After continuously traveling the world for 6 years, wandering through 30 different countries, these are my Top 10 places to visit in 2022.

If it is okay, I will show you pictures we took as my partner Dan and I traveled the world. My name is Qiang of Hobo Ventures.

1. Chichen Itza, Mexico

Mexico is one of the most colorful places in the world. Whether you are at the beaches, a colonial era city in the mountains, or exploring ancient ruins, you will always be surrounded by color.

In Mexico, you need to visit …

Chichen Itza is an ancient Mayan city estimated to be well over 1,500 years old. It is on the Yucatan Peninsula located about 194 kilometers from the resort town of Cancun.

It is thought to have been a religious, military, political, and commercial center that was home to 35,000 (thirty five thousand) people at the peak. People showed up there in about 550 AD because of easy access to water in the limestone formations, known as cenotes.

My favorite is the tallest one called Kukulcan Pyramid which stands close to 100 feet tall. Stand at the base in front of the stairs and clap your hands. You will hear the echo of the Quetzalcoatl Mayan God which was in charge of wind and rain.

The Mayan priest knew the solar system and knew the day and time that the shadow of the Quetzal God would appear on the side of the Temple. This superior knowledge allowed the educated priests to control the common farmer for centuries.

Chichen Itza was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988 and, in 2007, it was voted in a global survey as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Nearby places to visit is Puerto Morelos, a fishing village on the coast of the Caribbean sea between Playa del Carmen and Cancun. This village has a beautiful white sand beach and the coral reef for best snorkeling. It feels more authentic than other towns in the area. .

Next up …

2. Cartagena, Colombia

One of the most striking colonial era walled cities in the Americas lies on the east coast of Colombia in the Caribbean sea. The romantic 400 years old Cartagena has an impressive 13km fortified stone walls that were built by Spain to protect the city from pirate attacks.

But the real treasure is strolling along the cobblestone streets while enjoying the sights and sounds of the restored colorful colonial buildings and the street musicians playing and dancing in the courtyards. Make sure to record your memory with the picture of you standing between the fruit ladies.

Wander 5 minutes over to Getsemani, the bohemian neighborhood known for artistic types, hippies, backpackers, tattoo artists, and budget hostels. Make sure to bring your camera and photograph some of the most interesting street art in the world.

Colombia is also famous for its high country that has ideas for growing coffee and cocoa beans, the chief Colombia exports.

But we were most impressed by the kindness of the Colombian.

While in Rionegro Colombia, we were wandering around town on New Year’s Eve. We were invited to join a NYE party in our neighborhood when we walked by. We felt welcomed, so we joined the drinking, singing and dancing. This is one of the unforgettable memories in my life.

Next stop…

3. El Valle de Anton, Panama

El Valle de Anton is a cool mountain town just a few hours drive west from Panama City. Just a short drive down winding roads from El Valle de Anton is Cerra la Silla, or in English, the Chair Mountain.

There are 360° views from the summit of rolling green hills that drop down to the Pacific Ocean and sunning wide landscapes in all directions. The climb is not challenging but if you are afraid of heights, the drop offs along the sides of the trail will have you thinking about each step.

Panama is sandwiched between Colombia on the east and Costa Rica on the west. Panama is most well known for the man-made waterway, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Watching massive ships, loading with stacks of colorful containers, gliding quietly through the locks of the Panama Canal, prove the enormity of human invention.

But don’t forget to visit San Blas Islands where the series, The Money Heist was made. This tribal nation of Panama consists of 365 islands, only 50 which are inhabited by the Guna, an original culture of Panama, where you’ll get to embrace the local customs and cuisine.

Next up ….

4. Acatenango Volcano Hike, Guatemala ⁣

The Fuego Volcano in Guatemala erupts several times per hour. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. We hiked about 7 hours to arrive at a campsite on Acatenango mountain right next to Fuego Volcano.

It was daytime when we arrived and all we could see and hear was a rumbling volcano and smoke flying into the sky while some rocks tumbled down the sides. It feels like you are in the clouds on your way to heaven, but you will never be closer to death until you are dead.

