It just keeps getting easier and cheaper for Singaporeans to escape, uh, take a holiday from their hectic lives. Not only does a strong Singapore Dollar make everything abroad much so cheaper than it was 20 years ago, budget airlines also fly much further now.
It seemed like just when yesterday budget airlines first started flying to Australia and Japan. Now Scoot has launched flights to Athens, which means there will soon be an influx of Singaporeans wandering cluelessly through Ancient Greek ruins.
Here are seven destinations you can now take long-haul budget flights to from Singapore.
If you’ve been wondering about the number of honeymoon photos snapped in the Maldives on your Facebook feed, you’re not going nuts. Tiger Airways and Scoot now operate flights to Male in the Maldives, which means that staying at one of those resorts on stilts in the middle of the sea is now possible.
Price: $300 to $500
Anybody who studied in Australia in the 90s and early 2000s should remember flying either Qantas or Singapore Airlines during the school holidays. Flights routinely cost about $1,000 at the time. Now that all the major budget airlines have started operating flights from Singapore to a plethora of Australian destinations including Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast, it costs half the price to get your Melbourne cafe hopping fix.
Price: Flights to Melbourne or Sydney cost about $450 to $650
The first budget flight to Osaka was launched with much fanfare several years ago, but now budget airlines fly to many of Japan’s major cities, including Tokyo, Sapporo and Fukuoka. That could explain why despite the fact that Kpop has eclipsed Jpop in the minds of Singaporeans, so many are still going skiing in Hokkaido or shopping in Tokyo.
Price: Flights to Tokyo cost about $500 to $700
Singaporean youths are pretty much obsessed with Korea and Kpop, aunties are enamoured with Korean drama serials, and Girls’ Generation is universally loved by males of all ages, so it’s no surprise that Seoul is an immensely popular holiday destination. Scoot and Air Asia fly to Seoul so you can stalk the latest pretty boy/teen girl Kpop star.
Price: $350 to $500
Ask a Singaporean where he’s going for the holidays and you’re pretty damn unlikely to hear him mention Iran. But it’s actually one of the most fascinating places in the world to visit from a historical point of view, and also one of the safest countries in the Middle East.
Air Asia operates flights to Tehran, and people aren’t exactly jumping at the chance to go there, which means flight prices tend to be stable, even during public holidays. You know where to go next Chinese New Year….
Price: $450 to 650
As mentioned before, Scoot now operates flights to Athens, making it the first European destination ever to be reachable from Singapore on a budget airline. While Singaporean tourists are no stranger to Europe, first-timers usually head to London and Paris. Now that Athens is the cheapest place in Europe to fly to, we can expect to see a sudden influx of Singaporeans in Greece.
Price: At the moment, in the $500 to $600 range
When young Singaporeans envision holidaying in the Middle East, they mostly think of partying amongst sheikhs in upscale clubs in Dubai. But hey, if you really wanted to see glistening skyscrapers and fast cars, you could go to Marina Bay.
Oman, just next door, offers a less flashy but more culture-rich experience. And yes, you can go dune bashing or ride on a camel, if that’s what you want.
Price: $500 to $700