http://www.relax.com.sg/relax/news/1524594/Free_wheeling_holidays.html
They are hitting the road to places such as Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Genting Highlands and Ipoh for leisure activities by privately chartering their own mini bus, van or luxury coach.
This is despite the fact that it can cost up to 40 per cent more - depending on factors such as type of vehicle and level of service required - than just buying a seat on a regular bus service or flying up on a budget airline.
Those going the private charter route say they do it for the convenience of choosing their departure times and their drop-off points, and for a more fun and intimate experience travelling with a big group of friends and family.
Just last week, corporate finance executive Lim Li Lynn, 29, along with 10 other friends, hired a 16-seater double decker bus to take the group to KL for a friend's wedding and for New Year celebrations.
Ms Lim and her friends decided to charter their own bus, that included a staff member to serve them food and drinks, for about $900 one way because their group was big enough and they thought it would be fun rather than to fly to KL.
In this case, it worked out cheaper for them - they would have paid about $120 each to fly one way to KL on a budget airline.
Ms Lim said: "We all sat upstairs, and each chair was a massage chair. There was a lounge area downstairs and a space to microwave food on the bus.
She added: "It's fun because you get to hang out together and you could probably dance in the bus too if you wanted to because there were no strangers around."
The cost of chartering a bus or mini van varies depending on the size of the vehicle, destination, whether it is the peak or off-peak season and, in some cases, the duration of the booking.
For example, a two-way trip to Malacca in a 28- or 31-seat Super VIP coach with meals included can cost between $1,300 and $1,500 during the off-peak season and between $1,400 and $1,600 during the peak.
Day trips to places closer to home, such as Johor Baru, can cost several hundred dollarsfor a 10-seat mini bus.
In some instances, bus drivers double as guides, taking you to shopping or food haunts. Some operators also team up with hotels or travel agencies, offering package deals for customers who want a private chartered bus for resort stays in places such as Genting or Cameron Highlands.
Ms Sophie Tang, 33, a customer service executive with BusOnlineTicket.com said, "The good thing about a private coach is that it offers point to point transfers, you are taken directly to the hotel or the places you want to go."
Mr Bob Lim, operation director for online booking portal easibook added, "Sometimes it's not cheap - it can cost 40 per cent more than booking individual tickets depending on whether it is a first-class coach or a super VIP 28-seater. But it's very convenient because you get to pick the time you want to leave and your drop-off point in Malaysia."
Increased leisure activities across the Causeway, including the recent opening of the Legoland theme park in the Iskandar region, go-karting in JB and fishing in KL, are extra reasons to make a trip north these days.
Motoring enthusiast Walter Yeo found it cost-effective to charter a bus to JB for go-karting because the go-karting there was 50 per cent cheaper than doing it in Singapore - plus it was fun to travel with a big group of friends on a day trip and safe too.
"There is always a charm about going to Malaysia with your friends - you're probably doing stuff you can do in Singapore but it's cheaper and in Malaysia, you have to stick together as a group, so that can be quite fun."
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