LAMI

[SOUTHEAST ASIA] ► The travel blogosphere in the Philippines has this trend of creating a year-end blog post. Not all travel bloggers join this trend but I could attest that many travel bloggers are doing this—enough to make this trend noticeable. Here's my personal 2016 version.

In spite of time and travel fund constraints ('Cause I personally fund my leisure travels—where are ya sponsors? C'mon! *Kidding), I managed to visit/revisit and explore more than 50 towns and cities in South East Asia covering three countries (the ▼ PHILIPPINES

PHILIPPINES

, ▼ MALAYSIA

MALAYSIA

and Thailand). You know, I CARE to visit towns even though there's nothing worthy to see (in the eyes of the global tourist market). For me every town is worth exploring and unique on their own. Without too much ado, here are the 57 towns (and cities) I visited in 2016.

BALAOAN IS THE FIRST TOWN I LEISURELY explored this year. It's named as the pink town of the north because almost all of the municipal government properties are pink in color. Its enormous tricycles are all painted with pink too!

THE CAPITAL OF ILOCOS REGION IS HERE to stay. Its luster and bustle team up to create a vibrant commercial hub called ▼ #SANFERNANDO

#SANFERNANDO

.

SEPANG IS THE FIRST TOWN I'VE EVER seen outside the Philippines and it's home to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and known for the Kuala Lumpur International Circuit.

04 Georgetown

GEORGETOWN GAVE ME SOME OF THE MOST memorable memories in 2016. Its diverse culture harmonizing altogether is very inspiring. Exploring the city on foot and by riding a motorbike is one of the most enriching experiences in my life this year.

05 Tanjung Bungah

TANJUNG BUNGAH IS NOT A TOURISTY TOWN but I still wanted to explore it until I discovered the Tanjung Bungah market where I ate Malaysian food the local way. Since this town is not frequented by tourists, it's quite surprising for them to see a tourist dining inside the market food court. I was the only tourist that time and it felt awkward that people who were conversing in another language were looking at me at the same time. So what's the fuss?

06 Batu Ferringhi

BATU FERRINGHI IS PENANG'S MOST TOURISTY BEACH town. Popular hotel chains such as Shang-ri-la and Hard Rock lined its coast. I couldn't afford the lavish resorts and restaurants here so I only did a sight seeing tour with my bike.

07 Teluk Bahang

TELUK BAHANG IS HOME TO THE SMALLEST National Park in the World—the Penang National Park with an area of only 25 square kilometers. The best way to explore this town is of course to trek the trails of the national park and discover its secluded beaches that require up to an hour of trek before you could reach them (unless you opt to rent a boat).

08 Balik Pulau

BALIK PULAU IS ADJACENT TO THE TOWN of Teluk Bahang. I also explored this town using a motorbike. Balik Pulau, which is located on the west side of the island of Penang, is the opposite of the bustling and busy Georgetown on the east side. Balik Pulau is the definition of serenity and unhurried life.

09 Kuala Sungai Pinang

KUALA SUNGAI PINANG IS A FISHING VILLAGE I accidentally discovered when my curiosity pushed me to turn to a road less traveled. The road to Kuala Sungai Pinang (KSP) was wide and well-built but there were only none to few vehicles on its main street. I entered the village and saw enormous Chinese lanterns hovering over the streets. Chinese culture and heritage is very prominent in the village. How I wish I could write my KSP stories now (I don't have he luxury of time, sadly).

10 Changlun

NOTHING MUCH TO SEE IN THIS TOWN unless you love the view of the fields and mountains that could satisfy your soul—fair enough. The town reminds me of my homeland Philippines' countrysides. So similar. It felt like home away from home.

11 Samnak Kham

SAMNAK KHAM IS THE FIRST TOWN I SAW in Thailand 'cause I entered Thailand by land so I had to pass through this border town. The change of scene and cultural landscape from Malaysia to Thailand was so distinct. I'ts amazing how a single landmass was separated by distinctly different cultures and languages.

12 Hat Yai City

HAT YAI IS SOUTHERN THAILAND'S LARGEST CITY and the seat of a district with the same name. Although bombings in the past years have tainted the image of the city, it remained unstoppable. The city continued to flourish and grow as Southern Thailand's most important city.

13 Khuan Lang

THE WAT HAT YAI NAI IS PROBABLY the most famous landmark in this Thai town (tambon) and it was exactly what I wanted to see here because it's considered as the third largest reclining Buddha in the world.

14 Kho Hong

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL TOWN IN HAT YAI DISCTIRCT is Kho Hong. The main attraction of this town is the Hat Yai Municipal Park featuring a man-made lake, a golden Buddha, cable car ride and more! You can also see a bird's eye view of the city of Hat Yai from the park.

15 Bo Yang

BO YANG HAS A VIBRANT FOOD SCENE. Its street hawker stalls are very attractive for a non-Thai like me. Aside from the vibrant food scene, this town is also the center of Songkhla province's arts, culture and heritage with centuries old port & structures with tangible and intangible art scene beating right in the heart of the city.

16 Thung Tam Sao

THUNG TAM SAO IS A RELATIVELY REMOTE town in Hat Yai District of Songkhla Province. A huge part of the Ton Nga Chang wildlife sanctuary falls under the jurisdiction of this tambon. This town is a refreshing retreat from the hustle and bustle of the cities of Hat Yai and Songkhla. (For you not be confused, there are two Hat Yais in Songkhla Province, Hat Yai City and Hat Yai District, and there are three Songkhlas: Songkhla City, Mueang Songkhla District and Songkhla Province. It's very common in Thailand that the seat of the district also has the same name).

17 Santo Tomas

SANTO TOMAS TOWN IN BATANGAS IS BASICALLY known for the National Shrine of Padre Pio, so yes, that shrine was the reason why I visited this town because of curiosity.

18 Taal

I VISITED THE TOWN OF TAAL FOR the first time and what a nice place to witness Filipino culture and heritage. You know, I have a special regard to heritage towns because my hometown ▼ #VIGAN

#VIGAN

has taught me since childhood to love and appreciate one's culture and heritage.

19 Balete

I VISITED ANOTHER TOWN IN BATANGAS CALLED Balete. Marian Orchard, a religious (Roman Catholic) park, which I actually visited, is probably the most popular destination to see here.

20 Tayum

I'VE EXPLORED THE TOWN OF TAYUM MANY times but it doesn't mean I've already seen all of its barangays. When my friend invited me to travel to ▼ ABRA

ABRA

to be a godparent of his son, I didn't think twice. I visited Barangay Velasco for the first time and its tobacco fields got my attention.

TAGAYTAY WAS EXTRA SPECIAL TO ME IN 2016 'cause I was with my mother and it was her first time to visit Tagaytay. I just loved our mother-son bonding and I hope there will be more moments like that this year.