2017 Recap – Our Best Travel Moments This Year
2017 has certainly been an exciting travel year for us! We left home to start traveling full-time in March and haven’t looked back since, so we’re putting together a post about our best travel moments this year!
Actually….we HAVE looked back several times, mostly whenever we start missing the comforts of our former life at home, but we’ve always come to the conclusion that full-time traveling was the right decision for us, and our best travel moments certainly seem to support this!
9 countries, 35 flights, 72 hostels, countless (and sometimes endless) bus, boat and train journeys and here we are today spending the end of the year in Laos, a country we had not even initially planned to include on our trip!
Now that the year is almost over, we’ve looked back at the past months and singled out the best travel moments of 2017. There were a few lows too, but who wants to look back on those? 😉
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Our Best Travel Moments This Year
Check out our 20 best travel moments of 2017!
1. Finding Paradise on Jaco Island, Timor-Leste
This might have been THE highlight of our entire trip and one of the best travel moments so far. Turquoise waters and empty white-sand beaches… paradise found in Timor-Leste! You can read all about it here: How to Get to the Mythical Jaco Island in Timor-Leste – A Guide
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2. Michelle getting tattooed by Whang-Od in Buscalan, The Philippines
Whang-Od, the 100-year old, world-renowned tattoo artist continues to ink visitors who make their way up to Buscalan, a tiny village hidden in the mountain province of Kalinga. Whang-Od uses the traditional backhand tap technique, a practice which had almost died out before her tattoos became popular among travelers, who have recently been making great efforts in getting to Buscalan to get tattooed by Whang-Od.
Michelle had been wanting to get a Kalinga tattoo ever since we planned our trip to the Philippines, so finally managing to trek up to Buscalan and getting it done on the same day (Whang-Od is really busy, the waiting list can be up to 3 days long) was surely a highlight of our trip and one of our best travel moments! Spending time in Buscalan itself during a festive weekend was beyond fascinating too! You can read all about our adventures in Buscalan here: Meeting the Kalinga Tribe in Buscalan.
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3. Chilling out in Raja Ampat, Indonesia
If you want to take a break from it all, Raja Ampat in Indonesia is the perfect place to do so! There isn’t much to do besides lie on the soft white sands, snorkel and dive among some of the richest coral reefs and shoals of huge fish, or sail among beautiful karst islands that seem to have been taken straight out of a movie. And that was exactly what we were looking for towards the end of our Indonesia trip!
Although a little more expensive than other spots in Indonesia, Raja Ampat should not be missed!
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4. Nikki’s love affair with Kuala Lumpur
As we headed to Malaysia, I told Nikki that I thought that that Kuala Lumpur was a very forgettable city in my opinion and that I didn’t think he would like it.
I have never been so wrong!! Kuala Lumpur easily became one of Nikki’s favourite cities on the entire planet, and we spent time in the city on three separate occasions this year because Nikki refused to just “pass through” making that three of the best travel moments for him this year!
Kuala Lumpur has pretty much become our “go-to” place in Asia whenever we are in need of city life and good food, especially since it is a connecting hub for some of the most affordable flight options in the region. And we’re looking at another couple of visits next year!
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5. Getting stranded in and subsequently falling in love with Sibuyan, The Philippines
Our visit to the little-known island in Sibuyan in the Philippines was easily one of our best travel moments in 2017. The very off-the-beaten-track and difficult-to-get to island, is blessed with a raw rugged coastline surrounding a large mountain, untamed jungles, wild waterfalls, friendly genuine locals, all of which provided the perfect combination of ingredients to make us fall in love with this little spot.
We were “stranded” on the island for about 10 days after we discovered that all boats leaving in the following days were fully booked days in advance, but we were happy to change our plans to stay on the island for longer!
Here is why we fell in love with Sibuyan and tips on getting there.
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6. The Cave Connection, Sagada, The Philippines
If you’re looking for adventure whilst traveling in the Philippines, just head over to Sagada and hire a guide (which is obligatory) to take you through the Lumiang and Sumaguing caves, a trip which is also known as the “cave connection”.
The four-hour exhilarating caving experience is one we will never forget as we slid, skidded, got stuck in the narrow paths and holes (no prizes for guessing which one of us got stuck), climbed up and down the slippery walls, jumped into dark crevices and waded through ice-cold waters.
