How to request leave for overseas holidays in 2019? A travel guide to avoid peak holiday crowds!

Tripbaa Fun Bar – Asia’s Free Travel Expert

Since the Executive Yuan’s Ministry of Personnel Administration released the 2019 calendar on July 2, many 2019 holiday travel guides have emerged. But when it comes to taking leave to travel abroad, not only should you aim to take the fewest days off for the most travel days, there's something extremely important to remember: be sure—no, seriously, be absolutely sure—to avoid public holidays in other countries. Otherwise, you might end up traveling abroad only to find everywhere packed with people and no fun at all!

This time, we’ve compiled the 2019 holiday and festival schedules for Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand. This way, based on your own needs, whether you want to plan leave especially for a festival or prefer to choose an off-peak period to avoid the crowds, reading this one article will guarantee that you can arrange your 2019 holiday travel plans faster and more smoothly than anyone else!

Based on the 2019 calendar released by the Executive Yuan’s Ministry of Personnel Administration, we’ve thoughtfully put together the 2019 holiday dates for you, and even calculated how many days you need to apply for leave and how many days off you’ll get. Just follow the 2019 holiday travel guide above, pick your desired leave dates, and start planning your 2019 holiday trip abroad Up!

P.S. Due to flexible leave arrangements, you’ll need to work or attend classes on December 22, January 19, and February 23.

However, many 2019 holiday dates are determined based on festivals and cultural events. For instance, traditional holidays like Lunar New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival are also observed in many Asian countries. In addition, some local festivals may coincide with Taiwan’s 2019 holidays. In those cases, you definitely want to avoid visiting those countries, or you'll just end up seeing crowds and dealing with traffic jams!

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2019 Holiday Guide – Taiwan Holidays. (Image / Tripbaa Fun Bar – Asia’s Free Travel Expert)

First up is Japan, the favorite destination for many Taiwanese. 2019 is a very special year because Emperor Akihito is set to abdicate in 2019. Coupled with the usual weekends, Showa Day, and Golden Week, Japan has up to 10 consecutive days off from “April 27 to May 6.” So, we advise you not to push your luck—definitely avoid traveling to Japan during this period, as it will be crowded everywhere and the travel experience will be relatively poor!

Similarly, the period from “August 10 to August 18” is another busy time. Due to Japan’s traditional holidays Mountain Day and Obon Festival combined with weekends, there are up to 9 consecutive days off. Plus, airfare is generally higher during summer vacation. So, if you’re planning to visit Japan independently in the second half of 2019, try to avoid this Japanese holiday period.

As for South Korea, also located in Northeast Asia, its 2019 holidays are slightly fewer than Japan’s. Aside from some Koreans taking a few extra days off in May to arrange their own extended breaks, the main thing to avoid is Korea’s highly valued “September 12 to September 15” Chuseok (Mid-Autumn Festival) holiday.

Malaysia is a highly popular Southeast Asian travel destination in recent years. With cost-effective and convenient private car services, many Taiwanese choose to visit with their families during holidays. But beware—Malaysia’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Eid al-Fitr) holiday often overlaps with Taiwan’s Dragon Boat Festival.

After the 2019 holiday calendar was released, it became clear that the Dragon Boat Festival runs from “June 7 to June 9,” while Hari Raya is from “June 5 to June 6.” Add in the extra leave many people take, and the periods basically overlap.

Because Malaysians also typically use the Hari Raya holiday for family trips, roads and highways in places like Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, and elsewhere will be absolutely jam-packed—“gridlocked” is the only word for it. So, if you don’t want your 2019 holiday spent stuck in traffic, try to avoid traveling to Malaysia during this period Up!

Thailand is another popular Southeast Asian destination. It has distinct peak and off-peak tourism seasons due to its rainy and dry seasons. The most important festival and holiday is “April 13 to April 16,” Songkran (Thai New Year), which also marks the start of Thailand’s peak travel season. So unless you’re going specifically for Songkran, it’s best to avoid April—the peak season for independent travel in Thailand—as well as the religious holidays mentioned earlier. Otherwise, you should be fine Up!

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[Tripbaa Fun Bar] Authorized Repost | Original Source: [2019 Holiday Guide: Don’t Go to Japan During These Times – Plan Your Trip with the Asian Calendar]

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