To kick start our summer, my boyfriend, sister, and I unanimously decided to visit one of the top holiday destinations in the Philippines, the culture-rich but budget-friendly Ilocos. What’s not to love? You can find pristine beaches, 4x4 rides, heritage sites and natural wonders all in one place.
Ilocos is divided into two independent provinces: Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. Pagudpud and Laoag are in Ilocos Norte while Vigan is in Ilocos Sur. We started with Pagudpud since it’s the farthest. The last day is for the nearest which is Vigan.
Bus Ride
We boarded an air-conditioned Florida bus in Espana for Php 700.00 each. We wanted a sleeper/deluxe bus but the trip is scheduled at 10pm.
The trip lasted for almost 11 hrs. and had 3 stopovers: Tarlac, La Union, and Laoag. From the bus terminal in Pagudpud, we rode a tricycle to our accommodation in Saud where cheap homestays can be found.
7:15 PM – Departure from Manila
5:49 AM – Arrival in Pagudpud
You’ll find a lot of homestays in Pagudpud because of a program headed by the Department of Tourism called “The Homestay Program.” The DOT has accredited more than 35 homestay facilities in Pagudpud including our accommodation, Juanita Uddon’s Homestay. We stayed at the air-conditioned room for a night @ Php 350.00 per person. It may seem expensive for a homestay but it’s considered cheap in Pagudpud. Saud Beach and Polaris Beach Resort are just a few minutes walk away from the homestay.
The facade of Juanita Uddon's Homestay
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| Tita Juanita prepared free Tupig and hot chocolate for us. |
The air-conditioned room is clean & cozy.
The spic-and-span restroom
Itinerary
We had breakfast at Polaris Beach Resort which is just a short walk from the homestay. We’re supposed to eat at the carinderias outside the resort had it not been jam-packed with tourists and flies. Entrance fee is Php 20.00 per head.
The restaurant at Polaris beach resort
The restaurant's menu
The three of us enjoying our hearty breakfast.
Since we’re a small group, we availed of the tricycle North and South Bound Tours which are popular in Pagudpud. These are also regulated by the Department of Tourism (DOT) with prices starting from Php 800.00. A maximum of 3 persons can ride the tricycle but it wasn’t a comfortable ride for us. The seat outside has no cover so we had to cram ourselves inside the tricycle. Unfortunately, all tricycles in Pagudpud are like that. Hope DOT could fix this.
Kuya Marlon is our driver/tour guide/photographer. He’s very sociable and accommodating. :) (All the locals in Pagudpud are, btw.) You can reach him @ 09302845897.
Kuya Marlon drove us from Juanita Uddon to the drop-off point going to Cape Bojeador Lighthouse and Kapurpurawan Rock Formation. There are tricycles specifically designated for these 2 destinations so Kuya Marlon had to turn us over to another tricycle. We paid Php 300.00 for the ride to Cape Bojeador Lighthouse and Kapurpurawan Rock Formation and Php 900.00 for the rest of the spots.
First destination for our South Bound Tour is Cape Bojeador Lighthouse. The lighthouse was first lit in 1892 and is one of the tallest lighthouses in the Philippines. It's not possible to enter the lighthouse anymore so we just took pictures at the facade. It was a far drive, though. Had we known that it’s closed, we could have used the time to visit other tourist spots.
The facade of Cape Bojeador Lighthouse
There's also a museum inside the lighthouse.
My boyfriend and I posing in front of the Lighthouse Marker.
The lighthouse is set majestically on a hill overlooking the South China Sea. Or should I say West Philippine Sea? :)
Next destination is the breathtaking Kapurpurawan Rock Formation which is located at the coast of Burgos, Ilocos Norte. Kapurpurawan is an Ilocano word that means kaputi-putian(whiteness) in Tagalog. Kapurpurawan Rocks are rock formations created by forces of the ocean on the rocky coast of Burgos. It’s advisable to visit the place early morning or late afternoon as you have to walk under the scorching heat of the sun to reach the rock formation which is approximately 3 kms. from the main highway. We paid Php 40.00 for the environmental fee.
The pearly white Kapurpurawan Rock Formation
My sister and I posing in front of the Rock Formation.
Since the area within the Rock formation has been sealed off for preservation, we went further and posed at the other rock formations.
This statue along the trail to the rock formations depicts Biag ni Lam-ang, an Ilocano epic poem.
The wind farm in Bangui is considered the biggest in Southeast Asia and provides 40% of the power requirements of Ilocos Norte.
The wind farm consists of 24 windmills facing the West Philippine Sea.
Us, goofing around. :)
After lunch, we headed to Kabigan Falls for our North Tour. We paid Php 10.00 each for the entrance fee and Php 100.00 for the tour guide who trekked with us all the way to the falls for 30 minutes. The scene was awe-inspiring but we didn't swim since we’ll be heading to Saud beach after. There are merienda stations along the way so you wouldn’t be parched and famished. :)
The Kabigan Waterfalls stands 67-feet-tall.
The long hike was worth it! :)
We’re frazzled already from the trip and trek that we crossed out the remaining destinations of the North Bound Tour. The tourist spots in Pagudpud are far from each other. :/ We asked Kuya Marlon to drive us home to Saud so we can catch the sunset.
We rested for a while before hitting the beach. The entrance fee to Saud Beach is Php 50.00 per person. It's open until 8pm only.There are no lights in the beach so expect to grope in the dark as soon as 6pm.
The coconut lined and white sandy beach of Saud
Sunset at Saud Beach.
For dinner, we were supposed to eat at Tartaruga Hotel and Restaurant which is near the homestay. It was closing already when we got there so we ate again at Polaris beach resort. The eating places within the area are quite scarce.
After a sumptuous meal, we then headed back to the homestay to rest. We'll be needing all the energy we can get for our second day in Laoag. :)
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