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Your 2016 long weekend holiday guide

It’s never too early to start thinking about new travel goals. Even if it’s just fantasising, you’ll need to look out for the latest destinations in travel, from a newly-discovered secret beach to an emerging underrated city.

Now that 2016 is upon us, it’s time to go into full-on holiday planning mode. Here are the year’s trendiest places to be, and the long weekends you can take to travel there.

 

Feb 6-8 (Saturday-Monday)

Occasion: Chinese New Year
Travel to: Your relatives’ or friends’ houses, or a beachfront staycation

Siloso
Siloso


Shangri-la’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa makes vacations easy and fun, whether with family or friends.

 

It’s the Lunar New Year, so get visiting, get eating and — for those who are eligible — get ang baos to fund your upcoming adventures!

However, if you’d rather relax with your family or friends at a resort, look out for staycation steals near you.

A good choice for that balmy and breezy getaway is Shangri-la’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa. Besides having a breathtaking view of Sentosa from whichever room you choose, Rasa Sentosa also regularly updates seasonal promotions that you can look out for.

Imagine taking a relaxing stroll on Siloso Beach, chilling out at a beachside bar then coming back to an indulgent spa and al fresco dinner. Now that’s a good way to celebrate.

For more information, visit www.shangri-la.com/rasasentosa.

 


Also read: 4 trends to look forward to in 2016


 

Mar 25-27 (Friday-Sunday)

Occasion: Good Friday
Travel to: Treasure Bay, Bintan

water_activities
water_activities

Go glamping, or glamorous camping, at Treasure Bay in Bintan, where you can wakeboard, ride a dirt-bike in the woods and even fly in an open-cockpit seaplane. (Photo: Treasure Bay Bintan)

 

Are you a creature of urban comfort, like myself? Would you camp if it was in luxury? Then glamping is for you.

Short for “glamorous camping”, glamping lets you get down and dirty with earth, sky and water, before returning to the comforting embrace of clean sheets, hearty meals, bubbly drinks and — most importantly — air-conditioned tents.

If that sounds good to you, take the Good Friday weekend for a trip to Treasure Bay resort in Bintan. You can go wild with the elements, from wakeboarding on pristine seawater to getting splashed with mud while quad-biking through the woods.

Treasure Bay isn’t complete yet, but there are already ample activities open to fill your weekend. Besides, it also means lesser people to jostle with.

 

30 April – 2 May (Saturday-Monday)

Occasion: Labour Day
Travel to: Mekong River for an unorthodox river cruise

The mighty Mekong River spanning Southeast Asia is coursing with new life thanks to the river cruise trend.

Popular riverboat cruises on the Mekong include AmaWaterways’ routes connecting Vietnam and Cambodia, and the luxury Aqua Mekong vessels that sail between Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and Siem Reap in Cambodia.

But it’s not just fun on water. You’ll get to go on unorthodox excursions like biking through Cambodian villages and exploring Vietnamese floating markets.

Sep 10-12 (Saturday-Monday)

Occasion: Hari Raya Haji
Travel to: Cebu Island, the Philippines

Some may want to stay in Singapore during Hari Raya Haji, or even brave the traffic to visit loved ones in Malaysia. For everyone else itching with wanderlust, Cebu is a rising star in travel trends that is worth every Peso spent.

From affordable luxury resorts to eclectic handicraft markets, Cebu has been expanding its international appeal. You can even go shark-spotting, or marvel at the majestic cathedrals, basilicas and temples there.

A short and inexpensive cab ride will take you to the main city, where sprawling malls provide the urban comforts you may pine for during your beach getaway.

 


Also read: 9 things to eat, see and do this New Year weekend (Dec 31 – Jan 3)


 

Dec 24-26 (Saturday-Monday)

Occasion: Christmas Day
Travel to: Harbin, China

Come December, you may wish you were in a cool winter wonderland instead of in Singapore’s sweltering perpetual summer.

China is one of the nearest places to us where you can experience snow — and this is the perfect time to visit, since winter is the country’s low travel season.

Harbin, in northeastern China, hosts ice and snow art festivals every winter. Zhaolin Park gets populated with magnificent ice sculptures during the Ice Festival, and Sun Island plays host to the Snow Sculpture Exposition.

Be sure to take a trip down to the Siberian Tiger Park and Harbin’s many ski resorts too.

 


Also read: The best of Taipei’s hidden spots


 

For more information on public holidays, click here.

By Pamela Chow for Weekender Singapore