This blog post relates to the Australian calendar, but the theory is essentially the same for other countries.
With the excitement in the long lead up to Christmas worn off and the buzz of the New Year slowly disappearing, we all need something to look forward to. January is the perfect time to organise your holiday calendar. It’s also the time for resolutions. Visit those places you’ve been dying to see and book those tours you’ve been dreaming about.
If you plan your holidays as and when you find a spare week to squeeze them in, you’ll find that your annual leave is gone in a flash. But, if you do a little more planning in January, you could double your holiday time! So here’s the secret – take your annual leave around the public holidays. That way, you will have more consecutive days off and can extend that 7 day holiday into 10 days.
You just need to do a little more planning in January, but it definitely pays off. And best of all, if you live in Australia we’ve done most of it for you! Just follow the calendar below, book your days off with work and wait for the long, relaxing holidays to creep up! Take that 10 day tour to Asia you’ve been dreaming of, hop on a short tour around Italy, or even head off on a cruise around the Galapagos Islands. All is possible when you know how!
Just in case you aren’t like me with a long list of ‘places to visit’ stashed away, I’ve added in a few suggestions for tours which are perfect at that time of the year. Tucan Travel also have a heavily discounted sale up until the beginning of February if you’re really organised!
April 2019
April is one of the best times to go on holiday, especially if you’re after an adventure like chasing the Northern Lights in Iceland! It’s also in the middle of the famous cherry blossom season in Japan where the entire country is painted in a delicate hue of baby pink.
To make your annual holiday stretch further in April, you can book off just 3 days leave and take a 10 day holiday! Or turn 7 days of annual leave into an epic 16 day adventure tour!
Public holidays:
- Friday 19th – Good Friday
- Monday 22nd – Easter Monday
- Thursday 25th – ANZAC day
Days to book off:
- Monday 15th – Thursday 18th April (4 days) to have 9 consecutive days off & / or
- Tuesday 23rd, Wednesday 24th & 26th Friday (3 days) to have 16 days off
If you have 9 days, here are some of our top picks for places to go in April:
- Japan Highlights 20th April – 26th April (Cherry blossom season!)
- Egypt Adventure 20th April – 28th April
- East Galapagos Islands 19th April – 25th April
- Morocco & Sahara 20th April – 27th April
And if you were lucky enough to swindle 16 consecutive days off, here are our top choices for tours in April:
- Budapest to Dubrovnik – 14th April – 28th April
- Transylvania Tale – 14th April – 28th April
- Andes to Jungle – 13th April – 23rd April (And see Machu Picchu!)
December 2019
Booking a holiday during the Christmas break is a great idea! Not only are crowds smaller, prices tend to be much cheaper for flights, accommodation and attractions. Europe can be magical in Winter, draped in a white, thick blanket of snow. Or take a tour to Sri Lanka which has perfect, hot weather during December – January.
December brings with it a few national holidays, so if you play your cards right you can turn 7 days off into an epic 16 day adventure over the Christmas break! Got plans for New Years Eve that you’d like to be back for? Take just 3 annual leave and get 9 consecutive days off!
Public holidays:
- 25th – Christmas Day
- 26th – Boxing Day
- 1st – New Years Day
Days to book off:
- Monday 23rd, Tuesday 24th and Friday 27th (3 days) to have 9 days off – & / or
- Monday 30th, Tuesday 31st, Thursday 2nd & Friday 3rd (4 days) to have 16 days off
There are so many places that could make Christmas extra special, but here are our top places to visit during December, including tour dates:
Vietnam Highlights – 21st December – 28th December
Sri Lanka Experience – 21st December – 29th December
Highlights of Morocco – 21st December – 29th December
Magic of the Incas – 21st December – 3rd January
Mara & Serengeti – 21st December – 30th December
Costa Rica Encompassed – 22nd December – 4th January
Best of Jordan & Israel – 22nd December – 1st January
With so many exciting destinations to see, make 2019 the year you plan the perfect getaway. So put on your best smile and start requesting that annual leave with your boss, before you know it you could be sipping wine under the Eiffel Tower or dancing the night away in Colombia. You can view the full range of Tucan Travel tours and get some holiday inspiration at www.tucan.travel
Roxy is part of the marketing team for Tucan Travel. She has been travelling solo for years, predominantly around Asia, Indonesia and Europe. You can find her on LinkedIn here.
