Thank you, 2016! My favorite travel photos to remember the year!

This is my year, summed up in 35 Instagram photos. I finally decided to teach full-time at the University of the Philippines. But thanks to the many conference and study mission invitations, I still got to travel somehow. Thank you, 2016! I'm so looking forward to 2017 as a major, major (yes major) change is in the offing.

I added Pakistan and Hawaii, USA to my travel list. This year included visits to Seoul, Taean, and Busan, South Korea; Washington DC, Grand Rapids, Chicago, and Honolulu, USA; Bali, Indonesia; Saipan, Northern Marianas; Osaka, Koyasan, and Kyoto, Japan; Langkawi, Malaysia; Bangkok, and Ayutthaya, Thailand; and Islamabad, and Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Looking back at 2014 with 70 travel photos

2014 was another fantastic year! Although I've been unable to explore as much as before due to many commitments at home, I was still lucky to see and experience quite a number of destinations this year. Here are seventy travel photos I took last year.

Exploring Northern Thailand and Laos

For many, it’s quite difficult to travel and get away from work for more than a week. If we do get the chance, we always try to make the most out of it. Last November, I spent three weeks in Thailand and Laos.

From Bangkok we flew to Sukhothai to attend a cultural tourism workshop. The Historic Town of Sukhothai, the capital of the first Kingdom of Siam between the 13th and 15th centuries, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the first day, we got to tour the ruins of the royal palace and ancient temples in the Sukhothai Historical Park.

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India: Ten good reasons for Filipinos to visit Kerala

Namaskaram from Kerala, India! Kerala is, no doubt, a beautiful destination. But many Filipinos overlook Kerala as a vacation destination simply because it is unfamiliar or maybe because there is an impression that getting to India costs a lot. I'm listing down ten good reasons why Filipinos should visit Kerala. I got to experience this beautiful Indian state for two weeks. And I definitely enjoyed the experience!

1. Budget flights are available from Manila via Singapore and KL
When the timing is right, you can get really cheap airfare to Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum (TRV) and Kochi (COK) via Tiger Airways (connecting flight in Singapore) and to Kochi via AirAsia (connecting flight in Kuala Lumpur). My one-way ticket from Kochi to KL on AirAsia was about Php4500 inclusive of baggage allowance, meals and taxes. You can also play around with combinations using Philippine-based carriers to Singapore and KL such as PAL and Cebu Pacific for more cost options. For full service, Jet Airways has affordable flights from Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok.

2. Tourist Visa on Arrival (TVOA) in Trivandrum and Kochi
Just last year, the airports in Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum (TRV) and Kochi (COK) were included in the TVOA for Philippine passport holders for stays up to 30 days. You need to prepare the following: (1) passport valid for six months upon arrival with two unused pages; (2) a return or onward ticket; (3) hotel reservation; (4) sufficient funds; (5) two passport size photographs; and (6) USD60 visa fee.

3. Kerala is very affordable and the people are extremely nice
One thing we liked about Kerala is that the destination is very affordable for our budgets. Many things are actually cheaper than what it would cost in the Philippines. And the people in South India are generally nicer to tourists than other places in India. Which is why our stay was extra pleasant!

4. Houseboat in the backwaters
Now for my favorite experiences, the first would be the overnight stay in a houseboat in the backwaters of Kerala. We did this in Alappuzha (Alleppey) around Vembanad Lake, the largest lake in Kerala. Backwaters are where rivers, lakes and estuaries meet the beach and the sea. It's a charming cultural landscape especially with the simple rural lifestyle and colorful culture that exists in these backwaters. While we're used to many of these scenes in the Philippines (the village tours might not be as interesting especially if you come from the provinces), the houseboat stay was one of a kind! It was a relaxing and pleasant trip through pristine backwaters. It was a chill experience if I may say!

5. Wildlife sanctuaries and the Western Ghats
Who wants to visit a zoo when you can see wild elephants in the many wildlife sanctuaries all over Kerala! The eastern area of Kerala is part of the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, we saw wild elephants, gaur (Indian bison), sambar deer, wild boar, a striped-necked mongoose, and many species of birds among others. Driving through the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, we saw even more wild elephants, spotted deer and Malabar giant squirrels among others.

6. Hill stations and tea plantations
Being a former British territory, tea is a very important product of the many hill stations they established all over India. Kerala has many of them. And the most spectacular of these tea plantations are in Munnar. It was a pleasant drive going to Munnar as we took in these beautiful scenes of tea fields and workers picking tea.

7. Kerala is the land of Ayuveda
Even during a previous trip to India, I was told that the center of Ayurveda is Kerala. Which is why I was excited that I was getting Ayurvedic treatments in Kerala. The state has an abundance of forests with the herbs and medicinal plants needed for Ayurveda. The secret of Ayurveda is in the herbal oils that they rub onto your body. So make sure to try the Ayurveda when you visit Kerala.

