Showing posts with label Ilocos Norte. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ilocos Norte. Show all posts

February 03, 2017

4 Days Trip in Vigan, Laoag and Pagudgpud with Kids

Five years ago, we were able to visit Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. It was my long-time dream to visit Ilocos but it was so far. At that time, my husband doesn’t like long driving and he said if I wanted to visit Ilocos mag-eroplano daw kami. So when I saw the P12 seat sale of Cebu Pacific, I immediately bought tickets.

 To make our life easier, I rented a van for this trip. At first, I was not sure if we can tour Laoag, Vigan, and Pagudpud in three days but surprisingly, we were able to do Laoag, Vigan and Pagudpud in two days though it is like an amazing race trip. We had three kids in tow but no one complained. 

Sharing with you our 4 Days Trip in Vigan, Laoag and Pagudgpud with Kids 

 Day 1: Off to Laoag

 We stayed in UKL Ever Hotel for three nights, its a small hotel which is near in the market and walking distance to some tourist spots. They fetched us at the airport for free. Since we had an evening flight, we just slept after check-in. 

 Day 2: Laoag and Vigan Tour 

 Laoag 

 We started our tour as early as 7:30AM; we visited La Paz Sand Dunes, Fort Ilocandia Resort and Casino, Malacanang Ti Amianan, Marcos Mauseleum,  Batac Photo Gallery, St Augustine Church (Paoay Church), and Juan Luna Shrine.

Vigan  

 We ate lunch at Cafe Uno in Vigan. After our hearty lunch we went to Pagburnayan Jar Making, Crisologo Museum, Syquia Mansion, Vigan Loam Weaving, Baluarte, Bantay Church and Bell Tower and Calle Crisologo.  

Baluarte is the only zoo that we have visited that has no entrance fee. So if you have kids, don’t forget to include this in your itinerary. 

 Day 3: Laoag and Pagudpud Tour

Laoag to Pagudpud

 We started our tour at 8AM, we went to Sinking Bell Tower, Marcos Museum, Salt Making House, Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, Kapurpurawan Rock Formation and Bangui Windmill. 

We enjoyed our stay in Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, Kapurpurwan Rock Formation, and Bangui Windmill. 

 Pagudpud 

 Of course, we will not miss the opportunity to see the Patapat Viaduct. 

We just took a photo at Agua Grande then we went to the Blue Lagoon. You will see these tourist spots on your way to the beach, Timmangtang Rock, Bantay Abot Cave and Dos Hermanos Island. We did not stay long in Pagudpud beach because it would take more or less 2 hours to get back to our hotel. 

 Day 4: Laoag Walking Tour

 On our fourth day, we bought pasalubong in the market then we started our walking tour. We visited the tourist spots near UKL Ever Hotel while waiting for our flight. St. William Cathedral, Tobacco Monopoly Monument and Provincial Capitol. We ate lunch at La Preciosa then we rode tricycle to Museo Ilocos Norte.  

 Do not leave Ilocos without buying their famous pasalubong such as chichacorn, longganisa ilocos, bagnet, shirt, salt, garlic, onion, bangui windmill magnet, keychain, and display.  

 We enjoyed our Vigan, Laoag and Pagupud trip even though we experienced some mishaps after the trip.  

 Read: Food Trip in Laoag-Vigan

 P.S. Regarding the rented van, check the details below. 

Contact Glenn
Mobile numbers: Globe: 09163343432 Smart: 09395356959 09202749259
Email: luckyguy_joo@yahoo.com luckyguyjoo@gmail.com
Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/luckyguyjoo
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February 22, 2012

Day 4: Laoag Tour Part 2

Sad to say but this is the last day of our Ilocos trip, after breakfast, we went to St. William Cathedral, Tobacco Monopoly Momument, and Provincial Capitol. These tourist spots are all walking distance from UKL Ever Hotel, actually, there’s nothing special about this spot but this is part of my itinerary. 




Then we dropped by the market to buy bagnet and Ilocos longganisa.

After check-out, we went to La Preciosa for our lunch while my sister went to her college friend’s house.


Then we went to Museo Ilocos Norte, P30 entrance fee.



We went back to our hotel to pick up our luggage and off we went to Laoag airport and that was the start of our Sunday mishaps.  End of my Ilocos series. =)
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February 21, 2012

Kapurpurawan Rock Formation

I had second thought in including Kapurpurawan Rock Formation in our itinerary because I know that we have to walk around 500 meters just to reach the place. I have no problem in walking or trekking but we have kids in tow so I wasn’t sure if they will enjoy this place but since we are going to skip Kaibigan Falls, I included this in my itinerary.

 I have no regrets because this rock formation is really amazing. I’m not good at adjectives so all I can say is WOW and I’m glad that I’ve been here though seeing it up close is not easy.
From the parking lot, you have to go down the stairs and walk on a rough and rocky road. I brought an umbrella but I wasn’t able to use it because the wind was just too strong.

