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Guests traveling from Manila to Cauayan (Isabela), Tuguegarao (Cagayan Valley) and Laoag (Ilocos Norte) can avail of Cebu Pacific’s ‘Go Lite’ seat sale fare of only Php699.

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One of Vigan’s newer attractions is the Baluarte Zoo which is owned by then Ilocos Sur Governor, Chavit Singson. The zoo houses a wide array of animals like pythons, tigers, snakes, birds, ponies and a whole lot more. Kids and kids at heart will surely love this place!

Contnure reading about the Vigan Baluarte Zoo here.

Upcoming Events

On our third day in Laoag, we took a trip south to Vigan City, the capital of Ilocos Sur. We only planned to visit Calle Crisologo and Baluarte to save time.

After a quick breakfast at Balay da Blas, we took a trike and left for the Bus Terminal going to Vigan. I forgot the name of the bus but it’s only an ordinary one (non-airconditioned) and the fare was Php100 each. The ride lasted for 2 and 1/2 hours with some short stops picking up passengers by the road.

TIP: If you could spare Php20 more for your fare, I would suggest riding an air-conditioned bus like PARTAS. The seats are more comfy, they don’t stop to wait for passengers, and you don’t have to take in the scent of burning leaves by the roadside every few minutes.

We got off at the Vigan City Hall and asked directions from the traffic cops on how to get to Calle Crisologo. From the city hall, Calle Crisologo is about 3 blocks away so we just traveled there by foot.

First thing we saw is Plaza Burgos which is some sort of mini Rizal Park complete with a little statue of Jose Rizal in the middle. You can also see a lot of calesas for hire parked here. We did not hire one since we don’t plan on seeing the whole of Vigan and the ride is expensive for our budget.

Plaza Burgos

Beside the park is St. Paul’s Cathedral or what is commonly known as Vigan Cathedral. Just like St. William’s Cathedral in Laoag, this church is old but you wouldn’t recognize it since it is regularly maintained giving it a freshly painted look.

Vigan Cathedral with locals included

On one side of Plaza Burgos is the street leading to Calle Crisologo. You could easily see the statue of Leona Florentino, the famous Ilocana poet, satirist and playright during the Spanish Period, in front of the first Max’s Restaurant.

Tourist info center on the left, Cafe Leona on the right

TIP: If you are new to Vigan, you could head straight to the Ilocos Sur Tourist Information center and ask for a brochure as well as directions and other things. It is situated at the start of Crisologo St. besides Cafe Leona.

You can also see the Ilocos Sur Tourist Information center near the statue. We went there first to grab a brochure of Ilocos Sur and ask questions regarding other places to visit and transportation fares as well. The information guy is friendly and very helpful. Besides the information center is Cafe Leona which is a very nice place to eat. They serve huge servings of Filipino and Italian food at a decent price. Make sure to try their iced tea!

CALLE CRISOLOGO

Calle Crisologo or Crisologo St. is a 4-block street with cobblestone pavement lined with souvenirs and antique shops. No vehicles are allowed (only calesas) on the street except for the intersections. So if you’re going to take a nice photo of the street, make sure there are no cars, scooters, motorcycles passing through the intersections. We spent a great deal of time here to buy souvenirs for our friends and family.

Afterwards, it’s time to go to Baluarte, the home and mini zoo of Chavit Singson. We took a trike for Php40 after haggling it down from Php60 and it took us around 20 minutes to get there and there’s no entrance fee.

Calle Crisologo

BALUARTE

When you first step into Baluarte, you could see ostriches around the lobby and information area. Yup, they’re not fenced! There are also little horses with small carriages on them that you can ride for free to tour you around the place. I won’t be writing about what I saw at the zoo since that will sound like an elementary school paper but one thing’s for sure, the little ponies have huge dongs. Hehehe.

TIP: Do not stay late at Baluarte if you don’t plan on bringing your own vehicle. I don’t think the tricycle drivers waits there all day long.

