Ilocos travel series: Ilocos - good until it lasts (day 3)

Knowing that it was gonna be our last day in Ilocos, I woke up a bit early. I had a good night’s sleep after drinking basi, a locally-made Ilocano wine. It was unfortunate that I wasn’t able to keep awake the whole night to join the gang in the all-night drinking spree. It may have been due to basi or I was just dead tired from the whole day of activities. 

Our itinerary for the day included a whole morning of beach bumming in Pagudpud, a visit to Patapat Viaduct, Bangui Wind Mills, and Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, and then merienda at an authentic Ilocano restaurant, and some souvenir shopping in the public market.

Good morning Pagudpud!

After breakfast, we spent all morning in the beach. It was our last hours in Pagudpud so we wanted to made the most out of it.

Happy beach time :)

After lunch, we went to Patapat Viaduct which is still in Pagudpud. It is basically a highway bridge that connects Ilocos province to Cagayan Valley. It is fondly called as the “French Riviera of the North”. While cruising along the highway, you will be amazed with the view of the sea and the mountains. 

Patapat Viaduct

The scenic view from the bridge can really pass for a movie shooting location where the man chases the love of his life when she tried to run away by taking a bus. Haha.

We stopped for a while and took some photos as if there were no passing cars.

with kaladkarin friends

And finally, I saw Bangui Wind Mills for the first time. The famous wind mills have been on much exposure in Philippines tourism ads and commercials. You will be awed to see that these wind mills are actually huge. From afar, you’d wonder if the blades are actually moving. Wait till you get close to it. You could hear the sound of the wind as it smashes against the turbines.

Bangui Wind Mills

The Bangui Wind Mills are more than just a tourist attraction. It was built to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases which causes global warming. The 20 wind turbines help in accelerating the rural electrification of the province as it also provides power supply in the Ilocos province.

Really huge fan

We stopped by Cape Bojeador Lighthouse which is also known as Burgos Lighthouse. The old lighthouse used to guide safely ships entering the Philippine archipelago from the north in the rocky coast of the town. 

The lighthouse is tall at 65 ft. and it was breath catching to climb it up to the top. The view was definitely worth is as you can see the view of the province as well as Bangui Wind Mills on a clear sunny day.

View from the lighthouse

We drove to Laoag City in mid-afternoon. Our flight back to Manila was at 6PM and we wanted to spare a few hours in the city to buy some souvenirs and savour Ilocano dishes. We had merienda at Saramsam Café.

Saramsam Cafe

We also stopped quickly at the Sinking Bell Tower of Laoag which used to be a tall bell tower. It was said that it sank through time because the of the sandy foundation of the bell tower. It is something not to be missed as it is located upon entering the city proper.

Sinking Bell Tower

Any trip wouldn’t be complete without any pasalubong. Our tour guide brought us to the local wet market for us to buy cheaper pasalubong. Of course, I didn’t miss to buy bagnet, chichacorn, suka, and bagoong.
 
Times flies fast when you’re having fun. At 6PM, we boarded the plane bound for Manila which brought us back to reality. I’m glad I made this trip with my closest travel barkada. We all agreed that this was our most sulit trip to date – sightseeing (check), friendly tour guide and comfy van (check), foodtrip (check), nice hotel and resort (check), BEACH (check), drinking session (check), pasalubong (check) and most of all budget (check). What can I say? This trip had it all.
 
Fun time in Ilocos (check)!

PS: Some of the pictures from my Ilocos blog entries were from my friend Gyles. Thanks Gyles! :)

Ilocos travel series: Ilocos Norte and more (day 2)

As much as we wanted to stay longer in Java Hotel for its unique ambiance, the second day of our northern exposure trip meant more sights to see. 

I <3 Ilocos Norte

On the second day, we toured Ilocos Norte and its nearby sights. Our first stop was Marcos Mausoleum but taking photos of Marcos' preserved corpse (if it really it was) was not allowed.  We had the chance to view the late President Ferdinand Marcos' refrigerated corpse and it kinda looked like it was made of wax.  The nearby Marcos museum was closed for renovation so there isn't much to see. 