I was so happy that my husband joined our trip because if not, I don’t know if I will be able to reach the rock formation because look at my son, he doesn’t want to walk. =)


Kapurpurawan Rock Formation is really amazing and if we’re not in a hurry, we could stay longer here.






gustong umakyat din pero nadudulas. =)


 This is the view at the back of the rock formation.
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February 14, 2012

Day 3: Laoag- Pagudpud Tour

We started our Laoag - Pagudpud tour at 8AM, Glenn was not available at that time so his cousin was the one who drove us to Pagudpud. The first stop is the Sinking Bell Tower. It is one of the tallest here in the Philippines. This is walking distance from our hotel, they say that you can see St. Mary image in this tower. Can you see the image?


The next stop is Marcos Museum, which is located in Sarrat, (no entrance fee). Our Laoag and Vigan tour is like an educational trip where you can see historical sites, landmark and memorabilia. It is a chance to learn more about the past which I have not learned in my History class. 


 I was born in the 80’s so I have very little knowledge about former President Marcos and now I understand why Ilokanos really love Marcos, I’ve seen some of his photos, love letters, achievements and many more and it seems that he is indeed a genius guy like Jose Rizal. (that’s my opinion).


Then we dropped by Salt Making House, did you know that it takes 18 hours just to produce salt and they do not use heat from the sun. Pinaiinitan nila, old school na pala yung napanood ko sa Batibot. 


Laoag and Vigan are like revisiting the past while Pagudpud is enjoying the nature and scenery so I’m not surprised if more people stay in Pagudpud than in Laoag and Vigan. It is 2 hour trip from Laoag and 4 hours from Vigan.

 Let the photos do the talk.

 Cape Bojeador Lighthouse


Kapurpurawan Rock Formation 


Bangui Windmill


Note: We're so busy taking pictures and we did not notice na may parating na malaking alon, ang layo namin sa shoreline pero inabot kami, nagulat na lang kami at nabasa na kami at natanggal ang slippers ng anak ko, so habol ni hubby yung slippers, then one lady is shouting for help, yung kasama niya paglingon namin, nakahiga na sa sand and basang-basa so takbo ulit si hubby and inalalayan and sinave din ni hubby yung slippers ni lola.

Patapat viaduct


Agua Grande


On your way to Blue Lagoon, you will see Timmantang Rock, Bantay Abot Cave and Dos Hermanos Island.

Bantay Abot Cave


Blue Lagoon P20 entrance fee. We did not rent any cottage, we just paid for bathroom use, price is per person. 


We skipped Kaibigan Falls because we have kids in tow.
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February 12, 2012

Food Trip in Laoag, Vigan and Pagudpud

1. UKL Ever Hotel – we’re lucky that our room accommodation has 2 complimentary breakfast. (sulit!) The only problem is we only have 4 choices; tapsilog, hotsilog, longsilog and tocilog. Our favorite is longsilog and tapsilog. Extra order is P80. 

Since we had an amazing race tour, we did not go out for dinner; we just ate at their restaurant. Our favorite is breaded porkchop P120 and fried chicken P120.

2. Café Uno – in Vigan.

 We ordered pinakbet plain, pinakbet with bagnet, sinigang na baboy, grilled bangus, chicken inasal, plain rice and bagoong rice (rice, bagoong, kangkong, salted egg and tocino). They have big servings so we keep on ordering rice just to finish everything. We all love the food, I’m not fond of vegetables but I like their pinakbet. Price is affordable, for a group of 8 people, our bill is only P1k+.

3. Irene’s Vigan Empanada – they all ate empanada in Vigan except me, not a fan of empanada. P35 per piece.

4. BergBlick Restaurant in Pagudpud, can you believe that there’s a German restaurant in Pagudpud. We were supposed to eat at Evangeline Resort but they could not accommodate us because they are expecting 100 guests and we could no longer wait because it was past 1PM already so we ended up in BergBlick Restaurant. 

 We ordered a fish platter, Ilocandia express, sinigang na fish (I can’t remember the name) and crème brulee for dessert. The price is a little bit expensive for a group of 8 people, our bill is P2k+. Our favorite is the fish platter.

5. Jollibee – in Laoag for snacks.

 6. La Preciosa in Laoag, we ordered diningding, lengua estofado and mocha sansrival. Hubby and son enjoyed their diningding, he even said “sabaw pa lang ulam na”. I always love lengua estofado and La Preciosa did not fail me.