We finished at around 3pm and luckily there are still lots of tricycles outside Baluarte to take us back to the city. Price is still Php40 but originally the driver’s asking for Php50. Anyway, we asked the driver to drop us off at the PARTAS bus terminal going toback to Laoag.

The bus is air-conditioned and Php20 more expensive but it’s more spacious and the seats are well-cushioned. We arrived at Laoag at around 5 PM and went back to our suite.

FARE BREAKDOWN

• Ordinary Bus from Laoag to Vigan – Php 100
• Tricycle travelling to and from Baluarte – Php 40-50
• Air-conditioned Bus from Vigan to Laoag (PARTAS) – Php 121.00

For dinner, we ate at C&E Pizzeria and tried their Bagnet Pizza. Mmmm. I strongly suggest that you try it yourself. We just packed our things and pasalubongs in the evening for our flight tomorrow noon.

The day after, we arrived at the airport 1 hour before our flight which is 12 noon but found out that it was delayed for 3 hours. Hayyy Cebu Pacific talaga.

This concludes the series of our Ilocos Tour. I hope you find it helpful in planning your trip to Ilocos. It’s a must-visit place here in the Philippines!

Part 1: From Manila to Laoag
Part 2: Going to Pagudpud
Part 3: Pagudpud
Part 4: City of Laoag
Part 5: South of Laoag
Part 6: Going to Vigan from Laoag

If you have any questions/suggestions/corrections, please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks!

We decided to visit places south of Laoag on our 3rd day there. This includes the Mausoleum of Marcos in Batac, Paoay Church, Malacañang of the North and Paoay Lake.

We departed at around 9 AM after having breakfast at Balay da Blas. We boarded a jeep at the Paoay Jeep Terminal in Laoag and asked to be dropped at the Batac intersection. Fare going to Batac is Php 21.00 each and takes around 15 minutes.

MAUSOLEUM OF MARCOS

When you get off the jeep, you have to walk for about two blocks going to the mausoleum. It is on the left side past Chowking (which is on the opposite side) and just before the wide bridge.

First you will see an old house where the parents of the late Pres. Marcos lived. You can see their family tree posted there. You can also see the house/mansion where the Pres. Marcos lived just ahead of his parent’s house.

House of Marcos’ parents near his mausoleum

Near the place is a mini-museum where you will see news clippings, photos, articles related to Marcos and a presidential desk as well.

In front of the museum, is the mausoleum itself where you can see the preserved body of Marcos. No picture taking is allowed inside.

After spending around 20 minutes taking pictures, we went back to the road where the Paoay jeeps are passing. We boarded a jeep and head to Paoay Church. Fare is Php 7.00 each and takes around 10 minutes to get there.

PAOAY CHURCH

This is a very beautiful and impressive church with a bell tower right beside it. The areas around it are well-kept with no modern establishments obstructing the view. You just have to time it right so that there would be no tourists looming in your photo. There’s a man here who we think is the caretaker who would approach and can assist you in taking pictures. You can also ask him questions on other places to visit in Paoay.

Paoay Church is already in UNESCO’s World Heritage List

In front of the church, don’t forget to eat at Herencia Cafe and try their interestingly flavored pizza (Dinuguan, Pinakbet, etc.). This resto is co-owned by Sammy of Balay da Blas and has already been featured in various travel tv programs such as Trip na Trip.

MALACAÑANG OF THE NORTH & PAOAY LAKE

We asked the friendly waitress of Herencia Cafe to help us look for a nice tricycle driver to take us to the Malacañang of the North and back to Laoag Jeep Terminal in Paoay. The agreed fare is Php 160 which is about right according to the friendly church caretaker.

TIP: Our officemate went there a few weeks after us and they said they hired a tricycle for Php 200 from Paoay to Malacañang of the North then back to Laoag. So you can use that as an option to save time and money.

After having an early lunch in Herencia Cafe and a few more picture taking, we went on our way. The trip from Paoay Church going to Malacañang of the North takes around 15-20 minutes.

