Four weekends in a month, 52 weekends in a year: that’s 104 days, folks, and that’s not including public holidays. Where do you go for your precious days off? Bespoke tour operator Lightfoot Travel has an inspiring portfolio of short-haul, big-experience breaks – long plane journeys and jetlag not included. Here are their top mini-trips.
 

1. Margaret River, Western Australia
     (Best for: Wine-tasting)

If time is at a premium but you’re gagging for an inspirational escape, a quick trip to the magnificent Margaret River could be just the ticket. With just a few days to spare you can nip off to swig Sauvignon Blanc amongst beautiful green vineyards, where grapes are plumped up by the blazing Aussie sun.
   
And, fortunately for us, these stress-busting shores are easy to access from Singapore. Take a five-hour flight to Perth and drive south through picturesque scenery (worth the trip alone) to reach Cape Lodge. Sitting next to its own secluded vineyard, this boutique luxury hotel has native forest, gardens and lakes at its feet. There’s a great cookery school (and sheep-shearing for the brave), but the main draw is the superb wine tasting you can experience on tours of the surrounding vineyards.     There are long sandy beaches a short drive away and a rugged limestone coastline for going walkabout; June to December is whale-watching season. You’ll feel a million miles away from the city.


2. Hội An, Vietnam (Best for: Pampering) 

A quick flight to Da Nang and a short transfer in a private car will deposit you at the romantic Unesco-protected town of Hội An. This ancient fishing port is a storybook scene, decorated with colourful markets, picturesquely crumbling buildings, and museums and temples.
   
Poke around former merchants’ houses and stop in at traditional tailor shops where you can have something special knocked up in a day. At night, lanterns light up the town in an atmospheric glow.
   
For a dose of extreme pampering, the latest additional to the stylish GHM hotel collection, the Nam Hai, is just 15 minutes down the road. Set on a white-sand beach, the resort’s huge split-level villas are designed in Vietnamese style, each with a landscaped garden and outstanding sea views.
   
Put the kids to work painting traditional Vietnamese hats at the kids’ club while you head for the lotus-pond spa. Or tuck into some delicious “white rose” dumplings, a Hội An speciality. At night, kick back at your gorgeous villa and watch traditional boats winking in the distance. Luxury beachfront living at its best.