 My son liked his mocha sansrival but La Preciosa best seller cake is carrot cake. I got to taste it because my sister’s friend gave me a slice. They have big servings and the price is also affordable, for a group of 3 people, our bill is only P500+

Like I said, La Preciosa carrot cake is their best seller and I even see some people at the airport who have boxes of La Preciosa cake but I still prefer mocha sansrival because I am not fond of carrots. I enjoy the cake but I have to remove the shredded carrots. 
pabaon from my sister's friend
7.     Street Foods

Food photos are not complete; blame it on our hungry stomachs.
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February 08, 2012

Day 2: Laoag Tour Part 1

Last year, my sister decided not to have a birthday party for my nephew’s 7th birthday instead they will just have a family out-of-town trip. So when I saw the PHP12 Cebu Pacific seat sale, I personally invited myself to join their family trip and informed her after I booked our flight (Ethan and I). Hehe!

 Hubby was not interested to join but after our stressful week last December, he promised that he will join our Ilocos trip kahit magbus siya (babawi daw). But God is so good and I was able to get a seat sale ticket for my hubby last month.

 A month before our trip I booked our hotel accommodation at UKL Ever Hotel and rented a van for 2 days tour. Actually, we can avail of the 3 days tour but 2 days tour is much cheaper and I can do Laoag tour on our own because we will be staying in Laoag Centro.

 Fast forward, we started our tour as early as 7:30am, first stop is La Paz Sand Dunes, I thought this will be part of our second day, so I was not prepared, namuti tuloy ang black shoes ko. If you remember the “Temptation Island” movie, this is the location. As far as I know, you can also avail of sand boarding lesson, P2,500 for a group of four.

my first panorama shot. =) my only photo on this post

If you have the budget you can stay in Fort Ilocandia Resort and Casino, this place is really huge, and I like the structure and design. I saw 3 ATM machines inside the hotel and most of the guests are foreigners.


Malacanang Ti Amianan, P30 entrance fee.


Marcos Mausoleum, first time to see former President Marcos, camera is not allowed so I have no pictures.


Batac Photo Gallery, where you can see pictures, love letters and achievements of former Pres. Marcos.


St. Augustine (Paoay Church), UNESCO World Heritage Site, wrong timing, church is under maintenance.


Juan Luna Shrine, this is the birthplace of Juan Luna, the man behind Spolarium. The house was burned down in 1861 and they have just reconstructed it. The two-bricked story house is really attractive, you can see replicas of Juan Luna’s paintings, family photo gallery, and other memorabilia.


The next stop is Vigan.

Photo Credit: Glenn Perdido Tolentino
He was our driver, tour guide, and photographer in our Laoag-Vigan Tour. 
For inquiries, please contact Glenn
Mobile numbers: Globe: 09163343432 Smart: 09395356959 09202749259
Email: luckyguy_joo@yahoo.com luckyguyjoo@gmail.com
Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/luckyguyjoo
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February 07, 2012

Day 1: Off to Laoag and UKL Ever Hotel

I can’t believe it’s already February, since Sunday we're so busy packing and unpacking stuff for my husband’s Baguio trip, Subic trip, and our upcoming trip. Very stressful week but finally we will be out again. 

Though I’m a bit nervous because we (my son and I) have to commute to meet my hubby (who is coming from Subic) before going to the airport. Good luck to me and my son, it’s been four years already since I rode a bus (bus from our place) so I still asked my former officemate a.k.a busmate regarding bus schedules and bus stopover.  Good thing I’ve asked, iba na pala. 

 This is one of the disadvantages of living outside metro manila, there is no taxi. This will be the start of my busy days, I love February month. Hoping for good weather. We left early because I do not want to miss the bus, so we rode the tricycle and jeep to reach the last bus stop over. Thank God, we did not miss the bus, buzzer beater nga lang. It took us only 1 hour to reach our meeting place but hubby wasn’t there yet, we waited for 1 hour and 30 minutes before hubby arrived.

 When we reached the airport, the security guard said no more parking slot and he asked for our flight schedule. Naawa naman si manong and he said, “sundan niyo, try ko maghanap bandang dulo,” We only have less than two hours so we’re so scared to miss our flight. Thank God again because we’ve found one available slot.
At the boarding gate, my son was busy with his tablet while my hubby was still working, trying to finish his report and I’m busy calling my sister, buzzer beater sa check-in counter.

After one hour, we reached Laoag International Airport, I saw this poster so just in case you need a ride to Centro, you can take advantage of this free shuttle ride. I haven’t tried this because we have airport transfers.


UKL Ever Hotel in Laoag

 We stayed at UKL Ever Hotel, I chose this hotel because of its price and location. Fifteen to 20 minutes away from the airport and walking distance to the market, fast food, and tourist spots.


Basic room and bathroom, ang ayaw ko lang ang taas ng heater, hindi ko abot ang knob. The room package includes free breakfast for 2.

 Address: Abadilla St. Laoag City, Ilocos Norte
Telephone: +63 (077) 772-2771
Others: +63-999-525-7777
E-mail: ukleverhotel@yahoo.com or info@ukleverhotel.com
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