4-minute read

Thanks to Singapore’s incredible connectivity, Singaporeans have mastered the art of maximising long weekends for short getaways. If you are like most Singaporeans, you probably have planned your getaways for the next six months.

With direct flights to more than 150 cities, Singapore has one of the busiest international airports in the world. Here’s a quick guide to help you set sight beyond Bali and make use of the most powerful passport in the world. (And also a shout-out to our fellow public officers behind Singapore’s transformation into a mega air hub and our consular efforts!)

#1 All you need is three hours of flight

Instead of the usual suspects (Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea), try these five ASEAN destinations just three hours out of Changi.

• Ko Samui, Thailand. 2h: Dazzlingly white beaches, a really giant Buddha, cheap water sports
• Siem Reap, Cambodia. 2h 10m: Sunsets over temples, Tomb raider recap, coconut fish curry
• Yogyakarta, Indonesia. 2h 25m: World’s largest Buddhist temple, hipster boutiques, batik
• Tawau, Malaysia. 2h 50m: Island-hopping, hammerhead sharks, underwater post boxes
• Vientiane, Laos. 2h 55m: Hipster café-hopping, stupas and temples, French colonial vibes

#2 Have 60 minutes more? Here’s where you can reach within four hours.

Appreciate the linkages we have with our neighbours. Within just four hours of flight, step into another world!

• Hanoi, Vietnam. 3h 30m: Stunning limestone outcrops, water puppet theatre, quaint neighbourhoods
• Davao, Philippines. 3h 40m: Mount Apo, the Philippine Eagle, pristine beaches
• Manado, Indonesia. 3h 45m: The amazing Bunaken National Park, ‘nuff said
• Colombo, Sri Lanka. 4h: Tea plantations, ancient temples, wild elephant sightings
• Kunming, China. 4h: Stone forests, awesome caves, hill tribes
• Visakhapatnam, India. 4h: Cool hill stations, the first submarine museum in Asia, golden beaches

#3 And if five hours falls within your threshold of short getaway flights…

The Singapore passport grants us visa-free travel to 194 countries, so let’s expand our horizons!

• Kochi, India. 4h 30m: Heart of ayurveda, Kathakali dances, romantic houseboat cruises
• Guwahati, India. 4h 40m: Gateway to Assam, great hikes, vibrant tribal culture
• Chengdu, China. 4h 50m: Pandas, OG mala, bamboo forests, Jiuzhaigou
• Darwin, Australia. 4h 50m: Jumping crocodiles, didgeridoos, sports fishing

#4 Always check the weather (and other natural phenomena)

Singapore is blessed with rather consistent weather (rainy and hot, not-so-rainy and hot), but this is usually not the case for destinations around us. Check if monsoons, typhoons, winter storms, or other seasonal weather patterns will affect your travel plans.

For example, diving in Manado is only possible from April to October while Davao is best visited from January to May, to avoid rains and typhoons. For the latest information on weather, volcanic activity, haze, and earthquakes around the region, check out the National Environment Agency’s weather page.

#5 Clear your cookies and cache for cheaper flights

Ever heard of Tuesday as the day for the cheapest flight tickets? That’s actually a myth. Here are three tried and tested strategies to score cheap flights instead:

• Book early, at least three months in advance.
• Track the social media accounts of airlines for alerts on promotions.
• Browse incognito so that your repeated searches for the same flights don’t send prices skyrocketing. Always clear your cookies and cache.

#6 Check your visa, register your travels, and don’t get phished!

Lastly, drop by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs site to check if you need a visa to your destination, and e-register your travels so that consular help can be rendered in cases of emergencies. Watch out for phishing scams related to visas as well.

Behind the scenes: What makes short getaways to faraway destinations possible

And lastly, kudos to our fellow public officers making all these possible!

The Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) work in tandem to ensure that Singapore is well-connected to other countries in the world, and with counterparts in other countries to make flights possible to more destinations by signing Air Services Agreements (ASAs).

To date, MOT has signed more than 140 ASAs, of which more than 80 are Open Skies Agreements. MOT and CAAS and their partners also work hard to ensure that Singapore’s aviation policies and systems adhere to international standards and practices and keep safety standards high.

Lastly, Changi Airport is one of the best in the world! MOT and CAAS collaborate with Changi Airport Group and other aviation industry partners to make flying through the airport a smooth and seamless experience.

When operational in the mid-2030s, Changi’s fifth terminal, Terminal 5, will add capacity for another 50 million passengers each year, on top of Changi’s current capacity of 90 million!

Next time you depart from our airports, take a moment to appreciate the work behind the scenes that makes these short getaways possible. Bon voyage!

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