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laoag
2010-09-02 07:14:00 Laoag was our touch base in Project Windmills as we stopped over this city 3 times. A 'travel post mortem' is in order but may I present to you our cramped itinerary that cost us only two vacation leaves: Day 1: Cebu ? Manila ? Laoag ? Vigan Day 2: Vigan ? Batac ? Paoay ? Laoag Day 3: Laoag ? Burgos ? Bangui ? Pagudpud Day 4: Pagudpud ? Laoag ? Manila Day 5: Manila ? Cebu We started and ended our Ilocos tour with Laoag because we got promo airline tickets to and from this city. This also allowed us to cut short our travel time from Manila. Those who are riding a bus or traveling in a car would usually start with Vigan then go all the way up to Maira-ira and back, or it could also be the other way around. But we only got to roam around the city during our final day in Ilocos. When we arrived from Pagudpud in Day 4, we had extra 2 hours before our afternoon flight leaves for Manila. So what happened next was a spontaneous walking tour. We just asked directions from complete strange...
paoay
2010-09-01 03:00:00 Paoay in Ilocos Norte has an earthquake baroque church, sand dunes and a famous restaurant. But there are two more sites in this municipality that is also worth mentioning - a presidential mansion and the serene lake that it overlooks. First up is the Malacañang Ti Amianan or the Malacañang of the North. This was built in 1977 and served as one of the vacation getaways of the Marcoses. There are 9 really huge rooms in the 2-level mansion. Unfortunately, there are only a few furniture left in each room. I wonder what happened to the china, the paintings and everything else that must have been present before. Despite the absence of these, the empty hallways especially the winding staircase still whisper of the former grandeur of the place. One can only wonder as to how many powerful politicians smoked at the balcony or who were the socialites that dropped by the place or what plans were forged in the late strongman's bedroom. If only the walls and the capiz-adorned windows could...
vigan
2010-08-24 18:59:00 Vigan's history can be traced all the way back to 1758, when the Seat of Nueva Segovia was transferred from Lal-lo, Cagayan to the already flourishing Spanish settlement. As a result, the Ciudad Fernandina de Vigan was established by virtue of a Royal Decree issued by King Fernando VI of Spain. Vigan then became the center of all activities in Northern Philippines. More than 2 centuries later, this small city has indeed lived up to its rich heritage. It was rightfully inscribed to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1999 for satisfying the following criteria: Criterion (ii): Vigan represents a unique fusion of Asian building design and construction with European colonial architecture and planning. Criterion (iv): Vigan is an exceptionally intact and well preserved example of a European trading town in East and South-East Asia. Although most would associate Vigan with Calle Crisologo, a narrow cobblestone street lined with Spanish period houses, there is more to Vigan than ...
villa angela
2010-07-24 07:52:00 Villa Angela was built in 1873 by the spouses Don Agapito Florendo y Bonifacio, who was a gobernadorcillo of La Ciudad Fernandina (Vigan) in 1859, and Doña Maria Villanueva. Four generations later, the present day owners restored, preserved and used this heritage house primarily as a repository of their family relics and memorabilia. It is only in recent times that the Versoza family opened the place for visitors who want to experience staying in a century old house that also has basic modern-day hotel amenities. The interiors have the look of a typical Spanish-period house ? wooden floor planks, spacious corridors, high ceilings, hardwood furniture, and windows adorned with Capiz shells. Its smell reminded me of my mom?s smaller ancestral home in Misamis Occidental. But compared to Villa Angela, it is unfortunately losing the battle against time and the elements. We stayed at Cuarto de las Hijas, an air-conditioned room huge enough to accommodate more than four travellers from C...
saramsam café
2010-07-23 08:37:00 The ?saramsam? in Saramsam Cafe is actually an Ilocano word that means ?informal and constant dining or suggesting a fun atmosphere of friends getting together to eat.? This restaurant is known for its traditional and fusion Ilocano recipes at prices that would give other local fastfood chains a run for their money. It was a beautiful coincidence that we stayed at Balay da Blas for Day 2 of Project Windmills. Mr. Sammy Blas actually owns both this restaurant and the said pension house. The menu was available at the front desk so we just called in our orders before we rode a trike for Saramsam. We got the Lauya a Baka (Php165.00) for our soup. It is primarily composed of meaty beef bones tossed with potatoes and cabbage and then delicately soured with tomatoes. Since Insarabsab was not available that evening, we chose Pork Chop Adobo (Php 155.00) instead. It tasted like a good adobo to me but the meat lacked the tenderness that I expected. We got the Nalengta nga Ikan (Php1...
herencia cafe
2010-07-21 17:41:00 It is impossible to miss Herencia Cafe in Paoay, Ilocos Norte. For one, it is the only restaurant right across the Church of San Agustin (or more popularly known as the Paoay Church), which is one of the four Baroque Philippine Churches identified as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Because this edible landmark has given Ilocos the Pinakbet Pizza and many other fusion recipes, it has also become an Ilocano establishment synonymous with good food. You can ask anyone from or who has been to Ilocos, and the restaurant would almost always be suggested as an important destination. This became our first stopover in Day 2 of Project Windmills. We were supposed to head first for Batac after Vigan. But since we took extra time in shopping for pasalubongs at Calle Crisologo, we arrived at the highway intersection an hour behind our schedule. The Marcos Mausoleum closes during lunchtime that is why our itinerary was adjusted accordingly. The Bagnet (deep fried pork belly cuts) coul...
