I know I know, it is barely half of 2019 but with the release of public holidays of 2020 (and with so many long weekend coming up), perhaps you can start planning your next trip!
Here's some travel inspiration for you! :)
January 2020 (Chinese New Year Long Weekend)
You technically have a little more than just three days as the eve of Lunar New Year is often a half day (or you get to get off work slightly earlier), even for non-Chinese staff in Singapore. You may just want to take the earliest flight possible out of Singapore. Also, since there are many people who would be making the trip back home (to Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan), you may just want to avoid these locations and book your tickets in advance!
Instead, spend your long weekend island-hopping in Phuket to Raya Island or to James Bond Island. With just an hour and a half away by flight from Singapore, Phuket is easily accessible. There are also a lot to do there with new malls popping up. Perhaps it is time to give Bangkok a miss and head to the beach for some time to relax. For a cheaper alternative, you can do a similar itinerary in Krabi.
After those three days, head home with sun-kissed skin and be ready for the new year! :)
Where to stay in Phuket? - Pimnara Boutique Hotel in the heart of Patong Beach at Jungceylong Shopping Mall!
April 2020 (Good Friday Long Weekend)
Extend your Good Friday Long Weekend by taking an extra day (or two?) off either on Thursday, 9 April or on Monday, 13 April. With those additional time, you can head to Taiwan as this is the season where Spring comes! Cherry Blossoms in Taiwan bloom a lot earlier than that in Korea and Japan so the start of April is a good time to visit just before the flowers start to wilt. If you miss the flowers, no worries, because there's still so much more to do there!
Head up to Yang Ming Shan in Taipei for the Cherry Blossom Flower Festival held annually. Here, you'll get to see the cherry blossoms up close as the trees are much shorter than those you normally see. In full bloom, the entire area is coloured in beautiful shades of pink and white!
Other than admiring the beautiful flowers, Taipei is also the city where food abound. Check out the various night markets and feast your way through it. If you're looking for some rich culture and history, check out the Bo Pi Liao Historical Block.
Where to stay in Taipei? - Orange Hotel Ximen, Taipei
May 2020 (Labour Day and Vesak Day Long Holiday)
With an additional 4 days of leave, you'll potentially gain a 10-day holiday just like that (saving the rest of your annual leave for another trip!). You can either take a longer trip to nearby Japan or head further away to explore various cities in Spain.
Japan
May is also a good time to travel as it is just before the hot and sunny summer season and you may just want to spend that ultra long weekend on a trip to Nippon, Japan!
Whether it be to Osaka, Tokyo, or even Hokkaido, we've got you covered! In 10 days, you could purchase a multi-city ticket and perhaps visit two regions with the JR pass. Here's a quick 10-day itinerary to help you:
Tokyo > Osaka
Day 1: Transfer from Airport to Hotel + Exploring Shinjuku
Day 2: Exploring Tokyo City (Tsukiji Fish Market - Sensoji Shrine - Meiji Shrine - Harajuku - Shibuya)
Day 3: Take a day trip to Hakone to see if you could catch the elusive Mount Fuji!
Day 4: Disneyland / DisneySEA
Day 5: Tokyo >> Osaka by Shinkansen (2h30mins) + Transfer to your Hotel + Explore Dotonburi
Day 6: Osaka >> Kyoto + Transfer to your Hotel + Explore Kyoto
Day 7: Explore Kyoto + Kyoto >> Nara + Nara Attractions + Nara >> Osaka
Day 8: Explore Universal Studios Japan
Day 9: Half Day Trip to Kobe + Osaka Castle
Day 10: Explore remaining Osaka attractions
Where to stay in Tokyo? - APA Hotel Shinjuku Gyoemmae
Where to stay in Osaka? - APA Hotel Namba Eki-Higashi
Spain
Yes, you'll need to take a 15-hour flight to get here but with 10-days, it is definitely enough to make the long flight worth it. Plus, you'll get to see amazing architecture in Spain!
Now that the highly anticipated final season of Game of Thrones is airing in just a few days, perhaps it is time for you to see the filming sights in real life! In Seville, there's vast Plaza de Espana, a large area with such beautiful and intricate architecture is so astounding in reality! If the pictures do not already wow you, you absolutely have to see them yourselves!
For instance, the gardens within the Royal Alcazar in Seville is where GOT filmed the home of House Martell in Dorne.
Don't forget the beautiful courtyard too!
From Seville, you could also take a quick day trip to nearby Cordoba for the Roman Bridge where another scene of GOT was filmed and marvel at the rich history of the Mezquita.
Another city that is always missed is the city of Valencia. Other than it being the home of Singaporean-owned football club, it is a city where the old meets the new. The City of Arts and Sciences sitting in the same city as the Old Town. This small city is also a great pit stop for those who love exploring by bike and to head to the beaches tasting authentic Spanish Paella.
Definitely when you talk about Spain, you have to also take a look at Barcelona and Madrid. For 10 days, you can't possibly complete everything but it is possible to do three cities. As a guide, we did Barcelona > Valencia > Seville (with a day trip to Cordoba) in about 9 days or so on our latest trip to Spain. Plus, with much cheaper flights, you can even find tickets under 1000 SGD to this beautiful country!
May 2020 (Hair Raya Puasa Long Weekend)
With hardcore travelling at the start of the month, you may not want to travel too far this time. So why not take a trip across the causeway to Johor Bahru and enjoy a luxurious stay at wallet-friendly prices!
Because it is the long weekend and many of the Muslims would be celebrating during this festive season, remember to book your train tickets early and also your hotel stay. Since some of the stores may be closed, you'll need to book a hotel that has all the facilities that you'll ever need over the weekend. We do recommend Amari Johor Bahru. It is located right across City Square and Komtar JBCC with lots of food options! The proximity to the causeway also makes it a great destination, even for those who are not driving in.
July / August 2020 (Hari Raya Haji Long Weekend)
Some would say that you should escape the heat but perhaps you should embrace it and head to a more amazing beach in Busan, South Korea. With a new direct flight from Singapore to Busan by SilkAir, you no longer need to #traintoBusan. 3 days will be tight for the 5 hour flight, so perhaps you'll want to extend your long weekend with additional leave days!
August 2020 (National Day Long Weekend)
Since it's the Nation's Birthday, don't travel out of Singapore lah! Embrace our beautiful city and instead head for a Staycation. Treat yourself with a nice room at Sofitel Singapore City Centre, or head to the newly opened hotels at Sentosa Island - Outpost Hotel and Village Hotel Sentosa.
If you really want to feel like a tourist, you can head over to Gardens By The Bay, or to the newly opened Jewel at Changi Airport.
November 2020 (Deepavali Potential Long Weekend)
Since this isn't a REAL long weekend, but you can make one by taking additional days of leave! With such low prices on budget airlines, you could possibly take a short trip to Hong Kong! (P.S. On our latest 5D4N trip to Hong Kong, we spent less than 1000 SGD per pax including air tickets) This time, instead of doing the usual, try out some alternative attractions such as hiking and visiting little islands!
December 2020 (Christmas Day Long Weekend)
We didn't quite add this but you could potentially have another ultra long weekend if you take leaves between Christmas and New Year's Day. Since this period of time it is extremely hard to fight for leaves, especially fighting them from your colleagues with children, you may just want to let them have it and go somewhere nearer.
You could head to Bintan or Batam in Indonesia. We haven't really got down to writing about our experiences there but it is a fuss-free way to go on a holiday. Just take a 40 minutes ferry ride and you'll get to enjoy lower prices and feast your way through the weekend.
So there you go, we hope this blogpost has given you some inspirations on where you could go to next and if you did, let us know! :)
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