Your all-in-one guide to stacking annual leaves, public holidays and weekends to get the most fun out of your 47 days off in 2022.
Let’s call a spade a spade. 2020 was crap. And whilst I’m still undecided about how 2021 might turn out, we’re riding on this potential travel-bubble high that 2022 might be the year we get to experience free-and-easy travel again. But till then, we’ve still got several countries to pin our wanderlust on.
We’re looking at 10 long weekends over the course of 2022. That means 20 days by default. Add 11 extra days off, thanks to public holidays, coupled with 16 days of annual leave (18 days – 2 off-in-lieu Saturdays) — and you’ve got yourself 47 glorious vacation days.
To help you out, we’ve come up with the number of leave days you can take for each stretch to help you fully maximise each of these weekends, plus some ideas on how to spend them overseas or in Singapore!
2022 Public Holidays & Long Weekends
1. Lunar New Year: 10 Days in New Zealand
2022 Public Holiday: Lunar New Year, 1 February (Tuesday) and 2 February (Wednesday)
How to stack: Take four days of leave on 28 January (Friday), 31 January (Monday), 3 February (Thursday), and 4 February (Friday) to enjoy 10 days off — including two sets of weekends!
Where to go: Perhaps you’re tired of social niceties and having to answer those incessant questions as to why you’re still single. Here’s a solution: flee to the South Islands! Whether you choose to stargaze at Lake Tekapo or camp out at Mount Cook National Park, save some time for Queenstown before heading to Te Anau for a boat ride through Milford Sound. If you’ve got more time on your hands, don’t miss out on Hokitika Gorge at Arthur’s Pass.
Alternatively in SG: Skip the four days and take a strategic two days of leave instead. Merge it with a weekend for Royal Caribbean’s 4D3N Ocean Getaway Cruise onboard the Quantum of the Seas.
2. Good Friday: 4 Days in Thailand
2022 Public Holiday: Good Friday, 15 April (Friday)
How to stack: Take one day of leave on 14 April (Thursday) to enjoy four days off — including the weekend!
Where to go: What better way to spend the long weekend than on the pristine beaches of Krabi? Slather on some good SPF, and you’ll be set to lounge off all that stress. Adrenaline junkies can head down to Railay Beach for rock-climbing with a view or water sports. Come night, pig out on authentic Thai nosh at their bustling night markets before settling in to do it all over again!
Alternatively in SG: You can still get #beachvibes by booking a staycay with the whole fam at Sentosa! Don’t forget to take the kids to the floating obstacle course, Hydrodash, located at Palawan Beach. There are also a ton of water activities such as paddle-boarding available for rental at Ola Beach Club.
3. Labour Day + Hari Raya Puasa: 6 Days in Japan
2022 Public Holiday: Labour Day, 1 May (Sunday) and 3 May (Tuesday), Hari Raya Puasa, 2 May (Monday)
How to stack: Take two days of leave on 28 April (Thursday) and 29 April (Friday) to enjoy six days off — including the wee kend!
Where to go: Experience both sides of Japan in the Kansai province of Japan. Feast and shop at bright and colourful Osaka before heading to rustic Kyoto for lush bamboo forests and iconic shrines. Got more time? Pop over to Nara Park for a cosy encounter with deers!
Alternatively in SG: Get your fill of country-side living in your own backyard at Gallop Kranji Farm Resort. Get in touch with nature and be refreshed by the farms and reserves around the area such as Bollywood Veggies, Hay Dairies, Kranji Marshes and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.
4. Vesak Day: 4 Days in Vietnam
2022 Public Holiday: Vesak Day, 15 May (Sunday) and 16 May (Monday)
How to stack: Take one day of leave on 13 May (Friday) to enjoy four days off — including the weekend!
Where to go: Stay a night in Hanoi (there’s plenty to explore!) before ducking out to UNESCO World Heritage Site Ha Long Bay, neighbour to the famed Cát Bà National Park that’s great for scuba diving, rock climbing and hiking.
Alternatively in SG: Take a break in the East of Singapore for a water-themed getaway at D’Resort @ Downtown East. Get your hit of vitamin D at Wild Wild Wet and your dose of vitamin sea at Pasir Ris Park where you can rent all kinds of water sports equipment at Ohana Beach House.
