Where to travel in January 2027 from Singapore
Kuala Lumpur and Melaka join Penang and Langkawi at their best in January 2027. The month has one long weekend, and it needs no leave: what fits an ordinary weekend, what's worth a day off, and the March leave to ask for now.
One long weekend, and it’s free
New Year’s Day falls on a Friday, so the year starts with a three-day weekend that needs no leave. If you took the ten-day Christmas break, it’s the end of that. New Year’s Day is a public holiday in every country we cover, so that weekend is busy wherever you go.
To make it four days, take Monday 4 January from your 2027 leave, or Thursday 31 December from what’s left of 2026’s:
Fri 1 – Mon 4 Jan 2027
4 days off1 leave
- T31Thursday, 31 December: workday
- F1Friday, 1 January: public holiday
- S2Saturday, 2 January: weekend
- S3Sunday, 3 January: weekend
- M4Monday, 4 January: take leave
- T5Tuesday, 5 January: workday
Apply for Mon 4 Jan
After that, the next public holiday is Chinese New Year on Sat 6 Feb, so the rest of January is four ordinary weekends.
What fits an ordinary weekend
With no holidays after the 1st, the January question is how far two days will take you. These three are in season and need no more than a weekend:
| Destination | Getting there | Min. trip | Budget | Best months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johor Bahru Malaysia | Train 5 min from Woodlands (KTM Shuttle Tebrau, RTS Link from Feb 2027) | 1 day | $$$ | Jan–Oct |
| Kuala Lumpur Malaysia | Flight 1h from Changi | 2 days | $$$ | Jan–Feb, Jun–Aug |
| Melaka Malaysia | Coach 4h from several SG pick-up points | 2 days | $$$ | Jan–Mar, Jun–Aug |
Johor Bahru works as a day trip, though not by RTS yet: the Link is due to open in February 2027, so in January it’s still the Causeway, by bus, by car or on the KTM Shuttle Tebrau (more on the RTS Link). Kuala Lumpur is about an hour away by air, and Melaka about four hours up the highway by coach. Those two are the ones that turn in January: Kuala Lumpur’s best months begin, and Melaka’s rains are over.
- January: Best
- February: Best
- March: OK
- April: Wet
- May: OK
- June: Best
- July: Best
- August: Best
- September: OK
- October: Wet
- November: Wet
- December: OK
- January: Best
- February: Best
- March: Best
- April: OK
- May: OK
- June: Best
- July: Best
- August: Best
- September: OK
- October: Wet
- November: Wet
- December: Wet
Worth a day of leave
Add a Friday or a Monday, and three days opens up the rest of January’s best. Penang and Langkawi have been dry since December, and Phuket, Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City are in their best months too:
| Destination | Getting there | Min. trip | Budget | Best months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Langkawi Malaysia | Flight 1h 20m from Changi | 3 days | $$$ | Dec–Apr |
| Penang Malaysia | Flight 1h 25m from Changi | 3 days | $$$ | Dec–Mar |
| Phuket Thailand | Flight 1h 50m from Changi | 3 days | $$$ | Nov–Apr |
| Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam | Flight 2h from Changi | 3 days | $$$ | Dec–Mar |
| Bangkok Thailand | Flight 2h 25m from Changi | 3 days | $$$ | Nov–Feb |
Not everywhere has turned yet. Batam, Bintan and Bali are still in their rainy season: Batam’s eases in February, Bintan’s lasts until March, and Bali’s best months don’t start until April. Da Nang & Hoi An, Hong Kong and Taipei are fine in January, but not at their best.
The Thaipusam weekend
Thaipusam falls on Friday 22 January. It isn’t a public holiday in Singapore, but it is in Johor and several other Malaysian states, Penang, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur among them. That gives Johor a long weekend, and our Causeway jam outlook has the crossing busier from Thursday 21 to Sunday 24 January.
If you’d like to see the festival, Batu Caves, just outside Kuala Lumpur, draws Malaysia’s biggest Thaipusam crowds, and a day of leave on the Friday makes it a three-day weekend. It’s a religious festival first, so dress modestly and give the procession room.
January is for booking March
January is also when to ask for March’s leave. By our six-weeks-ahead rule, the dates to ask by for Hari Raya Puasa and Good Friday are Fri 22 Jan and Fri 5 Feb:
| Long weekend | Apply by | Leave for the best trade | Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hari Raya Puasa Sat 6 – Sun 14 Mar 2027 | Fri 22 Jan 2027 | Mon 8 Mar, Tue 9 Mar, Thu 11 Mar, Fri 12 Mar 4 leave → 9 days off | .ics |
| Good Friday Sat 20 – Sun 28 Mar 2027 | Fri 5 Feb 2027 | Mon 22 Mar, Tue 23 Mar, Wed 24 Mar, Thu 25 Mar 4 leave → 9 days off | .ics |
"Apply by" is 6 weeks before the earliest leave day you might take for that weekend. Each calendar file adds the weekend plus a reminder on that date.
If Chinese New Year is still unbooked, don’t wait: our six-week reminder for it fell on Sat 19 Dec. March is the best month of the year for the weather, too: see where to travel in March.
Questions
Where should I travel in January from Singapore?
Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang, Phuket, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok and Melaka, going by the months each place is usually at its best. For an ordinary weekend, Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur and Melaka need no more than two days.
Is there a long weekend in January 2027?
One. New Year's Day is Friday 1 January, so Friday 1 to Sunday 3 January is off with no leave, or four days if you take Monday 4 January too. The next public holiday is Chinese New Year, on Sat 6 Feb.
Is Thaipusam a public holiday in Singapore?
No. Thaipusam, on Friday 22 January 2027, is a public holiday in Johor and several other Malaysian states, but not in Singapore. Expect a busier Causeway that weekend.
Is January a good time to visit Bali or Bintan?
Not for the weather: it's the rainy season in both. Bintan is at its best from March to October, and Bali from April to October.
Holiday dates come from MOM's gazetted list, and the leave maths and rankings are worked out the same way as on our long-weekend pages. Updated 17 Oct 2026.