Virgin Driving Experience To Malaysia And More To Come!

I used to travel to Johor Bahru frequently, especially during courtship days. SGD50 goes way further across the causeway. Two nice meals and a movie, no problem! Well, I even wrote a post about how to get rich through geographical arbitrage almost a decade ago. Ah, the memories.

Somehow, rather sadly, getting a new car and the pandemic put a stop to those bus trips. That was until about a week ago, when our household and the Mrs’ extended family embarked on a short roadtrip to Desaru.

The Driving Experience

I have to admit, I was a tad worried about the process of clearing customs and the subsequent drive in JB. Afterall, it was going to be my first overseas driving experience and there was an infant in tow too.

We left home at about 7am on a weekday and proceeded to the Tuas checkpoint. It took us about an hour to clear customs, which was really reasonable. Baby 15HWW was well-behaved throughout and we then proceeded to a dim sum place in JB for breakfast before making another pit stop at the Johor Premium Outlets.

From there, it took another hour of driving before we reached Desaru, which was a thoroughly enjoyable 80km drive on the relatively empty roads.

Being able to cruise at 130-140km/h on the highway, chewing a piece of peppermint gum in the mouth, humming along to some jazz with the baby sleeping soundly in the car, was quite a blissful experience.

An Enjoyable Holiday On A Budget

Without digging into the specifics, it is quite clear that for our household of 4 (including the helper), we spent less than SGD1000 for everything. That includes a basic room at Hard Rock Desaru, buffet breakfasts for three and all other expenditure, including all the meals, shopping, petrol and tolls.

Although the rooms and service were pleasant enough, I have to admit, there was a distinctly chalet vibe in the exteriors and lobby. The pool was a bit small and squeezy during the peak hours in the late afternoon. Not surprising since the hotel was packed with Singapore families during the December holidays.

Baby 15HWW definitely enjoyed the bed, the room and the view!

The amenities that we enjoyed the most were at Westin, which was either a 1-min buggy ride or 5 minutes stroll away. We had a very good and enjoyable dinner at Prego, courtesy of Heartland Boy’s recommendation!

Some highlights of the meal. It was a reasonable RM600 for 7 adults and a toddler.

The “private” beach at Desaru coast was also a major highlight of the trip, accessible through Westin too. Yes, Sentosa is very nice and polished but personally, I prefer the rusticness of Desaru. Besides the usual soft sand and calming sea breeze typical of beaches, the stars were very visible during the night and we could even borrow kites in the day! Brings back memories from 30 years ago when I spent time flying kites in the marina bay area.

Overblown Safety Concerns

When I had my new ride, I was often advised not to drive into JB due to “safety” concerns. I sort of get it. In our Singapore bubble, there is probably a 0.01% chance one would get caught up in some petty crime. You can leave your bags and wallets unattended in a restaurant or even food court with no repercussion. For 10,000 visits to Singapore, only 1 would potentially go wrong. In JB, the odds increase to maybe 0.1% or 0.2%.

That is probably a 10x or 20x increase in risk.

But if you think about it, you would only potentially have an issue every 500 or 1,000 visits. And then the theory of outrunning your competition instead of the bear in a forest kicks in.

Why should you be a target of crime ahead of others?

When I first parked my car in JB, I found myself parked beside a Porsche with a Malaysian car plate and I was flabbergasted to spot a Mercedes S Class with a Singaporean car plate opposite my car. Obviously, no carjack happens in broad daylight but such a sight assuaged my irrational fears.

It also meant that besides the obvious dangling fruit of cost savings, some Singaporeans make a trip to JB purely in search of a greater variety of experience not found in Singapore. Whether it’s food or a rustic beach.

In my humble opinion, you probably need to hit two of the trifecta below to find yourself a victim of crime:

1. Bad luck
2. Stick out like a sore thumb
3. Exhibit arrogant behaviour

Most Malaysians, similar to Singaporeans, just want to earn an honest and sustainable living.

Conclusion

I had quite low expectations of the trip, thinking it was just an opportunity to spend more time with the extended family. In the end, I found it to be an exceptionally enjoyable break from the daily routine. So much so that I was disappointed we did not spend an additional night in the vicinity of Mid Valley Southkey to enjoy services such as a proper car grooming and massages for our tired bodies.

The ultimate endorsement I can give? I probably do not mind making this an annual event at the end of every year.

For those who have a car, I really think driving to JB makes a lot of sense and for those who enjoy driving, renting one for a road trip does sound exciting too. Even risk-averse me is becoming a convert and I am looking forward to the next JB trip to get my CNY goodies. Not just cheaper but tastier too and worth the effort since I am buying quite alot to gift to students and parents as well.

The Mrs and I are still total noobs with regards to places of interests or itineraries in JB so if you have good recommendations, please drop a comment and share it with us!

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