Year-end Post | Staycations, Vacations and Destinations of 2014
The year 2014 has been again a good year for me in terms of travelling. I was able to visit numerous destinations. I was able to experience several staycations. I was able to spend some vacations. 2014 was a more relaxed and laidback travel year compared to the years when I’ve ventured myself into it. I’ve had some exciting adventures but I must say, travels that are about treating myself, giving myself some timeouts and not thinking about fully accomplishing my itinerary had ruled this year. It was definitely a year of staycations, vacations and destinations.
There was no better way to start the year 2014 but to have a staycation. My 2014 had started by joining an overnight party with my travel blogger friends in one of the nicest hotels in the metro. That night was followed by another staycation, when some of my closest friends and I went to Sumilon Island and spent a weekend of lazing around. We did nothing but slumber around, relish their food that they served and enjoy the amenities that the resort has. Our time there was definitely a well spent that after a few months, we again had another staycation but that time had happened in one of the lavish resorts in Panglao Island.
After completing my solo journey in Myanmar, I went to Thailand and treated myself by staying in posh hotels like Holiday Inn Chiang Mai and Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Sathorn. I’ve got delighted of the comforts and amenities of the hotels that when I went back to Manila, I’ve asked my travel friends to have a staycation in a Holiday Inn hotel in our country.
Before the year had ended, some of my coolest travel friends and I went up to Baguio and had three days of staycation in one of the pleasantest hotels in the city, Le Monet Hotel.
The biggest surprise for me this year was my vacation in Maldives with people from my different set of friends. Our vacation on this famous and expensive country happened on the spur of the moment. It wasn’t in my thought that I’ll be visiting this place sooner. We were just so lucky that we were able to make our vacation as budgeted as possible.
Another remarkable vacation for me this year was when I traveled to South Korea alone. I spent 5 days vacationing, sightseeing and touring the different attractions in the city of Seoul. But the more notable vacations for me are those trips that I’ve spent in the Philippines. I went to Surigao Del Norte, I visited the island of Siargao, I explored Sohoton Cove, I came back to the most loved island in the country, Boracay and I spent a weekend in a resort in Caliraya, Laguna.
My favorite destination that I’ve been to this year is Myanmar. My visit to Myanmar was by far the longest period that I’ve been on the road alone. That trip gave me more influence on how to embrace that kind of travel and do a lot more of this in the future.
Myanmar is truly an amazing country. I explored several places in Yangon, Bagan and Mandalay. I haven’t expected that I was going to enjoy the country so much. My experiences while discovering this country gave me so much bliss and fulfillment, which why it had also become my favorite destination for this year.
An all time favorite destination of mine is a beach. Do I still have to explain it? Well, beach is a beach. This year I was able to visit some islands and beaches in the county like Puerto Galera, Apo Reef, Bagolatao Beach, Atulayan Island and the island of Siquijor.
This year I was also able to revisit some destinations like Zambales, Subic, Naga City, Manila, Malaysia and Thailand. But my most favorite place on earth that thankfully I was able to visit before the year of 2014 had ended was Sagada.
My 2014 is a year about experiencing kinds of travel. It was a year of just enjoying the moment. It was truly a remarkable year. But what is more remarkable and and memorable are those people that I’ve been with and I’ve met on the road. I was glad that these people had become part of my journey. Now, I’m excitedly looking forward to see the rest of the world.
