The Karak Highway Run

The Karak is not a technical road. It is a wide, well-graded dual carriageway that climbs, sweeps and descends through jungle, with long lorry lanes on the uphill sections and views over green ridgelines that appear suddenly and then vanish behind a cutting. It rewards a comfortable car and a relaxed pace.

Head out through Gombak and join the E8. Within ten minutes the city is gone completely. The famous section is the climb to Genting Sempah and the long descent that follows towards Bentong — five or six kilometres of downhill where heavy vehicles are legally restricted to the left lane and where, historically, most of the road's bad reputation was earned.

Come off at Bentong. It is a small Pahang town with an outsized food reputation: Bentong ginger, hot claypot noodles, and a Sunday morning market that is worth planning around. Park on the street, eat, and turn back. Ninety minutes of driving for a very good lunch is a fair trade.

If you want to extend it, Bentong is also the gateway to Raub and, further on, the Cameron Highlands climb. Many visitors do the Karak as a warm-up on day one and the full Cameron run on day two.