Marcos' presidential plate numbers

Paoay Church is one of the grandest churches I’ve ever seen. If I were an Ilocano, I would probably want to get married here someday. From every angle, the church exudes a very elegant and grand façade. Paoay church is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list and known for its unique combination of baroque, gothic, and oriental designs. 

Paoay Church

Best travel barkada :)

A short walk from the Paoay Church is Herencia Cafe which serves one of the best pinakbet pizzas in the province. We ordered one for take-out. When in Herencia, the view of the church is really amazing. I can imagine people dining in the café and eating their pinakbet pizza while enjoying the view of the church after the Sunday Mass.

Herencia Cafe

Then, we drove for another 30 minutes or so to Malacanang of the North. It is locally called ‘Malacanang ti Amianan’.  The Malacanang of the North is the official residence of the late President Ferdinand Marcos in Ilocos. It was constructed on a land projecting the Paoay Lake. 

Malacanang of the North

in the grand staircase

We toured around the house and saw the many rooms of the Marcos clan. I was surprised to know that the the former first couple has separate bedrooms in the house.

Marcoses matrimonial bed

After touring most of the major sites in Ilocos Sur, we travelled to Pagudpud after lunch. We trekked to Kabigan Falls in 30 minutes and dipped in its very cool water and enjoyed our take-out pinakbet pizza from Herencia Cafe. 

Kabigan Falls

And finally, we headed to Pagudpud which we were all looking forward to..beach!!!! We stayed at Hannah’s Beach Resort in Blue Lagoon (Maira-ira Beach). 

Blue fishing boats in Pagudpud

Since everyone was so excited to hit the beach, we waited no longer to swim in Blue Lagoon’s inviting water. We owned the beach to ourselves. 

Chillaz by the beach

The beach is just perfect as well as really intimate and perfect for those long walks in the beach, if you get what I mean :D Blue Lagoon is actually a beach cove so you can walk from one end of the cove to another.

:)

We’d stop to appreciate the serenity of the place as well as the interesting rock formations. I don’t know, maybe we were just there on an off-peak so we had the beach to ourselves which is not bad at all.

If you're looking for a serene and white sand beach in the North, Pagudpud is the beach to be.

Ilocos travel series: Vigan (day 1)

My friends find it hard to believe when I say I haven’t gone to Ilocos. With my regular weekend escapades, a place like Ilocos could be toured and squeezed into one weekend. So anyways, I finally crossed the Ilocandia region off my travel list when my friends and I impulsively booked for a promo flight (of course!).

My Ilocos travel was one of the more memorable and 'bang for the buck' trips I’ve made. 

We arrived at Laoag International Airport around 10am via Philippine Airlines. We were met by our tour guide and off we started our itinerary for the day. Thefirst thing on our list is Vigan and we traveled approximately 2 hours to get there. We got there lunch time and with rumbling stomachs we ate at the famous Café Leona.

Cafe Leona

The food was absolutely delish but as you know that I like the food after the main meal. I ordered their tsokolate batirol. I love its very chocolatey taste and its bits.

Tsokolate batirol

After our hearty lunch, we walked along Calle Crisologo and checked on some old houses and souvenir shops. Calle Crisologo is  a cobbled-stone street where you can see old Spanish houses dating back from the 18^th century. It’s great to know that these antique houses have been preserved through time. It’s like walking in the past; the atmosphere at Calle Crisologo will make you feel that you are walking 300 years ago.

Calle Crisologo

And yeah, we stopped for some ice cream to beat the afternoon heat.

We want ice cream!

At the end of the half-kilometer street is the Crisologo museum/ancestral home. The Crisologos are one of the prominent families in the province aside from the Marcoses. The museum houses the family’s memorabilia and private collection, and some exhibit.

Crisologo Museum

We then proceeded to the nearby Syquia Mansion owned by the family of the late President Elpidio Quirino. I am really fascinated with old houses. The two-storey and cream painted Syquia Mansion is a charming old house. You will be awed by the big sizes of bedrooms and the furniture are chosen with great flair. There was even a replica of the Spolarium in the house.