You can read all about our experience here: Caves and Coffins of Sagada
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7. Sailing around the Banda Islands, Indonesia
The beautiful Banda Islands, also known as the Spice islands are an island group in the southern part of the Maluku province in Indonesia. In the past, the Banda islands were one of the world’s only sources of nutmeg. The Spice Wars fought in the region resulted in an exchange of Banda’s little Pulau Run for Manhatten by the British and the Dutch.
Whilst Manhatten is anything but obscure, Pulau Run retains a quaint sleepy character as all the other Banda islands do.
The week we spent on the islands was one of the best travel moments during our four-month trip in Indonesia. Walking around the charming Bandaneira in the evenings was as relaxing as it gets, and the pretty colonial little roads and houses on the other islands seem to have been frozen in a time when life was a lot more simple.
The Banda Islands have made it to the list of places we want to go back to!
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8. Nikki and the Flight Simulator, Singapore
Nikki’s favourite part of our three-day stay in Singapore was experiencing an authentic flight simulator during which he landed an aircraft in Luqa, Malta and in Kai Tak, the former Hong Kong airport.
The one-hour flight experience included a pre-briefing tutorial, after which he was taken inside the flight simulator which accurately mimicked an older Boeing 737-800 model up to every inch of its design.
Having been wanting to enjoy such an experience but never having found the right opportunity, the flight simulator was one of Nikki’s best travel moments in 2017!
You can read all about it here: Tourist Attractions Around Marina Bay, Singapore
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9. Diving in Alor Island, Indonesia
Alor island was our favourite diving and snorkelling spot in all of Indonesia. The island itself is also worth exploring if you want to get off the beaten path and experience some true local hospitality and genunity!
Read about our experiences and tips for Alor here: All About Alor Island, Indonesia
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10. The Momos in Kathmandu, Nepal
Ever had momos in Nepal? If not, you’re definitely missing out!
Hunting for Kathmandu’s best momos has made our list of the Ten Best Things to do in Kathmandu. We loved ordering plates heaped high with the delicious morsels soaked in a wonderful gravy.
The best ones are from little unassuming hole-in-the-wall shops where you will find all the locals feasting on the dumplings until they run out, so get there early!
It is worth noting that momos can also be sampled in other Himalayan countries such as Bhutan and Tibet.
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11. Hiking among the Batad Rice Terraces, The Philippines
The Philippines is not all about stunning beaches (of which there are many)!
The 2000-year old rice terraces of Banaue and Batad in northern region of Luzon are some of the prettiest we’ve ever seen, and hiking across them was one of our best experiences this year!
You can read all it here: The Rice Terraces of Banaue and Batad
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12. The Plain of Jars in Laos
Few people traveling in Laos seem to have heard of the Plain of Jars, one of the most significant archaeological sites in all of Southeast Asia.
The 8-hour bus journey to get to Phonsovan from Luang Prabang was no fun but the three Plain of Jars sites, quite literally fields with hundreds of mysterious stone jars strewn about, made the trip pretty rewarding.
We explored this part of Laos by renting a motorbike. We not only got to go to all three Jars sites quite easily, but we drove through a very rural part of Laos, among lush fields and red soils, plains with ancient temple ruins, and an old Russian tank.
If you’re looking for an off the beaten path experience in Laos, this is it!
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13. Borobodur Temple, Java, Indonesia
The largest Buddhist temple in the world can easily be accessed from Yogyakarta in Indonesia. It is one of the more popular attractions in the country, and is easily one of the best known landmarks in the country. As expected, it was packed with visitors, but that didn’t dampen our awe as we explored the temple-complex and its 504 Buddha statues.
Here is how to get to Borobodur and tips about what to do in Yogyakarta: Places to Visit and What to do in Yogyakarta
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14. Michelle and her obsession with Laksa
No other dish in Asia has stimulated my taste buds in quite the same way as laksa. The spicy noodle soup is available in different versions – either in a spicy curry coconut milk or in a sour tamarind broth, and is popular in Malaysia, Singapore Indonesia and Brunei.
I’ve been known to have it three times in a single day and I still dream of it as I write this – I haven’t found any in Laos unfortunately! Here’s our Guide to the Best Street Food in Malaysia.
15. Watching sunrise over the Yuanyang rice terraces, China
China was the most surprising country of 2017. We just didn’t expect China to be quite so fascinating and alluring as it turned out to be. We only explored the Yunnan province but it proved to be a fantastic introduction to a country we know very little about.
Sunrise over the Yuanyang rice terraces was one of the highlights during our travels in Yunnan!
