Road Trip (Ilocandia)

April 26- 28, 2013.

We arrived in Vigan at 8 am and proceeded at once to our hotel to make reservations for two nights. Since most of the budget hotels within the vicinity of the Heritage Sight were fully booked, we decided to stay in Casa Teofila Lodge which was 10 minutes away from the city. It was okey,especially if you're in for a tight budget. My brother and cousin stayed in the left wing which cost P650 a night (no heater) while my husband and I (together with my 4- year old) decided to stay in a standard room which cost P850 a night, only for the heater. Checking in starts at 1 pm so we headed off to some of our itineraries for the day.


Our first stop was Vigan Bell Tower.

It was really a sight to see. It was located on top of the hill which made it a stand out at the center of the city. You wouldn't even think that this priceless treasure can be found in a crowded area. The structure was really magnificent, and the view, if you were on top of it was really breath taking.

After a few poses, we went straight to Baluarte. This was my second time to visit Baluarte and I think, its facilities deteriorated. We were a bit disappointed but still tried to make fun with what this place had in store for us. My little girl, Trisha, and her daddy rode a calesa with a little pony at the forefront. She had fun said her daddy during the ride. There were animals on the loose in the area: ostrich, deer, turkey among others.. But what really scared us was the ostrich which was fond of dealing with people. Still, this place isn't worth the long ride.

After lunch, we did check in in the hotel. We were there at 12 nn and the staff was kind enough to accomodate us secretly without additional charges. After a quick nap, we went to Cabugao Beach Resort which was 30 minutes away from Vigan City. Based on its website, it was a Class A Resort situated in a cove which made it more interesting. But the place was such a HUGE disappointment. There was nothing special about this place. We were only day trippers but the place was nothing extra ordinary! I don't think 150 per head was worth it. The beach wasn't that good, the pool was not infinity contrary to the picture that they posted in their website, and the worst part of it all, the comfort rooms were really a big YUCK. They were so smelly and the shower area itself was so dirty. The shower was full of green stuff, so we all went back to the hotel not having a decent shower after a quick swim in the pool. I do not recomment this resort at all. It was such a waste of money! Our Ilocos Sur trip wasn't fun at all. The only consolation we had in the resort was the cold wind that swept off our weariness that day.

Our first night in the hotel wasn't that bad. We were so tired to notice the noise outside since it was acoustic night every Fridays.

Our itinerary for the second day was Ilocos Norte.

We arrived at Paoay Chuch at 9:30 and I must say, this was a jaw dropping sight! Am just so thankful that this church survived for hundreds of years, I think for almost 500 years for this generation to see. The facade was its original bricks and was baroque in style. Paoay was lucky to have been blessed with such a treasure.

After which, we went to Sand Dunes. The original plan was just to take picture of it and nothing more. But as the view was unveiled before our eyes, plan was changed

We decided to ride the 4- wheel thing to have an exhilirating experience in the "desert" and this cost us P1500.We really had fun! If it weren't for Isha, we could have gone to the highest sand hills to have a sort of plunge going down. It was a fun ride for extreme adventure lovers. You can also do sand boarding for P500 and rent an Atv for P750/hour. So we didn't try them anymore. The beach was so blue and no words could ever describe how beautiful it was. They said that simultaneously, earth quake and volcanic eruption happened a long time ago that caused the water to recede, giving way to the formation of this huge desert along the coast lines of Ilocos Norte. Sand storms are also a common phenomenon in the area which result in hills of sands.




After we rested, we headed to Malacanang of the North. The place wasn't that grand at all but its location was just perfect. Behind it was the Paoay Lake which made the area so refreshing. I am not a Marcos loyalist, but a quick tour of the house and its museums made me admire him as the president. It was just so sad that we were not able to go to Batac to see his remains because it was brown out in the entire province that day so the museum in Batac was not open for public viewing.

Our next stop was Fort Ilocandia. We had a quick lunch along the way, and surprisingly, the resto that we chose was already in Laoag City. We thought Fort Ilocandia was still in Paoay. Mario's was a good place to eat especially if you have a limited budget; we did enjoy our meals though.

Fort Ilocandia was just so stunning. It's architectural design was so impressive. Imelda really had an eye for beauty. The place for sight seers was limited along the first building. The rest of the hotel was restricted from public eyes, probably to give full privacy to those who were checked in. We were informed that there's pool, driving range, golf course and others at the back. It was just sad we didn't get a chance to see them all.

So we headed back to Vigan City full of happy memories of this Ilocos Norte trip. Between Sur and Norte, a must place to visit is the North.. We only had gone to Paoay and a little of Laoag and am sure, there are still other attractions in Ilocos Norte that are worth seeing. Definitely, we will be back soon, farther up north.

Back to Vigan, we went to the Heritage Sight but according to my brother, he felt and saw nothing special in it. I actually agree with him. The whole strip of the road was full of souvenir shops and they became eye sores to those who are fascinated with sights like this. The only way that the Heritage Sight will be fully appreciated if those shops were removed or relocated elsewhere.

We ate dinner at Casa Teofila but it was too over priced with the kind of food they served especially the sinigang na baboy. Overall, Casa Teofila Lodge was nothing but okey. It certainly needs a lot of improvement in their facilities and services as well. Some staff were courteous, others were not. Even hot water had a price. If possible, better choose El Juliana if you intend to stay overnight in Vigan City. I do not recommend this hotel at all; make this a last resort.

We were on our way home on the third day. However, we got so interested with the Santiago Cove Beach Resort, so we decided to go for a quick ocular. Oh my, it was paradise. The price for day trippers was only P100 and the beach was so clear. This cove was FAR FAR better that the Cabugao Cove and the resort facilities was by far at its best. We were all regretful for not having had enough time to go for a swim in the Santiago Cove; we left with heavy hearts wanting to go back here soon.

Our three- day road trip was something to remember for the rest of our lives. There were fun- filled moments, but there were disappointments too. Anyway, the best part of the trip was, we had a great time bonding as a family.