Don’t let these precious weekends slip away from you
2017 is a year full of long weekends- which is always a plus. Don’t let these precious weekends slip away from you and then regret later! (Kinda like my Sundays) But, if you are tired of the usual Bangkok or Batam trips, here’s eight different trips that you can take to make full use of all that holidays.
April: Good Friday (April 14)
3- Day trip to: Kota Tinggi, Malaysia
Type: Glamping + Waterfall
Just a one hour bus ride away from Johor Bahru checkpoint, Kota Tinggi is for the nature lovers who want to spend some time away from the hustle and bustle. The highlight here is definitely the waterfall, which is located about 3km away from the nearest Glamping site. En route to the waterfall, you will have gorgeous views of the mountain ranges as well. The lack of wifi in most of the glamping (glam camping) areas means no emails, no phone calls and no access to social media – just what you need for a relaxing weekend away.
Day1:
Arrive early afternoon
Rent a bike/ walk around to explore the mountain ranges
Firefly cruise in the night
Day2:
Explore the waterfall
Day3:
Soak in the nature, rest and unwind
Depart early afternoon.
May: Labour Day (May 1) falls on Monday.
3-Day/ 4-Day trip to : East Java, Indonesia
Type: Hiking
If you love hiking, you would want to visit one of Indonesia’s most iconic active volcano – Mount Bromo. Be sure to catch the sunrise at the top, it is quite a sight.
Do take the chance to climb the magnificent Mount Ijen as well. Less known than Mount Bromo, Mount Ijen is equally gorgeous and is one of the few places on Earth where you can witness blue sulfur flames erupt from its crater. Bonus: the amazing milky way belt that lights up the night as you scale up Ijen to catch the sunrise. It is absolutely breathtaking!
If you can afford one more day of leave to clear, you can rent a car up to Madakaripura waterfall. The last time I visited, there was barely anyone at the waterfalls – which is ideal to take in all that it has to offer without fighting for elbow room.
Day 1:
Arrive at Surabaya Airport
Leave for Probolinggo
Day 2:
Trek Mount Bromo in the morning.
Leave for Ijen
Day 3:
Trek Mount Ijen in the morning.
Leave for Surabaya Airport
Day 4 (extended):
Leave for Madakaripura Waterfall
Leave for Surabaya Airport
June: Hari Raya Puasa (June 25) falls on a Sunday, which makes Monday (June 26) a holiday.
3-Day trip to: Siem Reap, Cambodia
Type: Culture + Architecture
A must-do in Siem Reap is to witness the glorious sunrise over Angkor Wat. It is one of the things that stick with you for life. The majestic Angkor Wat is an architectural feat itself as well, with much of the original structures very well preserved.
If you would like to explore the other ancient temples, get one of the temple passes (1 day pass at US$ 37) while you are at Siem Reap and you will be able to visit up to 10 of the other, equally stunning, temples around the area.
After a hot day of temple hopping, chill at one of the quaint little bars with an ice cold beer for about US$1, or treat yourself to some traditional Khmer cuisine for a nice dinner.
Day 1:
Arrive at Siem Reap Airport
Explore the night markets
Day 2:
Temple hopping
Chill at the cafes and bars
Day 3:
Explore the town
Leave for Siem Reap Airport
September: Hari Raya Haji (Sept 1) is on a Friday
3-Day trip to: Boracay, Philippines
Type: Beach
Beach junkies, you will love Boracay with its postcard-worthy white sand beaches. Whether you are looking to just relax by the beach and soak in some of the Sun, or want to fill your days with water activities, Boracay has something for just about everyone. The one thing that Boracay has that most other local beach destinations don’t is the party vibe! At night, the island transforms into a huge outdoor club. If that’s not your thing, you can watch the fire dancers entertain the crowd in many spots on the beach as well.
Whatever you are planning, don’t forget to get some of the famous calamansi muffins from the Real Coffee and Tea Cafe!
Day 1:
Arrive at Boracay Airport
Chill at the beach
Day 2:
Go island hopping
Water activities (diving/ cliff jumping / stand – paddling)
Explore the nightlife
Day 3:
Go island hopping
Leave for Boracay Airport
December: Christmas (Dec 25) is on Monday.
3-Day trip to: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Type: Hiking + Waterfall
One wouldn’t associate Kuala Lumpur with spectacular mountains and waterfalls, but our next-door neighbour has tons to see and do! For a relatively easy hike, scale up Broga hill. If you want to catch the sunrise, which I heard is amazing on a clear day, be sure to start climbing by 430AM. The saga hill is slightly more challenging than the Broga hill, so do be prepared. But, all the hard work up will be rewarded with awesome views and a gorgeous waterfall.
