After the Ministry of Manpower of Singapore had announced that the number of long-weekend holidays in 2018 will go down to four from seven in 2017, many citizens frowned at the idea of having to spend their getaways shorter than they would prefer. However, hope is not lost – in this post, we will share some helpful tips on how to maximise the four long-weekends of 2018 in Singapore:
2018 Long Weekend Hacks
With just the right amount of planning and careful research, you can still organize a variety of activities for your time-off in 2018, here’s how:
1. Always check the free days you get when planning your leave dates.
Take a look at your calendar and cross out the weekday holidays and plot your available leave credits in between and “chain” them to the closest weekend. For example, March 30 or Good Friday; choose either to use your leave on the 29th of March (Thursday) or on the 2nd of April (Tuesday) to take advantage of your “free days” (weekday holiday + 2 days weekend).
2. Organize 2-day weekend vacations.
Sure, it won’t be as close to week-long getaways, but who says you can’t have just as much fun or relaxation? Much of the reason why people in Singapore crave for long weekends is due to the fact that there are plenty of affordable and first-rate local and nearby destinations from the island. Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Bali are just a little close to a three-hours flight away from Singapore.
Given the limited number of long weekends in 2018, it’s best to master the skill of organizing 2 days and 1 night vacations so that you can make the most of your leaves for the year. While flight schedules may limit your destination choices, there are still plenty of quality places to go to such as the resorts in Bintan or Batam. Consider taking a flight Friday evening or early Saturday morning. However, be warned that Saturday flights in the morning are usually more expensive than in the afternoon or evening. Once you’ve had your fix of the sun and the sea, get on a cab for a day trip in the city of Malacca and spend the evening at the night market in Jonker Walk. Or if you simply wish to have a change of scenery, you can easily go for a food or shopping trip in Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok, and come back home Sunday night.
3. Explore cruise vacations.
While there will always be clever ways to plan a 2-day weekend vacation, the reality of it is, still, there’s just not enough time to go around. If you aren’t big on schedules, why don’t you try going on a holiday cruise? There are plenty of affordable cruise vacation packages, and the best thing about it is you just hop on board and you’re on vacation. Just book a nice destination and enjoy the travel. Whoever said ‘the journey is more important than the destination’ may just have nonchalantly pitched the idea for cruise vacations.
4. Prioritize you activities accordingly.
This is the perfect application of less is more. After all, you are going on a vacation and not a decathlon where you’ll have to do so many things in a limited amount of time. Just let go of the idea of going around to so many places and spreading yourself thin, and simply focus on what your vacation is all about – to relax, unwind, and spend quality time with the people you love.
Think of the holidays as prized commodities. That way, you won’t go spending your time-offs over unimportant things and activities. Also, be creative in planning your vacation. After all, you might just be surprised at the things that you really want to do while on vacation.