But once the sun fell below the horizon, we began to see that it was lava rolling down the sides of the volcano and shooting up into the sky.

We slept in our tents at 4,000 feet while we watched red (mul_ten) molten lava fly into the sky throughout much of the night. This experience of being this close to an active volcano was a once in a lifetime experience.

About 30 minutes from the trailhead for the 7 hour hike is Antigua, Guatemala. This is the most beautiful and well preserved colonial-era city in Central America and the former capital of Guatemala. The capital was moved to Guatemala City in 1773 when an earthquake destroyed many of the oldest buildings. Luckily, many have been restored to their former glory.

5. Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World voted by the globe survey in 2007 and the most visited tourist attraction in Peru. Since it was never discovered or plundered by the Spanish colonialists, it has since become a symbol of the Incan Empire. It was built around 1450AD, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

We were on the first bus in the morning, so we were able to watch the sunrise hit the Temple of the Sun. We were surprised to learn that this was the only day of the year that this happens, the winter solstice, June 21.

Machu Picchu is one of those places where the pictures blow your mind and encourage you to go, but you don’t get the full essence of its energy until you are walking through the temple and experiencing its magnificence cradled by the surrounding mountains.

I have to say, we were lucky in our travels. We witness the most important celebration in Peru. All of Peru and the World come to nearby Cusco for the great celebration of Inti Raimy. This is considered the most important celebration in honor of the main god of the Incas, the Sun.

Besides the famous well known Machu Picchu, the Nazca lines are one of the highlights in my Peru trip.

The Nazca Lines are a 2000 years old series of large ancient geoglyphs located on the Nazca desert in the south of Peru.

They are one of the most difficult mysteries in archeology. Some drawings depict animals, plants, and imaginary figures. There are also geometric figures several kilometers long. ⁣

We got to see them from a small aircraft flying a few thousand feet above.⁣

It is hard to imagine creating such perfect lines with vision only at ground level. That is why some believe that allien lived here ages ago.⁣

Others believe they were part of religious ceremonies related to astronomy understood by locals well ahead of their European contemporaries.⁣

6. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Galapagos was a place with reverence for animals. I had known about Galapago as the place where Darwin formed his theory of evolution. But I was surprised to see the significance of preserving the natural habitat of the species here.

The Galapagos in fact is the first human zoo on the planet. The animals are allowed to roam freely, but human access to the land is limited so as to preserve the natural habitat for the animals.

Are the Galapagos expensive? Yes or maybe, but it depends on how you travel the Galapagos. We traveled to 4 islands by land travel with ferries between islands and single day boat tours. We did not travel by any overnight or weekly boat cruises. So we saved thousands and spent 19 days there.

We are lucky enough to witness the blue footed boobie mating dance. The tour guide said we were lucky because the blue footed mating season had already passed. The bright sharp blue color looks so unreal to me.

On the town, any town of the Galapagos island, we see the sea lion just lying on the bench. During the night, the sea animals are attracted by the light under the pier. We enjoy seeing baby sharks, manta rays, colorful fish and sea turtles swimming under the lights.

The giant tortoise also is the main attraction in the galapagos. You can visit the sanctuary or you will just see them running in the wild. We met a lot of them while we were cycling in Isla Isabela. That is the amazing part of the Galapagos island.

7. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat is the largest temple complex in the world. The complex spans 402 acres and is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu by King Suryavarman II of the Khmer Empire in the 12th century AD.

The surrounding Angkor city may have been the most populated city in the world when the empire fell in the late 15th century. The empire lasted about 700 years until it was abandoned in the 15th century, at the beginning of the Cambodian dark ages.

The dark ages lasted for several hundred years. Knowledge of the empire was only rediscovered when translated from sanskrit written in stone on the temple walls.

In 1860 a Frenchman found Angkor Wat and wrote a book about it. In his book he said he discovered it, but then admitted that there were people living on the grounds upon his arrival. That reminds me of how people say Columbus discovered America, where 7 million people lived when he arrived.