Tia posing in front of Malacañang of the North

We arrived at around 12:30 PM and found out that the place takes a break at 11 AM – 1 PM so we just hanged around outside along with other would-be visitors. There is an entrance fee of Php20.00 to go inside the place. It is quite big with lots of rooms and also has a very nice view of Paoay Lake on its veranda.

A view of the lake from the terrace

After spending around 30 minutes taking pictures, we decided to head back to Paoay and boarded a jeep going back to Laoag.

We arrived back at Laoag at around 4 PM so we spent the rest of the afternoon touring the marketplace looking for souvenir items. In the evening, we had dinner at La Preciosa which is a very cozy and romantic place to eat and surprisingly, not so expensive as well.

FARE BREAKDOWN

• Jeep to Batac – Php 21.00 per head
• Jeep from Batac to Paoay – Php 7.00 per head
• Trike from Paoay to Paoay Lake and back – Php 160 – 200
• Jeep from Paoay to Laoag – Php 26.00 per head

Next day will be our Vigan tour and will be covered on the next part of this series.

Part 1: From Manila to Laoag
Part 2: Going to Pagudpud
Part 3: Pagudpud
Part 4: City of Laoag
Part 5: South of Laoag
Part 6: Going to Vigan from Laoag

If you have any questions/suggestions/corrections, please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks!

We left Kapuluan Vista Resort at around 9:30 AM and we arrived at Laoag at around lunch time. We took a trike for Php 40 going to the highway where we waited for around 10 minutes for a bus going to Laoag.

Roughly 2 hours later, we finally arrived at Laoag. From the bus terminal, we took a trike going to the place where we stayed for 3 nights, Balay da Blas. I strongly recommend this place for people visiting Laoag. The rent is not that expensive for the quality of the rooms they offer.

BALAY DA BLAS

Sammy Blas, the owner of the place was our gracious host. We booked for a Junior Suite (Php 1,350 per night) but he upgraded it to Deluxe Suite at no extra charge. The suite includes a living room with cable tv, kitchen with ref and stove, bedroom with queen size bed and bathroom with hot and cold water.

After checking the room and freshening up, we went down and had a chat with Sammy. He helped us plan our itinerary and suggested places where we can eat.

CITY OF LAOAG

Laoag is a small city where all the scenic spots are within walking distance of each other. You can tour everything within 30 minutes depending on how long you stay at one place. Main mode of transportation is via tricycle. The fare is Php7.00 per head, or is it Php14.00 per trike?

We had lunch at Saramsam Cafe (Sammy’s the owner) near Texicano Hotel. Try their Pinakbet Pizza and Dinuguan Pizza if you wanna experience something local. Afterwards, we went back at Balay de Blas to rest before starting our city tour.

Places to see in Laoag City

Here are the places we visited within the city:

• Museum of Ilocos Norte
• Tobacco Monopoly Monument
• Sinking Bell Tower
• St. William’s Cathedral

Outside Laoag, here are the places we visited:

• Sta. Monica Church in Sarrat
• La Paz Sand Dunes
• Mausoleum of Marcos in Batac
• Paoay Church
• Malacañang of the North and Paoay Lake

We started our city tour by going to the Museum of Ilocos Norte. There is an entrance fee of Php20 and the place has many interesting old stuff on display and it also has a souvenir shop inside. You’re allowed to take photos inside.

A crummy shot of the museum

Afterwards, just behind the museum you can see the Tobacco Monopoly Monument. It is a monument symbolizing King Alfonso’s lifting of the tobacco monopoly. It was erected in 1881 so it’s really really old!

Don’t take a picture of the Tobacco Monopoly Monument at high noon

Near the monument, you can already see the upper part of the Sinking Bell Tower. Walk towards it and take some pictures. It’s hard to take a decent photo since there are already establishments at the bottom and electrical wires obstructing your view. The tower was built in 1612!! Older than the tobacco monument.

The Sinking Bell Tower. Bottom part is full of establishments.