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16. Meeting up with the King of Boti, West Timor, Indonesia
Few people make it to the island of West Timor in Indonesia and even fewer people get to meet the King of Boti, the village chief, often referred to as the last king of West Timor. The king adheres to the strict laws of adat and traditional living, and works in the fields alongside his people.
We were unsure regarding how to behave in front of a king, but meeting the humble intelligent gentleman proved to be one of the best travel moments of our 2017 trip. We gifted him with betelnut & lime powder, and he offered us banana fritters and coffee and we chatted (with the help of out translator guide) about the simple life in this seemingly forgotten corner in Indonesia, and of course about our own country and how we were the first people from Malta to come visit Boti.
Boti is truly simple and traditional. The people live alongside their animals – there is no electricity here although there’s a generator and a satellite dish which were apparently gifts which nobody in the village really knows how to use. The people in Boti lovingly adhere to the same traditions and methods their forefathers have been utilising for centuries, and refuse to modernise the village despite repeated attempts by the Indonesian government to convince them to do so.
We could not have been more honoured and humbled by our visit to this beautiful simple village.
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17. Biking around Kei Kecil, Indonesia
Are you looking for the best beaches in Indonesia? You will probably find them on the Kei Islands, a group of small (by Indonesian standards), lovely little islands in the Maluku province.
Not many foreigners make their way here and the beaches are mostly empty and deserted, save for a few locals who live in the villages close by. We managed to rent a motorbike to explore Kei Kecil the main island, discovering the beauty of its tiny villages, the hospitality and friendliness of its people and of course the spectacular beauty of its white-sand deserted beaches.
One of the best weeks during our 2017 travels!
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18. Discovering Timor-Leste’s empty beaches (whilst looking out for crocs!)
More empty beaches, this time in the little-visited country of Timor-Leste. It is very difficult to travel around the country, so it is of little wonder that few people make it all the way here.
The beaches to the north of the town of Baucau were incredible. We spent an awesome day here swimming and walking around without another soul in sight, save for a couple of locals carrying scary-looking machetes.
We need not have worries as they approached us – they only wanted to know where we were from, and why we were in Timor-Leste, whilst handing us some bananas as a welcome treat.
There have been crocodile sightings on the beaches so watch out if you ever make it to this little spot!
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19. Exploring Sumba, Indonesia
Why visit Sumba Island? It’s a place I wanted to go to simply because I didn’t know of anyone who had been… and what a discovery it was!
There are so many things to do, explore and discover on Sumba island – traditional villages, fantastic (again empty) beaches, a wonderful crystal-clear blue lagoon, megalithic tombs, beautiful ikat-making and more, all of which make for an intense experience of a culture and people which few foreigners have heard of.
Here are the best 10 things to do on Sumba island, Indonesia.
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20. Our dinners at Brunei’s little food market
Brunei was another surprising country in terms of travel. Granted, there is not much to do there, but the cleanliness and peace we experienced made for a very pleasant few days.
Our favourite part of the country? The Gadong night food market where we got to taste all kind of barbequed meats, noodles, fritters, shakes and so on – all for a few dollars.
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As we close our travel chapter for 2017, we look forward to so many more adventures and travel experiences in 2018!
Travel on and travel forward!
Read more about our adventures.
4 Comments
Lenise Calleja
28/12/2017Reading this post reminds me of myself and my husband as we seem to have somehow opposite tastes like yours. I tend to go for the less known and remote destinations (the less known the better!) While he prefers more touristic places like cities and tech stuff (actually one of his dreams is trying the flight simulator hehe!). It’s good that you manage to find a compromise 🙂 I am curious to find out about your plans for 2018!
Cheeky Passports
29/12/2017Haha Lenise! couple goals! …we do manage a compromise … it’s Michelle’s way always :p
Buba A.
29/12/2017i really enjoyed reading this post — meeting whang-od is also on my bucketlist but not sure if i’ll be lucky enough! i believe she’s also training one of her great-grand daughters of the old ways.. sigh! so many cool beaches in indonesia, all everyone writes about is Bali & Ubud but you are so lucky to visit other remote parts.
Cheeky Passports
29/12/2017Hi Buba, indeed Whang-od is training her niece Grace, who is already taking up most of her workload! So many beautiful spots in Indonesia, not just Bali and Ubud 🙂 We had originally planned to list only 10 places, but couldn’t get down to eliminate some, so we extended it to 20 :p