8. Delicious food and colorful culture
For centuries, traders have sought Kerala's famed spices. The Romans, Phoenicians, Chinese, Arabs, Jews, and later, the Europeans, all landed in Kerala to trade spices. In fact, Christopher Columbus was headed west to search for Kerala's spices but instead found America. So it's no surprise that the food in Kerala is an experience worth trying. In fact, Travel + Leisure chose Kerala's breakfast as one of the best in the world!

Classical performing arts is also a major attraction. One of the cultural symbols of Kerala is Kathakali, with its elaborate costumes and colorful facial make-up. There is definitely much more!

9. Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram heritage
Kerala has been a center of trade and melting pot of cultures for thousands of years. Before Kerala, there were three major kingdoms: Travancore, Kochi and Malabar. Although much of the heritage was destroyed by a succession of colonizers, its historical character remains alive in places like Kochi and Thiruvananhapuram. I enjoyed walking around Fort Kochi and Mattancherry in Kochi. The details of the gopuram of the Padmanabha Swamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram were fantastic! Many of the stately British colonial buildings can be found in Trivandrum.

10. Many luxury resorts all over the state
Budget travelers will definitely enjoy Kerala. But high-end travelers who prefer staying at luxury or five-star resorts will also have a feast! Kerala has fantastic resorts, many of them branded, all over the state. There are resorts by the beach, in the heart of the backwaters or in the middle of the pristine forests of the Western Ghats. Among my favorites are Vivanta by Taj Kovalam near Trivandrum, Coconut Lagoon in Kumarakom, WelcomHotel Raviz Kavadu in Kozhikode (Calicut), Spice Village Resort in Thekkady, Vythiri Resort and Tranquil Resort in Wayanad and Estuary Island Resort in Poovar. For a high-end houseboat experience, we did Lakes and Lagoons in Alappuzha (Alleppey). Kerala also has comfortable five-star business hotels in major cities. I stayed at Vivanta by Taj Malabar Cochin and Crown Plaza Kochi, both fantastic hotels in Kochi.

Other great hotels and we stayed at during this trip were Quilon Beach Hotel in Kollam Beach, KTDC Tea County in Munnar, Vasco Dagama Beach Resort in Kappad Beach, and the Abad Airport Hotel in Kochi. Many of them have really nice beaches too!

Traveling beyond Kerala
Kerala is a good jump-off point for neighboring Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Goa. You can also take a train or flight to major cities in North India and fly out from there. But there's no doubt, Kerala is God's Own Country. And Filipinos will definitely enjoy exploring this beautiful Indian state. I did!

Thailand: Bicycle tour from Sukhothai to Si Satchanalai

I never thought I'd have fun biking that far! When I arrived at the Sukhothai Airport for a tourism workshop, my Thai colleague told me that he had assigned me to a group that would bike 70 kilometers from Sukhothai to Si Satchanalai. I thought he was joking and laughed off the idea.

When the workshop started the next day I realized he was serious! The ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee was in Sukhothai to try out different tourism experiences in order to make recommendations for a tourism plan they were finalizing. While most teams were comfortably seated in air-conditioned vans, moving from one attraction to another, one group was assigned to try out the bicycle tours through the Sukhothai countryside hosted by Sukhothai Bicycle Tour.

Just looking at the large roadmap taped to the wall during the orientation was daunting enough. But the next day, I was glad to hear that our team leader had cut the ride to 40 kilometers and we would take a van to Sawankalok, which was half the way to Si Satchanalai.

The group rode through small rural villages, on concrete roads to small narrow dirt paths that bended left and right, following the course of a river. We did rest stops at interesting, and at times, odd places. A cricket farm caught our attention. I didn't realize those deep-fried bugs sold along Bangkok's colorful streets were grown in backyard farms like these.

I heard a salapao vendor motor by and caught up with him to buy some hot steamed pork buns. I was quite hungry and this is what I needed! At each rest stop, we were also served fruits such as bananas, longkong (lansones) and mangosteen, crackers and drinks.

A colorful temple also served as another rest stop before we biked through a small sugar cane field. I didn't know what got into my head but a steep incline up ahead challenged me to bike even faster. I reached the top without any walking but suffered from cramps as a result. So I called it a day after 30 kilometers of biking. Not bad for someone who hasn't biked for years!

Good thing these bike tours come with a back-up team plus a support vehicle that has drinks and snacks for the bikers during the rest stops. So I rode the last 10 kilometers in a pick-up truck to the Si Satchanalai Historical Park, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. We explored the temples and got to see some of the colorful local activities before heading for a sumptuous lunch at a farm near the Sukhothai Airport.

