Get cracking on that travel bucket list: if you play your cards right, you can turn your public holidays into nine long weekends in 2019!
Do you live for holidays? We’re so with you. If you need some travel inspiration for 2019, we’ve got your back. But first up, know you’ve got four legit long weekends waiting for you and we can add five more to that with a some strategic moves around your annual leave. You can’t go wrong with a relaxing retreat (we recommend a healing Bali getaway or a visit to chilled-out Malacca) to rest your mind before getting back to the grind. Serious rejuvenation awaits all yoga lovers and creative souls at these wellness resorts.
Also on our agenda: a stay at an eco-resort. Sustainable concepts have been gaining traction and it seems that the travel industry is taking heed. Which is all the better for us as we get to enjoy a holiday while being kind to the environment.
Rainy weather got you down? Fret not, we’ve even got kickass holiday picks for the monsoon season. Plus some places to check out that don’t require a passport– because hey, we should show our own city some love too.
Read on for all the deets on the above and more!
ALL the important dates and public holidays
- Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 5 February: Chinese New Year
- Friday 19 April: Good Friday
- Wednesday 1 May: Labour Day
- Sunday 19 May: Vesak Day (public holiday will be Monday on 20 May)
- Wednesday 5 June: Hari Raya Puasa
- Friday 9 August: National Day
- Sunday 11 August: Hari Raya Haji (public holiday will be on Monday 12 August)
- Sunday 27 October: Deepavali (public holiday will be on Monday 28 October)
- Wednesday, 25 December: Christmas Day
And don’t forget these important dates (which aren’t public holidays BTW):
- Sunday 12 May: Mothers’ Day
- Sunday 16 June: Fathers’ Day
- Thursday 15 August: Hungry Ghost Festival
- Friday 13 September: Mid-Autumn Festival
We’ve got four legit long weekends:
- Friday, 19 April: Good Friday
- Sunday, 19 May: Vesak Day*
- Friday, 9 August: National Day and Sunday, 11 August: Hari Raya Haji*
- Sunday, 27 October: Deepavali*
* The following Monday will be a public holiday.
Side note: It’s so so easy to turn three-day weekends into four IYKWIM *hint hint*
Extra time: How to turn that into five more!
Tuesday, 1 January: New Year’s Day. Chances are you aren’t working on 31 December. If you are, apply for that leave NOW!
Tuesday 5 and Wednesday, 6 February: Chinese New Year. Imagine what one Monday off can do to your life – that’s five days of bliss right there!
Wednesday, 1 May: Labour Day. It might look like a stretch but here’s where you can use up that precious Annual Leave. Take 2 and 3 May off and pack your bags for five fabulous days.
Wednesday, 5 June: Hari Raya Puasa. Don’t dismiss this mid-week holiday, June’s got a lot of potential. Let’s break it down – if you manage to take 3, 4, 6 and 7 June off, you’re looking at a glorious nine-day long vacation. Technically, that’s two long long weekends. Send us a postcard!
Wednesday, 25 December: Christmas Day. Ah, another Wednesday! This is where you can use up all those pending ALs. Take 23, 24, 26 and 27 December off and club those in with two weekends. If your firm is as nice as Honeycombers, you probably get the last week of the year off anyway (virtual high-five!). If it isn’t, this is your strategy to escape in December.
No ideas? No problem!
- Ten hotels for a Singapore staycay
- Staycays in Sentosa
- A guide to road trips across the Causeway
- Here’s what we did at this Nusa Dua wellness retreat
- Steal our itinerary for our girls trip to Bangkok
- Phuket vs. Bali: Which is better?
- Best weekend getaways from Singapore
- Islands near Singapore for the perfect beach vacay
- Spectacular dive sites in Southeast Asia
- Southeast Asia’s best boutique hotels under $150
- 72-hour weekend trips in Southeast Asia
- Non-obvious places to explore in Southeast Asia
- Eco-resorts in Southeast Asia
- Where to go during the monsoon season
- A guide to hiking trails in Southeast Asia
- Wellness and creative retreats in Asia
- Secret getaways in Asia
- Where to go glamping in Asia
- Hit the slopes at these ski destinations
- Bonus: Inside scoop! Cheapest months to travel
What’s in our travel bags?
If you always find yourself doing a last-minute dash for your travel essentials at the duty-free store, here’s our trick to get over and out fast: do some pre-shopping on iShopChangi, and simply pick up your stash at the airport.
Check out some of our holiday essentials…
Pre-paid SIM cards
You’ll kick yourself for not picking up one of these the next time you’re stuck with terrible wifi or need to call your bank in SG when you’ve lost your ATM card (yep, that happened to us).
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial oil-free gel cream
If your usual defense against in-flight dehydration is to keep slathering on moisturiser, we’ve got an alternative: Kiehl’s oil-free gel keeps you shine-free while keeping your skin quenched.
Clarins Sunscreen Care milk-lotion spray
You know sunscreen is important, but reapplying it every few hours is a hassle. Take this spray-on that’s lightweight and takes seconds to apply!
DJI Osomo Pocket / GoPro Hero 7
We’ve tested our fair share of gadgets. And to capture all those fond memories and Insta-worthy moments, DJI’s smallest handheld gimbal or GoPro’s waterproof Hero 7 are our tools of choice.
The above information is provided in partnership with iShopChangi.
