In a press release by Expedia in November 2022, it was found that movies and TV series have greatly influenced Singaporean’s travel patterns in 2023. Some 76% of Singaporeans surveyed responded that they were more likely to consider a travel destination after seeing it in a movie or TV series, with about one in two Singaporeans actually going on a film inspired trip.
Unsurprisingly, among the top destinations that Singaporeans were influenced to travel to were Japan and the United Kingdom. With the explosion in popularity of Netflix’s original series like First Love and Bridgerton, many young Singaporeans find themselves yearning to visit the sights their favourite characters call home.
Popular drama filming locations to visit in 2023
Northern Hokkaido, Japan — First Love
The popular Netflix original J-drama follows a couple who first met in 1990 and grew up together in the 2000s. They reconcile later in life and relive their first love through the memories they shared in their school days.
The show is set in northern Hokkaido which is known for its beautiful landscapes. Key scenes of the show were also set against the backdrop of Sapporo City, such as the Sapporo TV Tower, the Sapporo Chikagai Aurora Town, and the Sapporo City Observatory.
Hokkaido is beautiful all year round. During the summer, explore Sounkyo, situated in Kamikawa Hokkaido, and its range of gorges known for its majestic waterfalls and cliff scenery.
In the winter, Hokkaido turns into a winter wonderland ripe with winter sports and festivals all across the region. If you’re an adrenaline junkie, you can take to the slopes to try your hand at skiing or snowboarding. If not, the Winter Festival in Sapporo is a more family-friendly activity with its outdoor skating rink, a snow slide for children, and even a display of ice sculptures built by teams from all over the world.
England — Bridgerton
Another popular Netflix original series is Bridgerton. The English period drama series is loosely set in the Regency era of England and follows the siblings from a powerful aristocratic family as they find true love.
There are a few key works of architecture that all Bridgerton fans would immediately recognise. One of the most notable is the mansion that was used as the Bridgerton family home – Ranger’s House. The actual building is in Greenwich, southeast London and houses the Wernher collection, an impressive 700-piece art collection full of medieval sculptures, ornate jewellery and Renaissance paintings that any art lover would enjoy.
The Royal Crescent in Bath is another such building. The grandiose building was the backdrop for Lady Dabury’s house in the Bridgerton Series and even made a little cameo in the prequel spin-off Queen Charlotte. This curving row of terraced houses was designed by architect John Wood and built between 1767 and 1774 and is an iconic part of Bath’s scenery.
How much would such a trip cost?
You may now be very inspired to go visit the sights your favourite characters call home. But hold on for a moment, as there are a few factors to consider before you book your next holiday.
Firstly, you must consider the expenses you will incur prior to your actual trip, such as visas, flights and accommodation. You would also have to factor in your daily expenses on things like food, transport, attractions and shopping.
Luckily, for both Japan and England, Singaporeans are not required to apply for a visa. This alone will save both time and money in your holiday planning stage.
Here is a rough gauge of what your budget for a five-day trip would be:
| Hokkaido | London | |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | S$1,200 – S$1,400 | S$1,400 – S$1,700 |
| Accommodation (Airbnb/Hotels) |
S$250 – S$1,500 (S$50 – S$300 per night) | S$600 – S$2,000 (S$120 – S$400 per night) |
| Basic Daily Expenses | S$500 (S$100 per day) | S$1,000 (S$200 per day) |
| Total | S$1,950 – S$3,400 | S$3,000 – S$4,700 |
| * Prices are approximate for travel in December 2023, accurate as of 9th June 2023 | ||
While the budget for your overseas expenses is highly dependent on the itinerary of your trip, a good general rule of thumb is to budget at least S$100–S$200 a day for food and transport. On top of the above mentioned expenses, make sure to set aside a healthy shopping and attractions budget so that you can truly get an immersive experience and shop to your heart’s desire.
Maximizing your travel budget in the new normal
Travel is getting increasingly expensive
With the post-pandemic revenge travel trend, travel has become increasingly expensive. Airlines have noted the increase in demand for flights and have correspondingly aggressively priced their flight tickets.
It is even more important now to look for ways to save on your travel expenses so that your trip to your favourite film destinations does not break the bank. For instance, you can take an indirect flight to your destination, which could save you a few hundred dollars if you are planning on going to England, or look for Airbnbs and hotels that are cheaper in your destination of choice.
You can also consider making use of platforms such as Shopback, which gives cashback for bookings made on travel websites like Trip.com and Expedia.
Being able to save on big-ticket items such as flights and accommodation will give you the most bang for your buck. This leaves more room in your budget for all the activities you desire.
DBS Visa Debit Card — Saving money on holiday has never been this convenient!
A great way for you to maximise your travel budget is to make use of tools like the DBS Visa Debit Card and My Account to help save on any fees that you may incur on overseas spend.
The DBS Visa Debit Card is a travel-friendly debit card that gives you access to competitive exchange rates through the DBS My Account, a multi-currency account, as well as the benefit of earning cashback on your overseas spending while you are on vacation.