If you want to try out the bike tours in Sukhothai, e-mail sukhothaibicycletour@gmail.com.

Ilocos Norte: Paoay Church and Paoay's heritage houses

We're all familiar with the Paoay Church, one of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Most visitors visit the church, maybe have lunch in Cafe Herencia, then leave for the next stop on their Ilocos tour. But Paoay, Ilocos Norte has a lot of other interesting structures if you have time to walk around.

Ever wonder where the convento of the Paoay Church is? It's on the left side of the church right across the street. Unfortunately, only ruins of the old convento remain. But they are interesting and worth a look nonetheless.

On a parallel street, behind the ruins, is an American colonial house with a unique octagonal shape. Locals refer to the Duque House, built in the 1930s, as the Octagon House.

The Paoay Central School, a Gabaldon school, is on the other side of the church. The road in front of the school used to be called the Camino Real that linked Paoay with Currimao. On it are well-preserved Spanish colonial houses including the Diaz House and Carpio House.

Since you're in Paoay, it's now time for the best empanadas in Ilocos Norte. Guess where?

Mexico: Pre-Hispanic City of Palenque and Cascadas de Agua Azul

As we moved further south to Palenque in Chiapas, Mexico, we finally entered the Mayan Region. The Pre-Hispanic City and National Park of Palenque, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were the first Mayan ruins we visited during our trip. Palenque dates back to 226BC to around 799AD.

It was most convenient for us to take a day-tour around the ruins, which included afternoon stops at two waterfalls: Misol-Ha and Agua Azul. Expect to spend MX$420 which includes approximately MX$250 for the tour, MX$140 for entrance fees (MX$27 park entrance, MX$54 for the ruins, MX$20 for Misol-Ha and MX$38 for Agua Azul) and your meals.

We spent the morning at the Palenque ruins. Among the most important structures at the site is the Temple of the Inscriptions, the largest Mesoamerican stepped pyramid at Palenque, built as a funerary monument to K'inich Janaab' Pakal (Pacal the Great), ruler of Palenque.

Another major structure is the palace and its aqueduct, which was built by several generations of Palenque's rulers over a four century period. It is the largest structure in Palenque.

There are many other notable temples which can be found in the site. But it's interesting to note that what has been discovered and restored is only less than 10 percent of the ancient city as most of it remains covered by jungle.

The site also has a museum where artifacts from the ruins are on display.

In the afternoon, we visited the falls. Our first stop was Cascada Misol-Ha. It's not really spectacular but since it's part of the tour, might as well check it out.

But the next stop was definitely worth it. Don't forget to bring swimming gear for the Cascadas de Agua Azul since you'll be given time to go for a swim. On the way to Agua Azul, I noticed a sign saying that we were in Zapatista rebel territory, reminding us of the conflict in Chiapas.

The Cascadas de Agua Azul were a refreshing sight. It's distinct aquamarine blue waters add to its natural beauty.

We ended the day back at downtown Palenque. As always, we had our fix of authentic Mexican tacos for dinner. The tasty assorted grilled meats, onions and cilantro in a corn tortilla and a zest of lemon will definitely make your mouth water. Now I'm hungry!

Mexico: Historic Centre of Oaxaca & the Templo de Santo Domingo

The Historic Centre of Oaxaca and Archaeological Site of Monte Albán in Mexico is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was one of the Mexican cities we visited during our bus trip around Central America sometime ago. We spent our first day visiting Monte Albán and nearby Cuilapan de Guerrero. And on our second day, we walked around the Historic Centre of Oaxaca.

We made sure to visit the Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzman, a fantastic example of Mexican Baroque with its highly-decorated interior, built between 1570 and 1666. If there's one attraction you should visit in downtown Oaxaca, this is it!

The interiors kept us dumb-founded as we marveled at the fabulous details of the walls, ceilings and altars. I actually have more photos of the inside in my Oaxaca album.

From Santo Domingo, we walked through its cobblestone streets to reach the Plaza de la Constitución or Zócalo. Many important buildings including the State Government Palace and Federal Palace can be found Oaxaca's Zócalo.

On one side of the plaza is the Catedral de Oaxaca (Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion), seat of the Archdiocese of Antequera, Oaxaca. The cathedral was constructed between 1535 and 1733.

Since we were on the run, I had some empanadas and tacos sold by a hawker in the plaza. Right after our street snack, we walked back to our hostel to prepare for another long bus ride. Our hostel was right beside a small church called the Templo de San Matias Jalatlaco where we noticed a wedding. What caught our attention was the marching band and giant papier-mâché figures worn by dancers which are called mojigangas. Mojigangas are quite popular in Oaxaca.

By 5 p.m., we began our fifteen-hour bus trip to Palenque.