. Very smooth drive on NS-highway
3. Before the trip, I found that the coolant was totally gone, so I filled in some water :p (need to check with CnC why coolant gone so fast, as now it is only 3000km after the last service)
4. On my way back from Melaka, I cannot enable the cruise control. It always blinks "--" when I press the button. However, later after I passed checkpoint and tried again in Singapore. It worked again... :D
5. Found a nail in the right front tyre. Lucky it is not in the center part. It doesn't seem to be very deep, but I cannot pull it out by hand.

[RoyceC]

hey pwgagt,

better bring your car to a tyre shop for quick repair. Does not cost much. Most petrol stations with tyre shop should have the service.

[voyager]

yes pwgagt,

please get the tyre seen to soon.

earlier rather than later.

[pwgagt]

Hi Royce & Voyager,

OK. I will have it repaired asap. Thanks :)

[WhiteC4HB]

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy229/WhiteC4HB/Melaka%202011/th_IMG_2761.jpg (http://s794.photobucket.com/albums/yy229/WhiteC4HB/Melaka%202011/?action=view&current=IMG_2761.jpg) http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy229/WhiteC4HB/Melaka%202011/th_IMG_2636.jpg (http://s794.photobucket.com/albums/yy229/WhiteC4HB/Melaka%202011/?action=view&current=IMG_2636.jpg)

I drove up and visited Melaka a few weeks ago too. It was a very pleasant trip in my C4HB. I didn't do any engine check prior to the trip as I knew the car is in top form. Unfortunately I quickly found out the wheels are off-balanced, which made the steering vibrate quite violently between 135-140kmh. So I avoided that range. I drove at 165km/h for a long stretch of road to the delight of my companion who didn't even know I was speeding. I used to worry about overheating tires but my hydrogen-filled tires' pressure were rock steady throughout when I checked on my Orange TPMS. Nice.

Halfway up north I suddenly remembered the car has cruise control so I engaged it to find out it ... works. :D

I relied entirely on my iPhone/TomTom for directions. It's flawless, except I should have turned off TomTom while on the NS Highway -- the phone had overheated and shut itself down two plus hours into the trip. Fortunately it powered on again just shortly before I needed its directions to exit the highway to enter Melaka and go to my hotel. Lucky me!

Throughout the trip of mixed driving I noted the water temperature never deviate much from the norm level.

Melaka uses parking coupons like we do except you scratch off the parking time. A booklet of 10 costs RM6. Maybe I was lucky but eventually I figured they don't employ a lot of aunties to check up on you.

I didn't see a single Citroen in Melaka although I saw quite a few small Peugeots. Sadly no one bothered looking at my car even though it's probably a rare sight. I should have laced it up with flowers like those trishaws in Dutch Square. :)

Melaka is small. Most streets are narrow and one-way, but getting around is easy with the help of my iPhone. The drivers/riders are courteous and unhurried. The big tour bus drivers are bullish with their super loud honk though.

On my return trip I took the trunk road to Muar. It's nicer then the NS Highway lined with plantation and little shops. There's no toll too and I saved about RM10 for my return trip.

To and flo I estimate it took one full tank of gas, and the car averaged 8.1L/100KM. I don't know if that's good or poor fuel consumption but heck, the C4HB is a nice car to drive up North with.

I think anyone who's undecided about driving a Citroen to Malaysia should just grab your passport and go. I did and loved it.

[pwgagt]

Hi WhiteC4HB,

We have exactly the same car! :D At the beginning when I saw your photos, I was thinking "hey, who took photos of my car when I was in Melaka?" :D

165km/h is fast! :D I didn't reach that since I have a baby in the car. About GPS, I don't have experience in TomTom, I am using Sygic SG&MY, quite good.

Thanks for your great post :)