Help me on travel ideas, budget, plans

[ammyb]

Hi all, I am single Indian male 33. I have been here for a month. I plan to utilise my weekends and off days to travel around Singapore. Islands, neighbouring countries etc. It would have been good to tag along a group or atleast travel duo, but I did not find any yet to share. Those who have been here for long.. please guide on traveling solo... how to plan, operators if any, how to start wid small ones and then go for bigger ones etc. Those who are single like me and has the same problem are welcome to share as well. I will be glad to discuss on plans and tag along wid like minded people.

[JR8]

In SE Asia I invariably DIY holidays. So the approach is 1) choose potential destinations 2) check the time-frame and seasons/weather works ok 3) check who flies there and whether the fare is in-budget and fits the time-frame. If all of that looks like it comes together ok, then step 4) is choosing a hotel and getting it booked. I have a lot of faith in Tripadvisor for guiding me in the latter. And it seems all hotels can arrange airport transfers these days, if needed.

If it's a regional city-break then I'd also look at the websites of the regional airlines. For example we picked up a very reasonable deal of a 3-4 night trip to Kuching, staying at the Hilton, that was booked as a package via the Air Asia site. Even if going with a package doesn't make $ense, you can look at how say Air Asia puts together a trip that interests, and then DIY it yourself, sometimes it works out cheaper, and it allows you to choose your own specific hotel or flight times etc.

[ammyb]

Thanks. Will try to check out Air Asia deals.

[bgd]

Malaysia is only a bus ride away. Batam a boat ride. Good places to start. Jump onto the internet to give you an idea what places have to offer and then plan your trip based on what you see. I use Booking.com for accommodation but there are lots of similar apps offering similar deals.

And closer to home, I like Changi Village. It's good for a lazy day trip. Ubin if you're feeling active.

[ammyb]

Awesome bgd. Will start wid batam and then Malayasia. Have to get visa done first.

[marketingborders]

This year there is a number of long weekends where you can plan your short trips around them - you can google for it.

Agree with the other members that you can start with our neighboring countries namely Malaysia and Batam or Bintan. When you have more time, you can explore Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines. Unless you are visiting islands, these countries are good to visit all year round. Avoid visiting islands from Sept - Dec period as it is rainy season for this region.

Besides Air Asia, you can also check out other budget airlines like Scoot, Jetstar, Tiger Air. Just bear in mind that being budget airlines, they tend to be no frills service and may have flight delays.

Have fun exploring the region!