BY MICK CHAN
W eeks and months, if not years,
of staying within the urban sprawl is by no means ideal
for the adventurous at heart.
But more often than not, once caught up in the hustle and bustle of city living, the opportunities for an adventure( no matter how small), become painfully scarce.
So when opportunity knocked, in the form of an athletic SUV that looked as keen as I felt about getting out of the concrete jungle, it was only natural to feel the urge to steer off well-trodden paths. It was the weekend, I had a group of like-minded friends and the general consensus was to stray and explore a little.
It was a plan that involved a spot of camping, and along with it came the requisite equipment. Compact cars may be user-friendly in the confines of a city, but clever packaging can only go so far – profuse luggage calls for generous accommodation, for occupants and baggage.
A large wagon is in order With 580 litres of boot space and a spacious cabin, the Volkswagen Touareg seemed like just the right device with which to escape the city limits. A total of
1,642 litres can be liberated with the rear seats folded, but even with them in place it was more than capable of taking two rucksacks, a tent and all manner of smaller bags( hurriedly filled plastic bags included).
Diesel is the fuel of choice for this particular Touareg, the 3.0-litre V6 TDI. With considerable mass to lug around, this engine felt like a more natural partner to the vehicle compared to its petrol drinking sibling. An abundance of low end torque propels the Touareg with dignified conviction, whilst managing to be refined at the same time.
Once loaded up, we hit the road. Spanning approximately 82km, the journey began at Subang Jaya, headed towards the North-South Highway and then threaded along until we hit the Tanjung Malim toll exit.
Situated in the southern end of Perak, Tanjung Malim is approximately 70km north of Kuala Lumpur. Sungai Bernam, with its origins in the Titiwangsa range, flows through Tanjung Malim on its way to the Malaccan Straits, and it also borders Perak and Selangor.
This town of 60,000 is also nicknamed the“ Town of Education”, thanks to the presence of a number of universities and colleges in the area. In contrast with the nearby national capital, where its population is numbered well into seven figures and bubbles with energy around the clock, Tanjung Malim is the definitive“ laid back” town … a welcomed change of pace.
Just the evening before, the big Vee- Dub had already proved itself to be more than capable of handling the rigours of the city, but it continued to impress along
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