Navigating our way back to our hometowns can often be an ordeal, especially during festive seasons, where every road seems to be choked with traffic. With this in mind, a Malaysian woman decided to outsmart the system by using Waze for her ‘balik kampung’ trip.
Little did she know, her journey would turn into quite an adventure, as detailed in a recent TikTok video she shared under the handle @rozlynrozular.
Eager to avoid the notorious Hari Raya Aidiladha holiday traffic, she set off from Sungai Buloh, Selangor at 4 a.m., hoping to reach Machang, Kelantan by following the instructions of her trusted Waze app.
Much to her surprise and the amusement of her fellow travellers, Waze led them not through highways and byways, but right into the heart of a dense forest!
As seen in the nine-second clip she posted, her car ventures along a narrow, single-lane dirt road that’s more suitable for a 4×4 than her regular vehicle.
Adding to the hilarity of the situation, another car is shown following her – also seemingly led astray by the eccentric navigation instructions of Waze.
The peculiar video quickly garnered attention online, triggering a wave of similar stories from netizens who had fallen prey to Waze’s adventurous detours.
One user humorously shared about being led to cemetery.
In response to the forest detour incident, one netizen warned other users about the application’s limitations. They noted, “Don’t use Waze outside urban areas. The app isn’t regularly updated on whether certain roads are suitable for cars or not, especially in less populated regions.”
The tale was a reminder for @zwramr about the superiority of Google Maps, which, according to him, takes a more conventional approach, directing drivers along routes most vehicles use, instead of the “path less travelled” preferred by Waze.
This unexpected forest adventure just goes to show how Waze, in its bid to save us from traffic, can sometimes lead us to traverse the road less travelled – literally!
Next time you embark on a ‘balik kampung’ journey, beware of the shortcuts your GPS might suggest – they may lead you on an unexpected adventure!