You can receive 2% cashback on overseas spend when spending on your DBS Visa Debit Card. Given that your spending on holiday is likely to be substantial, maximising that 2% cashback could translate to a significant amount of savings!
How does the DBS Visa Debit card compare to other travel cards? Most of these other fintech multi-currency accounts and travel cards also offer attractive exchange rates with little to no FX fees. However, what makes the DBS Visa Debit card stand out is the fact that it lets you earn cashback on your transactions. Making use of the DBS Visa Debit Card means that you can reap all the favourable exchange rate benefits of other travel cards without forgoing the cashback rewards of your usual debit and credit cards!
DBS My Account — Your multi-currency account for all your travel needs
Now you might be wondering, how exactly does the DBS Visa Debit Card give you favourable exchange rates? This is because the DBS Visa Debit Card draws from the DBS My Account, a multi-currency savings account that has access to 13 different currencies — SGD, AUD, CAD, CNH, EUR, HKD, JPY, NZD, NOK, GBP, SEK, THB and USD.
No matter where you take your next holiday — Hokkaido, London or otherwise — the DBS My Account can be your very own on-the-go pocket moneychanger that allows you to enjoy competitive exchange rates anytime, anywhere. Better yet, you can monitor currency fluctuations and lock in favourable exchange rates weeks or even months before your trip at your fingertips.
All you need to do is exchange your desired foreign currency and store it in My Account with no extra FX conversion cost. Then, simply primary link your DBS Visa Debit Card to your DBS My Account and you’ll be able to pay directly with the funds in your foreign currency wallet at no foreign transaction fees!
As the DBS My Account is a multi-currency account, all your spending will be consolidated in a single bank statement at the end of the month, regardless if it was SGD spent or otherwise. By conveniently combining all your travel-related expenses in one place for you, you’ll be able to seamlessly track exactly how much you are spending in real time, all in one place. You’ll no longer have to fuss with keeping track of multiple bank and credit card statements on top of physical cash just to work out your trip expenses.
Related: Best savings account Singapore 2022
Difficulty estimating daily expenses and expensive fees when changing cash
One thing that all travellers need to consider is how much cash they should exchange and bring on holiday.
On the one hand, you do not want to bring too little cash that you can’t buy and experience everything you want to. On the other hand, you do not want to exchange so much that you are left with cash that you did not manage to spend by the end of your holiday.
Even then, after estimating how much you will spend on your trip, it is a big hassle for travellers to find the best money changers in the market. When exchanging a large amount of money for your trip, being able to get a good exchange rate is key. After all, you do not want to lose money to large conversion fees or unattractive exchange rates.
This conundrum can, once again, easily be solved with your DBS Visa Debit Card. Instead of having to estimate how much you are going to spend on holiday, you can convert money at attractive real-time exchange rates anytime and anywhere should you need to top up your cash while on holiday and spend seamlessly while on vacation through your DBS Visa Debit Card.
With your DBS Visa Debit Card, you can pay like a local at your holiday destination and enjoy savings at the same time. This is especially helpful when you are travelling to countries like London that have a robust cashless spending infrastructure, so you can say goodbye to standing in line at the moneychangers.
Benefits of the DBS Visa Debit Card
From paying for your shopping without fumbling for cash to controlling your budget and ensuring your card’s security, everything is covered when you use the DBS Visa Debit Card.
One of the best features of the DBS Visa Debit Card is its added security features. DBS has Payment Controls that give you better control over your DBS/POSB cards. With scams on the rise and the high risk of misplacing your card while you are overseas, DBS allows you to temporarily lock/unlock your card at any time so that it cannot be used by others should your card become compromised. You can also selectively enable/disable functions like online, contactless and overseas in-store transactions through the DBS digibank before and after your trip to ensure that your card will not be misused.
Conclusion
The DBS Visa Debit card and My Account are the ultimate duo for those who are looking to make international travel part of their 2023 plans. Not only does it save you from handling physical cash while you are out and about, it also lets you save on your expenses to help stretch your money while on holiday.
Not to mention, If you register for the DBS/POSB Power Up Your Travels Promotion via the DBS PayLah! app and spend a minimum of S$800 on travel spend before your trip, you’ll unlock DBS’s rewards booster of 2 extra miles per S$1 spent or an additional 5% cashback on top of existing card rewards!
If this sounds right up your alley, check out the DBS website for more information. and sign up for the DBS Visa Debit Card today.
Deposit Insurance Scheme
Singapore dollar deposits of non-bank depositors and monies and deposits denominated in Singapore dollars under the Supplementary Retirement Scheme are insured by the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation, for up to S$75,000 in aggregate per depositor per Scheme member by law. Monies and deposits denominated in Singapore dollars under the CPF Investment Scheme and CPF Retirement Sum Scheme are aggregated and separately insured up to S$75,000 for each depositor per Scheme member. Foreign currency deposits, dual currency investments, structured deposits and other investment products are not insured.
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The article originally appeared on ValueChampion.
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