SINGAPORE — When we spoke to funny man Gurmit Singh at the end of 2014, he was bidding MediaCorp goodbye — with the intention of spending more time with his family and travelling. That he certainly did.

“In 2015 alone, I went for holidays to Hong Kong, Bali, Vietnam, the United States, The Netherlands, Rovaniemi in Finland ... just to name a few,” he enthused.

Being a member of DreamTrips has enabled him to plan family holidays better, because he can “look at the details (of a trip) so that I know it’s got something for everyone”, he said, before adding: “Of course, if it’s just my wife Melissa and I, then we choose the trips that are not obligated to be children-friendly.”

Singh also found time to do a cosplay-themed movie with Taxi Taxi director Kelvin Sng. The film, Young And Fabulous, is to be released this June. But that’s not all.

“(There are) a few things in the pipeline that I am not able to disclose yet, but they are very exciting,” he said.

What he can share is the fact he doesn’t miss being in front of cameras at all.

He added: “I was so in the limelight for the past 20 years that I have a tan now that will last me a lifetime!”

Q: How have your family holidays changed since you left the industry, and what do you enjoy most about this change?

A: Well, the immediate difference is that I alone decide when I want to go for a holiday. In the past, it was dictated by my schedule and the projects (I did). But now, I am my own scheduler and I am able to say, “Yup, I want to go here and here and here for a holiday” ... You get the picture. What I enjoy most is that I am able to go on holiday with my family. They were always available for holidays but I never was — the work wouldn’t allow for that kind of flexibility.

Q: Where else do you intend to go this year?

A: We are planning to go — and this is cliche — to Disneyland in Anaheim. We are also planning to go to San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas, London, Holland, Greece, Manado and the list will continue to be updated.

Q: What are some of your travel must-haves?

A: I have this philosophy, “If you forget to pack, you can always buy”. I once had to buy a phone charger in Fukuoka. The outrageous part was that I couldn’t find the charger for my model even after hitting shop after shop. Finally one shop offered to charge for me with a staff’s charger while I went shopping for four hours. So my first must-have is my wallet, then my passport, my Parrot Zik headphones, mobile phone — for GPS, map, emergency calls — GoPro camera, clothes and little handicraft pieces my kids gave to me many years ago to grant me safe journeys. SERENE LIM