Satellite imagery shows that Angkor was indeed a very large city. The size of modern day London . Researchers have verified that Angkor was much larger and more sophisticated than any city in Europe at the time. Satellite imagery removes present vegetation and uncovers the evidence of humans. As many as 1 million people were living there. This would make it the largest city in the world during the 13th century. Source.

I am providing a link to a three day itinerary in case you want to visit Angkor in 2022.

8. Georgetown Penang, Malaysia

George Town is the colonial-era center of the island of Penang. The British built many of the colonial-era buildings in George Town but the Penang life and culture has been influenced by Chinese immigrants over the last few hundred years also.

The three major groups in Malaysia are Malay, Chinese and Indian. George Town is a major attraction for both Malaysian and international tourists. The three things that you must do in George Town are walking around enjoying the colonial-era architecture. Eating the magnificent culturally integrated foods, and going on one of the street art tours, either on your own or in a tour group. We suggest using free street art tour from vagabond buddha com

Make sure to grab one of the local buses to check out our Beach and Buddha tour, and make sure to visit Little India and have your meal on a banana leaf instead of a plate.

While you are in Penang, consider grabbing a flight up to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia to visit one of our favorite cities in the world. There you can see the Batu Caves, the Petronas Tower. And Kuala Lumpur’s main shopping and nightlife district. Changkat street is a nightlife street full of restaurants and bars. Don’t forget Sample the street food in Jalan Alor.

9. Hoi An, Vietnam

Historically, Hoi An was one of the most successful seaports on the trade routes around SE Asia for about 400 years from 1500 to 1900 AD. So, ancient beautiful restored homes and tempes line the streets of Hoi An.

Because of the preserved state, Hoi An has become one of the most visited sites in Vietnam for local and international tourists. Because of the new wealth caused by tourism, Hoi An has some of the best food you will experience in all of Vietnam, both local and international foods including reasonably priced delicious street food.

Because of its historic importance and restoration, Hoi An was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has been occupied by humans for about 2,000 years.

Hoi An is undeniably magical as you spend hours walking along its streets and bridges, restaurants, coffee shops, museums, and traditional arts and crafts exhibits. And don’t forget to visit the nearby beach which is just a 10 minute taxi ride away. If you have limited time in Vietnam, Hoi An should be at or near the top of your list.

Next up, the most beautiful island in the world …

10. Palawan, Philippines

Palawan Island is famous for its white sand beaches, coral reefs, and limestone rock formations with jagged sharp edges that point up into the heavens.

These features are most evident on the north of Palawan in places such as El Nido and Coron.

El Nido sees the most visitors because of the island tours that run daily from its white sand shores. But you can also jump on a scooter and drive north about 20 minutes to Nacpan Beach to enjoy the favorite beach frequented by the locals for its white sand beach, turquoise water, and cheaper beers. We have a video that teaches you how to save money in Nacpan Beach.

We were also lucky to join the Tao’s Expedition for 5 days and 4 nights, boating from El Nido to Coron, link to our videos provided. This is one-in-life-time experience. We gotta admire the beauty of the remote islands, world class Filipino fusion cuisine created by the Tao’s lost boy. We slept in the beautiful bamboo hut with the salty ocean breeze, lots of laughter and drinking games, Filipino playing acoustic music and singing the nights away. Days spent snorkeling in hidden reefs, with the captain’s dog watching until we all returned safely when the first mate sounded the conch shell.

This is my travel guide to visit in 2022. Let me know in the comment below where you want to travel this year? This is Qiang from Hobo Ventures. I left Malaysia in 2017 with my partner Dan of Vagabond Buddha.com, the YouTube Channel of Vagabond Awake.

We travel the world and teach people where they can retire cheap in Paradise. Dan has about 200 reports for people interested in retiring all over the world. His reports are on vagabond buddha.com

As we travel I focus on teaching you about the best street food in the world. I have YouTube video playlists that teach the best street food by country. To see my playlist by country, look in the note below this YouTube videos.

I hope you find this video helpful, thank you for watching. This is Qiang from Hobo Ventures, and we will see you later.