5. Hari Raya Haji: 4 Days in Taiwan
2022 Public Holiday: Hari Raya, 9 July (Saturday)
How to stack: Take two days of leave on 7 July (Thursday) and 8 July (Friday) to enjoy four days off — including the weekend!
Where to go: Just three hours from Taipei is Taroko National Park. Here sits the world’s deepest marble gorge and picturesque Eternal Spring Shrine — see it all on the Tunnel of Nine Turns Trail! The park is open all year but because Typhoon season happens around May till September, be sure to keep tabs on their website for official updates.
Alternatively in SG: Perhaps you feel under-prepped for the wild. Get ready for any forest or mountain adventure with an afternoon of junglecraft training. You’ll learn not just how to survive but how to thrive in the wilderness!
6. National Day: 5 Days in Australia
2022 Public Holiday: National Day, 9 August (Tuesday)
How to stack: Take two days of leave on 5 August (Friday) and 8 August (Monday) to enjoy five days off — including the weekend!
Where to go: Come to Melbourne for a gastronomical retreat. Start your day with a good breakfast at Brown Bagels before heading over to Brother Baba Budan for a cuppa joe. Fuelled up, you’ll be ready for the drive over to Yarra Valley’s Yileena Park for wine, cheese and two adorably friendly donkeys!
Alternatively in SG: Have an affordable staycay with your mates in the heart of town. Have a craft beer trail around Telok Ayer or go on a hawker-centre hop around Chinatown. Either way, you’re guaranteed to end the night on a belly happy note!
7. Deepavali: 4 Days in Hong Kong
2022 Public Holiday: Deepavali, 24 October (Monday)
How to stack: Take one day of leave on 21 October (Friday) to enjoy four days off — including the weekend!
Where to go: Have your fill of shopping and great dim-sum in the city but if you need an escape to nature, Hong Kong isn’t short of that too! There are hikes like the scenic Dragon’s Back where you’ll get amazing views of the cityscape, but there’s also the beautiful Tai Long Wan beach that’s only a 3km hike away.
Alternatively in SG: Simple hikes and blue quarries are just a boat ride away. Camp out at Pulau Ubin for an authentic experience of Singapore’s kampung life. There are also plenty of mountain bike trails as well as water activities to keep you and your loved ones occupied all weekend!
8. Christmas + New Year’s Day: 11 Days in China
2022 Public Holiday: Christmas, 25 December (Sunday) and 26 December (Monday), New Year’s Day, 1 January 2023 (Sunday) and 2 January 2023 (Monday)
How to stack: Take five days of leave on 23 December (Friday), 27 December (Tuesday), 28 December (Wednesday), 29 December (Thursday), and 30 December (Friday) to enjoy 11 days off — including two sets of weekends!
Where to go: With 11 days on your hands you have plenty of time to explore the Province of Yunnan. There’s the Tiger Leaping Gorge, Shangri-la Grand Canyon and, if you can bear the 200km trek from Lijiang, the beautiful Lugu Lake seated near the foot of the Himalayas.
Alternatively in SG: This ain’t no Lugu Lake, but this gem in the west holds its own when it comes to manicured greenery and water ways. With playgrounds and dining facilities, Jurong Lake Gardens is a calming oasis in the city for both the young and old.
You’re Now Vacation-Ready!
Whether you choose to stack up or shack up, we hope you now have a better idea of how to plan your leaves for 2022. If you need more travel inspiration on how else to spend those long weekends, refer to our previous long weekend guide here. Either way, be sure to keep tabs on our page for regular updates on the travel situation.
Guides to Resuming International Travel:
#1: Which Country Can I Travel to Now?
#2: Which Airlines Are Resuming Flights?
#3: Future of Air Travel After COVID-19
#4: When Can We Travel Again: 2023 Forecast
#5: Immunity Passports to Resume Travel
#6: Can Singaporeans Travel to Brunei & New Zealand?
#7: How Airlines Are Wooing You Back Onboard
#8: Post-COVID-19 Travel Habits
#9: How Tech & AI Are Helping to Reignite Tourism
#10: Everything You Need To Know About Singapore’s COVID-19 Vaccinations
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