After taking some photos of the bell tower, we headed to St. William’s Cathedral which was also built in 1612. However, I saw that it was already restored since the facade doesn’t look old at all.

St. William’s Cathedral. Not so old-looking.

TIP: If you’re wondering where the cathedral is, just look up and around till you see the golden arches of Mc Donald’s. The Cathedral is at the back.

Our next stop is Sta. Monica Church in Sarrat just outside east of Laoag. We took a trike going to the Sarat jeepney terminal. The jeepney ride took only around 15 minutes and the fare is Php11.00 each. Just tell the driver to drop you off near the church. Sarat is also the birthplace of the late President Marcos. Ask the locals where he was born if you want to visit the place.

Shot behind Sta. Monica Church

We went back to Laoag and asked our host Sammy to look for a tricycle driver to take us to La Paz Sand Dunes just outside west of Laoag. The driver met us at the Sarat jeepney terminal and off we went to the sand dunes which took us around 20 minutes. You need to hire a tricycle driver to go there and wait for you while you take pictures and enjoy the sight. Our agreement was Php100.

Plenty of sand in this place!

TIP: If you’re planning to go to La Paz Sand Dunes, the best time would be late in the afternoon when it’s not too hot and the sun is not too high.

After La Paz, we headed back to our inn and decided to call it a day. Since we were already tired we just had Greenwich Pizza delivered to our place for dinner.

FARE BREAKDOWN:

• Trike around Laoag – Php 7.00 per head
• Jeep going to Sarrat – Php 11.00 per head
• Rent trike to La Paz – Php 100 for the trip

Our plan for the following day is to tour the southern part of Ilocos Norte (Batac and Paoay) which will be the next part of this series.

Part 1: From Manila to Laoag
Part 2: Going to Pagudpud
Part 3: Pagudpud
Part 4: City of Laoag
Part 5: South of Laoag
Part 6: Going to Vigan from Laoag

If you have any questions/suggestions/corrections, please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks!

This is Part 3 of Touring Ilocos Without a Car series.

As I mentioned in my previous post, there are 2 gorgeous beaches in Pagudpud, Saud and Blue Lagoon or what is known by the locals as “Maira-ira”. Both offers nice, soft, white sand and surfing waves (at the right time of the year). The two beaches are about 20 minutes apart from each other so choosing where to stay will be based on what beach you prefer.

SAUD OR BLUE LAGOON?

You can compare Saud Beach to Puerto Galera wherein the resorts are all lined up for you to choose from. Since there are plenty of resorts along Saud Beach, expect many people and activities around. Also, there are many places to eat in Saud. If you like crowds when you go to a beach, choose Saud.

Saud Beach, not crowded in December

If you want privacy, then Blue Lagoon is for you. It is practically off the beaten path. The nearest and only resort there is Kapuluan Vista Resort. There are no resorts in Blue Lagoon but you can rent nipa huts at the parking area. From Kapuluan, it’s about 7-10 minutes walk going there.

Blue Lagoon, the water is calmer during the summer

TIP: If you’re planning to go during the Holy Week, I would suggest Kapuluan Vista Resort so that you’ll be near Blue Lagoon where it’s not too crowded. They get fully-booked by February so plan your reservations early.

We decided to check-in at Kapuluan Vista Resort because it’s nearer Blue Lagoon. Not to mention that it’s cheaper than the nice resorts at Saud.

KAPULUAN VISTA RESORT

Welcome to Kapuluan Vista Resort

Mike and his wife Alma owns the beautiful place. It is situated far from the shore so you don’t have to worry about storm surges unlike in Saud. The beach in front of the resort is not swimmable but very surfable with the nice reef breaks. They offer surf lessons and surfboard rentals by the way.

TIP: Mike, the owner of the resort, told us that the best time to visit them is around July – September when the weather is not too hot, the water not to cold and the breeze is just right.

