Weekend getaways from Singapore

I am in need of a holiday already! I've just came back from Shanghai end of May and went back to my hometown in Penang end of June. I am feeling drained from work, and yes, that is also why I haven't been updating my blog as regularly. Due to the mountainous amount of work, I am unable to plan my long holiday to Europe that I was thinking of since early this year. So, unfortunately, short weekend trips from Singapore would be all that I can afford for the rest of this year.

I started searching for flights from the various budget airlines that fly from Singapore - Jetstar, Air Asia, Tiger Airways and even SilkAir, which is a cheaper alternative to Singapore Air. So, where can I go that I haven't been before?

{ Angkor Wat taken during my trip to Siem Reap in 2008 }

Weekend getaways that I've been...

Cambodia - Siem Reap (Angkor Wat)
One of the most famous archeological and UNESCO site in South East Asia, Angkor Wat is a great place to go for a weekend break with culture, history and amazing people. A great place to relax and unwind, and yet experience culture and history at the same time. I simply love the Siem Reap and would definitely plan to go there again!

Malaysia - Various places like Penang, Melaka and Kuala Lumpur
Penang is my hometown, so I'll go back quite often. I may be biased, but the simply love the Penang's hawker's food. Melaka has great food as well and the town together with Penang is a joint UNESCO World Heritage Site. So, you can be assured of culture and history as well. Kuala Lumpur is a great place for shopping.

Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City & Hanoi
The hustling and bustling cities of Vietnam is not for the faint-hearted! There are people and motorcycles and more people! The food is great and crossing the road is an adventure. You have got to experience it to believe it!

Thailand - Bangkok & Phuket
I simply L-O-V-E Thai food so a trip to Bangkok would mean a food trip! Of course, Bangkok is great for shopping too! My Phuket trip was very relaxing but that was basically it - to relax.

Indonesia - Bali
Compared to Phuket, I would prefer going to Bali as there are more places to visit once I get bored with the beaches. I enjoyed myself

Weekend getaways that I've yet to go...

Malaysia
My home country, Malaysia, but I have to admit that I have not traveled around Malaysia as extensively as I should. Would love to have a road trip along the East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia, as well as spending time in the famous islands like Tioman and Redang Islands. Climbing Mount Kinabalu is one of the item in my to do list, though I would definitely need lots of training before that! And of course, I would want to visit the Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary in Sandakan. Who can resist a face like that?

Thailand - Chiang Mai 
Would love to finally make my way to Northen Thailand. Heard lots about the place and a visit to a relatively rural place in Thailand would be a good change from the hectic Bangkok and tourist filled Phuket. 

Hong Kong & Macau
Hong Kong is one of those places in my list that I would go, just so that I can tell people that I have been to the place! However, I seemed to keep postponing my trip there and I can always find an excuse to go elsewhere! While I have heard that the food is good, but Hong Kong is still one big city that I doubt I would enjoy myself much there. Macau would be a better choice for me, so when I finally visit Hong Kong, I would definitely make my way to Macau as well.

Indonesia - Yogyakarta
Would love to visit Yogyakarta, or also known as Jogja, but the flights from Singapore are not that great. So, while waiting for more flights to open up, we will put our holiday plan to this historical city on hold.

Myanmar
There are budget flights to Yangon, but not to Bagan or Mandalay. A weekend trip to Yangon would be good, but I would love to visit Bagan and the surroundings as well. With so much to see, a weekend trip may not be sufficient!

Laos
Similar to Myanmar, there are budget flights to Vientiane, but not Luang Prabang which I would love to go. The time required to visit Luang Prabang would be more than a weekend I believe, and so, we decided to just visit Vientiane for a long weekend as a prelude to what Laos has to offer! We just bought tickets for Vientiane in August, and couldn't wait for it!



{ Photo of baby orang utan taken by thaivol & Pha That Luang, Vientiane by Atsushi* }

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