Of course, what is Malaysia without the street food and cheap shopping right? So to relax after a hike, you can take a leisurely walk around town, take in what Malaysia has to offer.
Day 1:
Arrive at Kuala Lumpur
Day 2:
Explore Saga Hill
Visit Petronas Twin Towers or just rest and recuperate
Day 3:
Explore Broga Hill
Leave Kuala Lumpur
But for a longer trip, you can create five-day “weekends” by taking two days of leave in May, August, or October.
May: Vesak Day (May 10) is a Wednesday. Take leave on Monday and Tuesday (May 8 and 9) or Thursday and Friday (May 11 and 12) to make it a five-day break.
5-Day trip to: Laos
Type: Culture + Waterfall
Laos is a waterfall heaven, which is why it is pretty high up on my must-visit destinations list! Fly to Vientiane to experience sunset by the Mekong River and the Buddha Park. If you are into temples, you may want to stay for a day longer to visit a few more temples. If those are not up your alley, you can even skip Vientiane and fly direct to Luang Parabang.
Luang Prabang are really where the waterfalls are at. Be sure to take a dip in the Kuang Si and Tad Sae waterfalls! I live for sunrises and sunsets and it is said that one of the best places to witness sunset over the mekong river is on top of Mount Phousi, so include that in your itinerary as well.
Do note that Laos is slightly more expensive than its neighbour, Thailand. However, it is still a hotspot for backpackers looking for a little adventure (and cheap beer!).
Day 1:
Arrive at Vientiane
Explore Buddha Park
Sunset at Mekong River
Day 2:
Explore Vientiane
Leave for Luang Prabang
Day 3:
Visit the Kuang Si Waterfall
Visit the Tad Sae Waterfall
Climb Mount Phousi for sunset
Dinner by the Nam Kham River
Day 4:
Drive to Vang Vieng
Explore Blue Lagoon and the Phu Kham Cave
Day 5:
Tubing along Mekong River or just chill along the river
Leave for the Luang Parabang Airport
August: National Day (Aug 9) falls on a Wednesday. You can take Aug 7 and 8, or Aug 10 and 11 off to make it a five-day break.
5-Day trip to: Sri Lanka
Type: Hiking + Cultural
Sri Lanka is a varied country, with cultural relics in the north, beaches along its southern and western coastlines and lush greenery in the centre. This also means that you would have to spend quite some time travelling between the different areas to experience as much of Sri Lanka as possible. From Colombo, it takes about 3-4 hours to get anywhere of note, so do factor in the travel time when you are planning for this trip.
According to a Sri Lankan friend of mine, you cannot leave Sri Lanka without a visit to Sigiriya. At the top of the mountain, you can expect views that are nothing short of spectacular!
About 40 minutes ride away from Sigiriya is the Minneriya National Park, where you can go on a safari to view animals native to Sri Lanka in their natural habitat, like the majestic elephants. Truly a sight to behold.
It is pretty impossible to explore all of the temples dotting Sri Lanka, but if there is only one that you can squeeze in, it has to be the Temple of the Tooth which played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings and is a World Heritage Site mainly due to the temple.
Day 1:
Arrive at Colombo Airport
Drive to Sigiriya
Day 2:
Climb Sigiriya
Explore the forts
Day 3:
Drive to Minneriya National Park
Explore Minneriya National Park
Back to Sigiriya
Day 4:
Drive to Kandy
Explore the Temple of the Tooth
Day 5:
Explore Kandy
Leave for Colombo Airport
October: Deepavali (Oct 18) falls on a Wednesday. Take Oct 16 and 17, or Oct 19 and 20 off for a five-day break.
5-Day trip to: Hong Kong
Type: Hiking + Shopping
If you think that Hong Kong is all about food, shopping and nothing else, you couldn’t be more wrong. Venture out of the main city and explore stunning mountains and little villages and you would be amazed by what Hong Kong really has to offer – if you are willing to go down the unbeaten paths.
Visit the quaint little fishing village of Tai O, and climb up the nearby Sunset Peak while you are there to get a bird’s eye view of the island. Or, head down to Sai Kung for a refreshing change from all the skyscrapers in the main island. If you are feeling adventurous, trek down to the super secluded Sheung Luk stream.
But of course, you have to squeeze some time for shopping and hunting down that famous egg tart while you are there!
Day 1:
Arrive at Hong Kong Airport
Explore street food and shopping
Day 2:
Visit Tai O fishing village
Climb Sunset Peak
Day 3:
Explore Flower Market
Visit Victoria Peak/ explore Mongkok
Take a nice walk in the famous Instagram Pier
Day 4:
Visit Sai Kung town
Hike to Sheung Luk stream
Day 5:
Hunt down the best foods
Last minute shopping
Leave for Hong Kong Airport
