GuideGecko Travel Magazine > Weekend Getaways & Tours from Singapore

Weekend Getaways & Tours from Singapore

Singapore’s central location in Southeast Asia makes it easy for Singaporeans and tourists looking for cheap weekend getaways to travel. Tours from Singapore to neighbouring Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia are great honeymoon travel options too. Here are some destinations where you can take a cheap getaway.

Bangkok: Tours and Shopping

A Bangkok holiday is a great way to encounter all sorts of food, clothes, household items, souvenirs and even animals on sale. Give yourself at least two days to tour the major Bangkok attractions. There’s no need to mull over what to do in Bangkok- head for Sukhumvit Road’s nightly street market, Chatuchak Market and Suan Lum Night Bazaar. Siam Paragon, MBK and Siam Square are big malls with food courts serving up a wide range of cuisines. Budget airlines such as AirAsia, Jetstar Asia and Tiger Airways have frequent flights from Singapore to Bangkok. Flight discounts with cheap airfares from Singapore to Bangkok are often available.

Insight City Guide Bangkok & Surroundings provides you with vital Bangkok accommodation, dining, entertainment and transport information. It also contains lists of top attractions by district, and detailed Bangkok street maps in colour for convenient reference.

Krabi, Thailand: Beaches, Resorts and Rock-climbing

The coastal province of Krabi is instantly recognisable by its limestone outcrops in the sea. Its beaches are pristine and the waters are ideal for scuba diving. November to April are the best times to travel as Krabi weather is cooler then. Many Muslim, Thai-Buddhist and Thai-Chinese celebrations are held here. Abseiling, canoeing, rock-climbing and kayaking are popular Krabi beach sports, and the towns have accommodation, restaurants and shops catering to tourists living in Krabi resort hotels.Thai Airways, AirAsia, Nok Air and Bangkok Airways operate flights to Krabi International Airport.

The Rough Guide to Thailand's Beaches & Islands has detailed descriptions of Krabi and Southern Thailand’s island resorts, leisure activities and party beaches.

Bali: Resorts, Surfing & Temples

Take a flight from Singapore to Bali, an romantic island of beaches, clubs, water sports and traditional Balinese dance and music. Bali resorts are some of the most renowned in Asia. Ubud, a small village in the center of the island, has plenty of temples you can visit on foot. Jimbaran is a five-star beach resort haven, and Seminyak is a high-end tourist beach with bars, clubs and fine dining. Kuta Beach is popular with backpackers and partygoers, and has cheaper accommodation. Flights from Singapore to Bali take just 2.5 hours, and airfares for cheap Bali flights cost around S$250-300. Many budget airline services fly from Singapore to Bali.

The Rough Guide Bali & Lombok shows you places to visit on your Bali holiday, and introduces Bali’s sister island Lombok. Culture vultures and geography fans will appreciate the updated information on Balinese pop music, volcanoes and performing arts. Family-friendly locations are highlighted too.

Bintan, Indonesia: Holiday Retreat at Singapore’s Doorstep

Bintan Island is popular among Singaporeans and tourists. As Pulau Bintan is very near Singapore, transport is fast, convenient and cheap. On Bintan, accommodation is plentiful too. Find out what you can do during your Bintan holiday here.

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia’s Capital

Kuala Lumpur’s City Centre contains many historical landmarks, like Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square), the National Museum and the Islamic Arts Museum. If you’re in a shopping mood, visit the Bukit Bintang shopping district in the Golden Triangle, where you can get electronic devices at Low Yat Plaza and fashion in Times Square and Sungei Wang Plaza. Malaysia’s best bookstores are here too; SKOOB Books has English books unavailable elsewhere, and independent bookshop Silverfish Books specialises in literature, philosophy and local writing. Going from Singapore to KL by bus takes 6 hours, and flights from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur take about an hour. You can easily find cheap flights to Kuala Lumpur  airport on budget airline websites. Travel to Kuala Lumpur is very convenient from Singapore’s Golden Mile Complex or Johor Bahru’s Larkin Bus Terminal, where a coach to Kuala Lumpur is easily found. Good Kuala Lumpur hotels include the Ancasa Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Federal Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur, and the Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

Carry the Berlitz Pocket Guide Kuala Lumpur with you while taking a free and easy walk around KL. Notes on the best shopping and sightseeing spots in the city and detailed maps are packed into this slim, portable book with colour photographs.

Historic Malacca: Portuguese, Dutch & Chinese Heritage

A 5-hour bus ride from Singapore, travel to Melaka is easy. Churches, Chinese temples, Portuguese forts and Dutch halls speak of the colonial history of Melaka and Malaysia. The ruins of A'Famosa fortress are a must-see, and so is Malaysia’s oldest Chinese temple, the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple. Travel to the Malacca Chinatown in Jonker Street (aka. Jalan Hang Jebat) where a street market is held on Friday nights. A Melaka tour cannot go without a visit to the slew of Chinese, Peranakan and Malay ethnic and cultural museums in Melaka. Hotel accommodation in Melaka is plentiful. The Mahkota Hotel, Hotel Puri Melacca and the Mimosa Hotel are some of the best Melaka hotels.

The Lonely Planet Kuala Lumpur, Melaka & Penang shows you where you can find some of the best food of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, and how to make the most of two days in Malacca.

Tioman Island, Malaysia: Clean Waters and Unspoiled Jungle

An island off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Tioman Island that is not as 'touristy' as Langkawi or Penang. The most common way of accessing Pulau Tioman is to travel by ferry from Mersing, a small town on the mainland. Adult tickets range from RM35 to 45. You can also fly to Tioman from Singapore via Berjaya Air. Many Tioman package tours, are available in Singapore too. Juara Beach is fed with freshwater from three rivers, and you can hike to jungle waterfalls from there. Scuba, snorkeling and diving facilities are at the Tioman Dive Centre. Accomodation can be found in several hotels and resorts on Tioman Island, including Japamala Resort, Paya Beach Resort and Berjaya Tioman Resort near the beach.

Lonely Planet Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei updates you on the best hiking, water sports, caving and bird-watching locations in the three countries.

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