5 Long Weekend Holidays We’re Looking Forward to in 2015

PUBLISHED December 9th, 2014 04:00 pm | UPDATED January 19th, 2016 03:18 pm

You’ve probably read your fair share of long weekend articles for next year by now – they’ve been popping up like mushrooms ever since the government announced the public holiday calendar for 2015.

But don’t close this tab just yet.

At the end of this post, we’re also sharing a contest where you stand a chance to win a pair of tickets to three of the five destinations we’re including on our list – yes really. Just note that they’re not all the typical weekend getaways you’d imagine; the long weekend merely saves you a day of leave. So please, read on.

Chinese New Year (19, 20 February) – Bagan, Myanmar

Many people will tell you this is the time to go to Myanmar before total commercialization of the tourism industry sets in. And if you’re already done the pilgrimage to Borobudur and Angkor Wat, Bagan with its magnificent architecture and archaeology should be next on your list.

Good Friday (3 April) – Seoul, Korea

Everyone is so focused on Japan during cherry blossom season that they forget they can see them in other cities in East Asia too. While it’s too early to tell, there’s a very high chance that you’ll get to view sakura in Seoul and Jeju over the Good Friday weekend.

Vesak Day (1 June) – Bali, Indonesia

The Island of the Gods receives the most visitors during the dry season, usually between the months of April and September. While you can expect it to be more crowded, the weather will be kinder to all sorts of touristy activities – especially if this is your first trip to the island paradise.

Hari Ray Haji (24 September) – Paris, France

If you haven’t been to the most romantic city in the world, autumn is probably the best time to go. Even if you’ve been before, we’re pretty sure the glorious fall foliage along the Seine, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, and in the Jardin des Tuileries is one reason to go back.

Christmas (25 December) – New York City, USA

The Big Apple is definitely one place we’d return to if we head back to the United State because, to quote Jay Z, there’s nothing you can’t do. So go Christmas shopping on Fifth Avenue, take the Rockefeller architecture tour (it’s awesome!), and maybe even watch the ball drop on New Year’s Eve in Times Square.

A Spanking New Travel App: Goru

Launching in late December, Goru promises to be our our go-to travel and exploration guru in Singapore for both tourists and locals alike. Not only are they partnering with companies like Chope and Agoda to facilitate making reservations for restaurants and hotels, we’re also incredibly psyched that City Nomads will be providing content under their Explore section! Best part? They’ll be launching the app in the rest of Asia soon too.

Here’s the Deal

In celebration of their launch, Goru is giving away three pairs of tickets to Seoul, Paris, and New York respectively, and all you need to do for your name to go into the draw is sign up. That first step will score you 5 points; any referral (so get your friends to sign up too) will get you another 5 – the tickets will go to the top 3 scorers.

And since we’re such chums with the folks at Goru, you guys get a leg up on the race. Simply sign up for Goru here and you’ll be off on a head start with 25 points. The rest, though, is still up to you. So go forth and spread the word – good luck! Contest ends 31 January 2015.

Pssst, even if you don’t win, all users with 5 referrals will receive the Goru Travel Kit. It includes $20 Easy Taxi credit (for Singapore users), $50 Travelmob accommodation credit (global), and a 1-time free Foodpanda delivery (for Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore) – not too shabby, eh?