Our room is simple but with a zen-inspired theme, we even have a bonsai on our bathroom. With the wind blowing and the waves crashing, sometimes you don’t wanna leave your bed. The food is very great that some people go there just to eat. It’s a bit pricey though for the budget-conscious but their package already includes free breakfast.

PAGUDPUD TOUR

The following day, we decided to take the Pagudpud tour after lunch.

Ask the locals or the resort employees to get you a tricycle to tour you around Pagudpud. It will cost you around Php 500-600 for a whole day tour. Here are the places that you can visit:

1. Blue Lagoon / Saud (depends on where you are staying)
2. Patapat Bridge and Viaduct
3. Agua Grande
4. Paraiso ni Anton
5. Kabigan Falls

Manuel was our tricycle driver / tour guide / photographer. He charged us Php 500 for the tour which did not include the Kabigan Falls because aside from a 30-minute hike to the falls, the ground is a bit slippery.

It took us less than 3 hours to do the entire tour since we only planned to see the sights and take pictures. But I think for the Php 500 we paid, we could stay for a while at the beach if we decided to swim. Better ask the driver first before you commit.

The winding Patapat Bridge

Patapat Viaduct

Agua Grande Mini Hydro Power Plant

Paraiso ni Anton, there’s also a grotto here but that’s it

Afterwards, we spent the rest of the day sleeping, eating, chatting with Mike and her wife, telling sweet nothings to each other and preparing for our trip back to Laoag the following day.

CAPE BOJEADOR LIGHTHOUSE and BANGUI WINDMILLS

What about the Lighthouse and Windmills? We did not visit those two since it’s hard without a car. They are located in between Laoag and Pagudpud and it’s too far for tricycles from Pagudpud.

For the Lighthouse, ask the bus conductor to drop you off Burgos and take a trike from there. For the Bangui Windmills, ask to be dropped at Bangui and take a trike from there.

Mike told us that they offer a van transport from the airport to their resort for Php3000. They can stop at the lighthouse and windmills on the way.

I’ll write about Laoag on the next part.

Part 1: From Manila to Laoag
Part 2: Going to Pagudpud
Part 3: Pagudpud
Part 4: City of Laoag
Part 5: South of Laoag
Part 6: Going to Vigan from Laoag

If you have any questions/suggestions/corrections, please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks!

This is Part 2 of Touring Ilocos Without a Car series

GOING TO PAGUDPUD

Pagudpud lies on the north of Laoag. It’s pretty cold out there during the “ber” months pretty much like Baguio. From Laoag, it is a 2 hour bus ride. There are two good beaches in Pagudpud, one is Saud and the other is Blue Lagoon or what they call “Maira-ira“.

The airport is located in a town outside Laoag so when you leave the terminal, you will see some jeeps, tricycles and the Fort Ilocandia bus waiting at the parking lot. It’s up to you if you want to ride the jeep or the small tricycles (I mean really small compared to Manila trikes) going to Laoag since the fare is the same, Php40 – Php50 per head depending on how good you are at haggling.

TIP: Take the trike if you wanna go directly to your hotel. Take the jeep if you’re headed for the bus terminals at Laoag.

So after some haggling with the jeepney driver, we agreed to the Php 40 fare. If you’re accommodation is in Saud, buses going to Pagudpud will do, but if you’re staying at Kapuluan Vista Resort (like we did) which is nearer Blue Lagoon, ask the driver to drop you off the bus terminal with buses going to Cagayan or Claveria.

We took the St. Joseph bus, but there are other nicer buses out there. The fare for ordinary bus going to Pagupud is Php60 each. We didn’t mind riding an ordinary bus since the weather is already cool. Keep in mind that the last bus leaves at 6 PM. The ride going to Pagudpud takes around 2 hours, but it seems like 4 hours to me because I forgot to pee before we left. Since our flight was delayed, we didn’t have time to eat lunch so all I had was some peanuts that we bought inside the bus.

TIP: There’s a Jollibee within walking distance from the bus terminal where you can relieve yourself and grab something to eat.