la preciosa
2010-07-20 18:41:00 It is said that the ?puqui-puqui? dish originated in La Preciosa, an unimposing restaurant along Rizal St. in Laoag City in Northern Philippines. The dish may sound scandalous elsewhere in the country, but in the Ilocos region, it is just a delightful toss-up of grilled or steamed eggplant, boiled eggs, onions, tomatoes and fish sauce. It was never named after a female body organ. The term is actually Polynesian in origin and describes a process for sautéing anything with meat. Since we have already tasted puqui-puqui at Herencia Cafe in Paoay, we did not order the eggplant omelette for what would have been our last full meal in Ilocos. We picked other authentic Ilocano dishes instead. There were just too many ?best-sellers? in the menu but our waiter that lunch time was patient enough with our curiosities. After taking our orders, he even gave us a quick tour around the restaurant. The Crispy Dinardaraan (Php145) is dinuguan (a dish composed of pig entrails and blood) with a we...
Visit Pagudpud Ilocos
2008-05-07 03:17:00 I have been in Pagudpud around 3x times already and I really enjoyed each trip. As a matter of fact a couple of people already asked me to give them travel tips for their upcoming vacation to Pagudpud and Ilocos Norte. Pagudpud is such a nice place for family vacation because of its white-sand beaches and crystal-blue water. Pagudpud is considered to be haven for tourists due to Maira-Ira Point with its secluded beach known as the Blue Lagoon. The place is accessible. Coconut trees line much of the town's coast. Indeed Batanes Islands are visible from Patapat National Park when it is clear day. Also from the town proper is Pasaleng Bay, which offers wide and pristine beaches backed by mountains with breathtaking waterfalls Kabigan and Mabaga, along with the many cool, refreshing springs waiting to be discovered within.
By: Around the Globe
Eating our way through Ilocos
2008-03-14 00:44:00 Our lunch spread in Saud beach: kilawin, grilled eggplant, bagnet and grilled fishThe culinary delights in the Ilocos region were plentiful! Prior to our trip, I made a mental checklist of food to try while there: bagnet, the local empanada, royal bibingka, dinendeng, poqui-poqui, miki & gipang, pakbet and pakbet pizza. And so true to my travel form, I set off with wide-eyed and eager, with an
Ilocos Norte road trip: the destinations
2008-03-12 11:35:00 I don't know if I mentioned this before on my blog, so most of you may not know this but I have a thing for lighthouses. Back in 2002, an old friend of mine sent me a lighthouse calendar which I've kept because I love to look through the pictures every now and then. They are beacons yes, but also symbols of perseverance and self-sacrifice. But I think the attraction for me is it's connection to
Discovering the wonders of Ilocos Norte in the Philippines
2008-03-05 13:01:00 Ilocos Norte is more than white beaches and centuries-old churches. Old-time tourists used to say that when you’ve seen Pagudpud beach and Paoay Church, you’ve seen them all. Pagudpud beach, as all tourists probably know, is the home of the white sand beach which had been an all-time favorite spot of frolickers in the North. The ...
Photoholic 08 - Ilocos Heritage Tour (Take 3)
2008-01-23 21:15:00 Travel Factor inivites you to PHOTOHOLIC ‘08: ILOCOS HERITAGE TOUR (Take 3)March 15 - 17, 2008 This is Travel Factor’s 3 Days 2 Nights Photography Tour of Vigan, Laoag, and Pagudpud. Photoholic trip is open to all photographers at any skill level with any kind of camera; film or digital (point&shoot and even camera phone users are welcome). Open also to ...
Paradise Philippines AVP
2007-08-01 17:32:00 Check out the Paradise Philippines tourism AVP by clicking here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aNdAg90r2cE Enjoy Paradise Philippines
Vigan: The Old World Charm Of Ilocos
2007-05-31 03:04:00 by: John Grant Going to the province of Ilocos is like treading back in time. Not only for the Spanish colonial houses, but for the simple, laid-back feel of the towns and its people. In old times, Ilocandia has been described as a God-forsaken land because of its arid and difficult terrain. But the hardy people of ...
More great stopovers in Ilocos
2007-03-13 16:23:00 It was time for our drive down south to Baguio City. It was a leisurely drive from Pagudpud to Laoag since there were just a few vehicles on the road.We would have stopped by Bacarra to check out their church, a national cultural treasure, which is known for its gargantuan bell tower. But since we had a long list of churches to visit today, and since I been there already, we decided to skip it and head straight to San Nicolas, just a few kilometers from Laoag.But before that, we stopped over at the Museo Ilocos Norte so that Jiajin could take a look. At the same time, I needed to take a photo of it for the 2008 HCS Calendar which will feature examples of adaptive reuse. The museum, housed in what was formerly the Tabacalera Building, won the Gawad Alab ng Haraya for Outstanding Cultural Conservation Program (Adaptive Reuse) in 2002.The San Nicolas town proper has a good collection of colonial buildings including the church and convento, municipal hall and elementary school. We stopp...
By: Ivan About Town
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