When I hopped into my Grab to make my way to the Eurokars Group HQ in 11 Kung Chong Road at 4:00am, the driver was puzzled, "Why are you going to a car dealership so early in the morning?".
"Work", was my short answer. At that point of time, still groggy from waking up too early, on a stormy morning no less, and I can't say I was feeling extremely eager to start the day.
Inside the BMW Eurokars Experience Centre before daybreak
The meet-up point was the BMW Eurokars Experience Centre located on the second level, and this was the first time I had set foot inside Eurokars' recently completed HQ building.
The moment I stepped into the showroom, I was instantly risen from my half-asleep stupor. Maybe it was the brightly lit showroom, maybe it was the grandeur of the exquisitely decorated space, or maybe it was the sight of my favourite BMW M cars… either way, my eyes were opened, and my mood sure had been lifted.
Early bird gets the worm… (or skips the jam in our case)
Right, I haven't explained why I was at the BMW showroom hours before the sun comes up. Eurokars Auto is an authorised dealer of BMW cars in Singapore, and it organises regular family-friendly programmes for its customers. The activity this time was a scenic morning drive to Desaru, Malaysia for breakfast, followed by a visit to a fruit farm, and we were invited to tag along.
The plan was to cross the border before daybreak to avoid running into traffic, which explains why we were all gathered at the showroom before 5:00am.
BMW Eurokars had very kindly lent us the BMW 520i M Sport for the drive, and this luxurious ride meant that being a passenger's going to be quite the relaxing experience. Still feeling a little groggy, I passed the key to JayJay and told him that I'll drive on the way back instead.
I was betting on some traffic at the immigration customs that would allow me to take an extended nap before our next meetup point across the border. But there were just a couple of cars waiting in line at the customs, which spoilt my plan. So, if you don't want to be stuck in a jam, you know what to do - set off early!
A leisurely drive to Desaru is the family-friendly activity you can consider
If you haven't driven to Malaysia before, it might sound like a substantial task. But it really is quite simple - getting to our scenic breakfast spot at Yard&Co took around an hour and half of driving on mostly expressways and some scenic b-roads from our Gelang Patah petrol station meetup point.
With Android Auto or Apple CarPlay and data connectivity on your phone, navigation in Malaysia is never an issue. It's even better if you opt to go on a drive with an organiser like Eurokars Auto - it engaged the services of Pitcrew Events, the go-to company for most car brands here when it comes to convoy driving support, to facilitate the drive. As such, there were lead and following cars, along with a support team to ensure a smooth and safe convoy drive for everyone involved.
An enjoyable drive, a hearty breakfast and some shopping - all in a morning
After a tasty breakfast at the beautiful beachside cafe, we drove a short distance to Desaru Fruit Farm. While the rainy weather foiled the original plans for a leisurely farm tour, we still got to shop for some local produce in Desaru Fruit Farm's supermarket-esque store.
Although the drive started early, we managed to get back to Singapore around noon. You see, driving to Malaysia for a relaxing retreat doesn't always require you to commit an entire weekend. Instead of a shopping or supper trip to JB, maybe you could consider a breakfast drive to Desaru?