Guided tour at Syquia Mansion

I also learned that the Quirino family stays here whenever they're in the province. The kitchen and dining room are modern and some rooms are well-maintained. Our tour guide shared that Cory Quirino, the late president’s granddaughter, stays in the ancestral house from time to time.

I love history so touring around Vigan and knowing gritty-bitty of history is a treat for me. I know! Call me nerd :P

I’m not sure if you have heard of Chavit Singson’s Baluarte in Vigan. It is a zoo where you can interact with the animals. At the same time, you can stroll in the animal sanctuary where some animals freely roam around. You’ll be amazed that all these sorts of animals which are endangered can be found at the Baluarte.

Chavit Singson's Baluarte

Rio!

There is no admission fee to the zoo so why not.

Watcha lookin' at?

Oh deer!

Our last stop for the day is Hidden Garden. The Hidden Garden is a plant and flower garden where you can find every kind of plant that grows on the soil and rocks as well as some hanging plants. They have a coffee shop where you can order your favorite fruit shake and Ilocos empanada.

At Hidden Garden

Ilocos empanada

After our day tour, we traveled back to Laoag City which will be our homebase for the night.  Day 2 of Ilocos tour is up next!

Hotel lovin': Java Hotel, Laoag CIty, Ilocos Norte

One of things that gets me excited when planning a trip is choosing the hotel we'd stay in. I'm a budget traveler so selecting an accommodation that suits my budget is the top priority when selecting a hotel. But of course, you should never sacrifice the comfort you will get just to get a room that's within your budget. After all, it's good to be sleeping soundly on a good bed after a long day of tour and activities.

During my travel to Ilocos, one of the things I liked about our trip was our stay at Java Hotel in Laoag City. Java Hotel is a 50-bedroom hotel situated in Laoag City downtown. The hotel boasts its Balinese and Moroccan ambiance combined with Spanish and Ilocano touches. The whole roof of the hotel is patterned after Balinese huts which makes the exterior unique.

We were a group of six and we stayed in their De Luxe Room. There were two double-sized beds and we requested for an additional bed. Room amenities include a 21-inch TV with cable, airconditioning, mini bar, telephone, small veranda, and private toilet and bath with hot and cold water.

We booked the room for Php2800 with extra charges for 2 persons. Not bad eh?

For the lack of a better bed photo :)

Walking in their hallway will transform you in a Moroccan setting with the arches pointed upwards. 

 

The next day we had our breakfast at Eagle's Nest Bar and Restaurant. We had a sumptuous breakfast enough to start another day of touring Ilocos.

Other hotel amenities include a swimming pool, tennis court, gym, souvenir shop, function halls, and massage services.

If there's one thing that I really didn't like about Java Hotel, it'd be their location. The hotel building is behind a gas station. The gas station was an eyesore considering the hotel's unique design. 

We only had the chance to stay there for a night and that brief stay was enough for me to like the whole hotel. I wished we could stay longer but we're off to another destination in Ilocos. When in Laoag, stay in Java Hotel for one ultimate hotel experience.

Sitting pretty at the hotel's main entrance

Java Hotel
Address: Gen. Segundo Avenue (also known as Bacarra Road), Barangay 55-B Salet, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte
Phone: +63.77.770.5996, +63.77.771.5102
Fax: +63.77.770.5996
Mobile: +63.921.610.9910
http://javahotel.com.ph

where i've been lately

Stopover at Patapat Viaduct which connects Ilocos and Cagayan

ILOCOS. Okay, not very recent but this is where I've been three weekends ago. One word to describe the trip: SULIT! From cultural and historical immersion in Vigan, animal encounters at Baluarte, foodtrip galore, ultimate roadtrip, trekking all the way to the falls, beach bumming in Pagudpud, sightseeing at Cape Bojeador, and finally seeing the Wind Mills. I can truly say WOW Philippines.