IT IS the school holidays, and if you haven't already booked your air tickets, it's probably going to be a crush now. So why not hit the road, on a driving holiday to Malaysia?

It is really as hassle-free as throwing a suitcase into the boot and hopping into your car.

And if you are clueless about what to do next, don't call your travel agent. Go to a car showroom.

A growing number of car distributors are delivering driveaways on a regular basis, attesting to the demand for such holidays.

Mr Christopher Quek of Wheels For Fun, the undisputed lead organiser of driving holidays here, says: 'Five years ago, we saw three or four car agencies offering these trips. Now, the number has more than doubled.'

Next month, the list includes stalwart Borneo Motors, which practically started the ball rolling 13 years ago. It is taking its Toyota customers to a spa and golf resort in Damai Laut, Perak; and its Lexus customers to Redang, an unspoilt island resort off Terengganu.

Performance Motors is taking its BMW customers up to hip-and-happening Club Med, Cherating, while Trans Eurokars has lined up trips for its Saab, Opel and Porsche customers.

The Saab event, dubbed Annual Saab Trail, will take owners to Taman Negara, the national park in Pahang. Opel owners are going to Malacca, while Porsche drivers are heading for the hills in Cameron Highlands.

The driveaway concept is appealing on several fronts.

For car companies, few events can top this informal way of building loyalty and enhancing customer relations.

For motorists, it is a holiday that lets them indulge in some real driving, as opposed to engine-clogging, mind-numbing commutes on the CTE.

For the family, it is quality time on the go. No fuel and terrorism surcharges, no airline food, no protracted waits in airports. Instead, a self-drive getaway to Malaysia means cheap petrol, yummy makan and - best of all - stopping any time, anywhere for some leg-stretching, sight-seeing and fresh air.

While many do drive up on their own, Mr Quek says formally organised trips are popular because 'there's safety in numbers'.

'Also, these trips are often very good value, with the car agents throwing in prizes, goodie bags and fuel vouchers,' he says.

For instance, the three-day-two-night trip to Damai Laut for a family of four costs only $722, with most meals covered. Activities include a visit to a hotspring, the Royal Palace in Kuala Kangsar and pottery lessons. Or simply chilling out at the Swiss Garden Resort & Spa.

Mr Quek says 20 to 30 per cent of the participants are 'regulars' who keep signing up.

Among them is Toyota Corolla owner Gan Yuen Wah, who has been on six such driveaways with Borneo Motors. 'Every June, I make sure I do not commit to any other programme,' the 50-year-old Mindef employee says.

'They are always well-managed... and I like the atmosphere. Last year, when we drove to Cameron Highlands, the events manager left some local produce in our hotel rooms. They weren't expensive things, but it was a surprise and very meaningful.'

For many, the main attraction is the specially planned itinerary, which eliminates the hassle of getting lost or looking for good eating places.

Lexus owner Kong Lai See, 59, has gone on three Lexus drives. 'All three were very well-organised,' the housewife says. 'Deon (Goh), the events manager, seems to anticipate our every need. She really helped to make the trip very smooth for us.'

Typically, participants are gathered for a briefing a few days before the trip. There, they are given goodie bags, which could include fuel vouchers, a pre-trip or post-trip car service package and even a Touch N Go card for breezy access through the Malaysian toll barriers.

'There were many little touches that made the trips pleasant,' adds Madam Kong, who travels with her retiree husband. 'Like durians for breakfast. And they have road marshalls at tricky junctions, just to make sure no one loses his way.

'One time, we were visiting a coconut plantation, and it was quite hot, so we ordered coconut drinks. We were thumbing through our pockets for money when the stallholder said everything had been paid. It was not much, but it was a nice touch.'

Grown-ups are not the only ones who find driveaways fun. Kids have a blast as well. Mr Quek's trips in the past have included visits to an elephant sanctuary, a deer farm and a petting zoo where children can play with baby monkeys, bear cubs and even handle young pythons under the watchful eyes of the keepers.

Twelve-year-old David Tan, a pupil at Maris Stella Primary School, says: 'I had a lot of fun on the Saab trip last year. I made a good friend, who is now in my school.'

For younger children, DVD systems in cars these days have muted the 'are we there yet' whine somewhat.

But not all expeditions are suitable for tiny tots. Newcomer driveaway company FootWorks specialises in offroad trips to remote spots, where modern amenities are not always available.

For the upcoming June holidays, the company is planning a three-day/two-night tour to the Buaya Sangkut Waterfall in the Endau-Rompin National Park.

'This is a very rare itinerary. Besides the long offroad drive, participants are taken to a waterfall that hardly anyone knows about. But participants need to be fit,' says Mr Chris Ng, 52, of FootWorks.

Buaya Sangkut is massive by Asian standards, comprising a five-layered cascade that is quite breathtaking. But drivers have to brave some 60km of dirt road before reaching it.

Still, the call of the open road, paved or otherwise, is strong. It accounts for the 50 to 70 professionally-organised trips Singaporeans take part in each year. And even though repeat customers do become familiar with the fun and games along the way, as well as the eating stops, they keep coming back.

Toyota Camry owner Daniel Wong, 48, has gone on three trips before. Echoing other participants, he says he enjoys the camaraderie. 'It's like being part of a big family,' sums up the general manager of an engineering company, who is looking forward to a 'reunion' next month.