Whether you’re headed for Saud beach resorts or Kapuluan Vista Resort, the bus will drop you off the highway and you have to take a 10-15 minutes tricycle ride going to your destination. The fare is around Php 40 per tricycle (not per head).

Finally, at around 5 PM we arrived at Kapuluan Vista Resort hungry and weary. Mike, the owner, was there to greet us. It’s getting dark outside so we just grab an early dinner of their fine bagnet and headed straight to our room to get some rest.

FARE BREAKDOWN:

• Jeep/Trike going to Laoag – Php40-50 per head
• Ordinary bus going to Pagudpud – Php60 per head
• Trike going to resort – Php40 per group

I’ll talk more about the place on the next part.

Part 1: From Manila to Laoag
Part 2: Going to Pagudpud
Part 3: Pagudpud
Part 4: City of Laoag
Part 5: South of Laoag
Part 6: Going to Vigan from Laoag

If you have any questions/suggestions/corrections, please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks!

On December 2007, my wife and I went on a 6-day Ilocos tour. We visited places in Laoag, Pagudpud and Vigan. We don’t know anybody there so it was a great adventure for us. I’m writing our experience to help others out there who want to visit the place but don’t know where to start, what to visit, how to get where, etc.

Our plan is to go to Pagudpud first and stay there for 2 nights then go back to Laoag for 3 more nights. It was raining pretty bad the week before we’re supposed to leave and since it’s already December, we decided not to go swimming anymore on the nice beaches of Pagudpud.

We travelled by plane (Cebu Pacific) to Laoag instead of the cheaper but 12 hour bus ride from Manila to Laoag. As many of you may experience riding Cebu Pacific, always expect that the flight would be delayed. Anyhow, we were greeted with a nice sunny weather landing in Laoag Airport.

TIP: Call your airline before you leave for the airport for schedule changes. It sucks to be stuck on the terminal for hours.

Our next order of business upon landing is to head straight to Pagudpud which is covered on the next part.

Part 1: From Manila to Laoag
Part 2: Going to Pagudpud
Part 3: Pagudpud
Part 4: City of Laoag
Part 5: South of Laoag
Part 6: Going to Vigan from Laoag

If you have any questions/suggestions/corrections, please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks!

Visiting Pagudpud does not necessarily mean that you should include three items in your itinerary such as “swim, swim and swim”. There are a lot of places that you could go to in Pagudpud aside from the beach in Barangay Saud. But before going down to the list, I suggest that you bring or hire a car or a tricycle since the points of interest are quite far from each other.

1. Visit Pagudpud Viaduct
The Pagudpud viaduct is a scenic view and it looks at its best when there is no storm.

2. Have a picnic at Aqua Grande
The idea of the picnic thing is optional though. You could just stop by there and take pictures.

3. Stop by Paraiso ni Anton
Beside the grotto is a stream nearby that is connected to Kaibigan Falls.

4. Go to Blue Lagoon and swim!
The Blue Lagoon is not yet commercialized though the view of the clear blue water is very soothing and relaxing.

5. Trek towards Kaibigan Falls
If you want to go to Kaibigan Falls, better be sure not to wear jeans because you will have to cross streams. It will be surely fun for all nature lovers.

When the Spaniards discovered that the land and climate of Ilocos is perfect for growing tobacco, they forced the people to plant only tobacco and no other crop. The sakadas were also forced to sell the tobacco leaves only to the Spanish government. This has lead to numerous resistance among the locals. There were also stories of untold abuses done by the authorities. For one hundred long years, 1781 until 1881, the tobacco monopoly existed in Ilocos. A period of dark history in Ilocandia.

It was only in 1881 when King Alfonso XII lifted the tobacco monopoly. The people of Ilocos then erected the Tobacco Monopoly Momunent as a thanksgiving to the Crown of Spain for recognizing the stuggles of the Ilocano people against the Monopoly.

The tall yet graceful monument is located right at the center of Laoag City plaza, in front of the Provincial Capitol.