Where can we go for an escape that’s close to Singapore?

February 20, 2026 — 5:00am

I am arranging a family meet-up with one son coming from the US with wife and sons, aged seven and four, and another son from the UK with wife and daughters, aged five and two. We meet in Singapore with a 15-day stay, but Singapore is too expensive without much to do. Where can we go for a week from Singapore with short direct travel and with children’s activities? Any advice on the best place to stay in Singapore?
P. Wee, Sydney, NSW

Penang might work well for your family group. Flight time is just over an hour and there are plenty of daily services. Penang is the total Malay experience in a nutshell. Just 25 kilometres top to toe, the island has beaches sprinkled with plush resorts, a multicultural collage of temples, wats, mosques and churches, street markets, fishing villages, jungly forests with noisy macaque monkeys and even a proper miniature hill station, reached by a funicular railway.

Its capital, George Town, is one of most languid and likeable cities in South-East Asia. Along with a rich legacy of architecture, food, faiths and styles, that earned it a place on UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 2008, George Town has one of the most exciting street dining scenes of any Asian city.

Activities for the children include the ESCAPE theme park, the Entopia Penang Butterfly Farm, the Saanen Dairy Goat Farm, Penang Bird Park and trishaw rides. Rather than staying in the city itself, you might stay at one of the resort-style beachside hotels at Batu Ferringhi, about a 30-minute drive away.

It’s a laid-back, easygoing foil to the modest bustle of George Town, within reach of all that the island’s capital has to offer. Many hotels cater to families, with multiple swimming pools, kids’ clubs and indoor play zones. In Singapore, Sentosa Island has several beach resorts with plenty of activities that will keep the children entertained.

We are three families, with kids aged from 10 to 25, planning to fly from Sydney to Perth and then do a two-week road trip in campervans along the WA coast, potentially as far as Broome. Monkey Mia and Ningaloo are priorities. What other stops and durations would you recommend? And is there a reputable campervan company you know of?
J. Mackey, Lilyfield, NSW

You’ll probably want to spend a day or two in Perth and there’s plenty to keep you occupied including Kings Park and the Botanic Garden, Cottesloe and Scarborough beaches and optional half-day trips to Fremantle or Rottnest Island. From Perth head north along Indian Ocean Drive to Geraldton and stop at Nambung National Park to take in the stunning limestone pillars.

Over the next two days continue to the Shark Bay World Heritage Area, including Monkey Mia to see the wild dolphins. Don’t miss Shell Beach, about 45 kilometres south-east of Denham, composed of billions of tiny white cockle shells, stretching for more than 70 kilometres. Continue to Carnarvon for an overnight stop and onwards to Coral Bay, the main accommodation and services base for Ningaloo Marine Park. Spend three nights here. The marine life is extraordinary, including Coral Bay’s resident population of about 80 manta rays, and you can snorkel right off the beaches. Cape Range National Park, located a short drive to the north, has spectacular limestone ranges, deep canyons and sensational beaches such as Turquoise Bay.

You could continue to Broome but you’ll be pushed to fit that into a two-week itinerary. The town requires a minimum of three nights, and you’ve got a 2200-kilometre drive back to Perth. You could fly back to Perth but that would add massively to the cost of your trip. Cruisin’ Motorhomes and Campervans Hire Perth, Britz and WA Camper Rentals are reputable operators. Book campsites early, popular spots fill up fast, especially near Ningaloo and Monkey Mia, and distances are huge, refuel when the tank is half empty.

We are an active and fit couple in our early 60s who want to explore Albania and Montenegro over 10 days in early October. From Italy we thought we’d fly to Dubrovnik to enter Montenegro. How much time should we allocate to each country and what are the best places – a mix of beaches, mountains and cities – to visit? Car hire or local transport?
S. Bartlett, Richmond, Vic

Early October, with warm seas, quieter towns, reliable weather and fewer crowds, is a wonderful time to visit. Flying into Dubrovnik would be your best choice, there are no non-stop flights from Italy to either Montenegro’s Tivat or Podgorica airports. With Albania and Montenegro as the focus of your visit, you need the flexibility and freedom to go where you like and self-drive from Dubrovnik is the answer. With 10 days in hand, you might spend four of those in Montenegro, which is relatively compact, and six in Albania.

In Montenegro, spend your first two nights in Kotor Old Town or Perast and explore the medieval old town and one of Europe’s most beautiful bays. The climb to Kotor Fortress is highly recommended and take the boat trip from Perast to Our Lady of the Rocks. Devote another two nights to Zabljak, gateway to the glacial lakes and alpine landscapes of Durmitor National Park, and take the Black Lake loop walk, an easy three-and-a-half kilometre trail.

When you cross into Albania, spend your first night at Shkoder, followed by three nights at Himare or Dhermi to explore the Albanian Riviera. For your next stop, choose Gjirokaster if you prefer dramatic mountain scenery, or Berat for its Ottoman architecture. Follow that up with a night in Tirana from where you can drive north along the coast to return your car in Dubrovnik.

My husband and I are considering a visit to Egypt this year, including the Grand Egyptian Museum and a Nile cruise. We would like to add Jordan, too. Can you advise sites to see and an itinerary for about 21 days. Any recommendations for tour operators?
C. Press, Oakleigh, Vic

Most Egyptian itineraries follow the same format, based around the Nile River. Four nights in Cairo is usually enough to experience the pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum, the bazaars and Old Cairo. Most travellers fly south from there to Luxor to spend three nights to take in the incredible Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens and Luxor and Karnak temples. From Luxor, the next stage of the journey is a cruise on the Nile to Aswan.

There are two ways to travel, either aboard a motorised riverboat which carries up to 100 passengers and makes the journey in about three days, or a traditional, twin-masted dahabiya, which takes about 20 passengers maximum, takes five days and travels at the speed of a paddling duck. The dahabiya option costs more but if you want to experience the quiet majesty of this ancient river and sample something of the village life along its banks, it’s a better choice.

From Aswan, tours will visit Abu Simbel. Some travellers also include a visit to El Alamein, particularly if they have relatives who served there in the armed forces during World War II. El Alamein can be visited either as a day trip from Cairo or combined with a visit to Alexandria. Egypt is challenging for solo travellers. You’re much better off taking a guided tour, and Adelaide-based Bunnik Tours is highly recommended. Bunnik also has tours that include Jordan as well as Egypt, from 19 to 25 days.

Travel advice is general; readers should consider their personal circumstances