Travel with me...Places to go to and things to try - Airsoft? Parasailing and more....: April 2008

The last stop in my Ilocandia tour is no less than, Pagudpod beach! From Vigan by road, Pagudpod is about 3 hours drive up north. (Manila to Vigan is approximatelty 10-12 hours depending on the traffic). As most say, it's the Boracay of the North, clear blue water and powdery white sand. And just like Boracay which have 3 stations, Station 1 having the finest sand, Pagupod also have it's station 1 counterpart, they call it the Blue Lagoon beach. From the main Pagudpod arc, instead of turning left to Saud beach, (Saud beach is the more popular beach area where most resorts are located) the way to blue Blue Lagoon beach is to go straight, for about another 30 minutes drive until you see the sign on your left that welcomes you to Blue Lagoon beach (there's an entrance fee of Php 20 per head). We were initially booked at the most advertised Resort in Blue Lagoon, The Kapuluan Beach Resort, but since their service wasn't as good as any booking agent should be, our booking was canceled at the last minute! Talk about poor customer service! Good thing there are other resorts nearby. Since it's Summer, most resorts were fully booked but luckily, we found ourselves staying in one of the nicest resort in the area - Hannah's Place. Incidentally, town's Mayor was also booked there, so we were neighbors for a day!

Hannah's place room rates is Php 8000 for executive family rooms (8-10 pax), Php 4200 for Deluxe family room (4-6 pax), Php 2800- 3000 for single and double rooms. Php 250 for extra bed and there are also picnic huts and sheds if you just wanted to stay for the day. There's also a mini grotto in the resort and a swimming pool was being constructed (it wasn't completed yet during our stay) As a whole, I will rate this place as 3.5 stars, 5 being the highest. I personally did not enjoy the sand in Pagudpod as I much as I did in Boracay. It must be because I was expecting too much or I just like the shores of Boracay better (now i wonder.. is Saud beach better than Blue Lagoon...? hmm..).

Welcome to Pagudpud!!

the Blue Lagoon

Hannah's Place

with Diana

Macy with her best bud, Absolute 100

wow! i love it!

A. Ferdinand E. Marcos Museum

After our Vigan trip, we were excited to explore the region and see the other wonders of the area. The following day, we woke up early since we know that we will have a busy day ahead. We head up first to the Marcos Museum. This was not really in our list of places to visit but since we are already driving around, we decided to go there anyway. It is located at Batac, Ilocos Norte. I am not a Marcos Loyalist but I was impressed with his intelligence and dedication to work after I read some of his letters displayed in the museum. Opposite this building is a mausoleum where the body of the ex-president is displayed in a glass coffin (glass-entombed). Upon entering, you will smell the scent of flowers and hear some sort of like a Gregorian chant music. I really find it Eerie. But hey, it's not like you see something like this everyday. Visitors are not allowed to take pictures inside so I only got pictures from the exhibit.

Former president Marcos' presidential table

B. Cape Bojeador Lighthouse
A must to see here in Ilocos is the famous Cape Bojeador Lighthouse. It was created in the year 1892 so it's more than 100 years old already. What amazes me is that up to this day, the lighthouse is still functional. There's also a mini- museum midway up the lighthouse tower but it was closed when we got there. Museum viewing time is from 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM only. I wish we had found out about this sooner so that we could have arrived earlier. Anyway, the view from the top of the lighthouse tower and the century old structure is already a worth it trip to this place. For those who who wish to visit the place and don't want to get too much tan, don't forget to bring sunblock!

Cape Bojeador Lighthouse

hallway leading to the lighthouse

overlooking the south china sea ( Cape Bojeador Lighthouse)

C. Malacañang of the North

This vacation house in Paoay, Ilocos Norte is where President Marcos stayed each time he visits his northern hometown province during his term, thus the name, "Malacañang of the North". It is a 2-storey house with a tennis court and a Olympic size swimming pool. After the Philippine government reclaimed ownership of the house, they opened it for public viewing. Entrance fee is PHP 20.00 for Adults and PHP 10 for kids. Take note that the place is closed for viewing during lunch time and reopens at 1:00 in the afternoon (viewing time is 9am-11:30am and 1pm-4:30pm; it is open from tuesday to sunday and is closed on monday). There is also a tour guide that you can request for free. The view from the veranda of the house is breathtaking! You can see the scenic beauty of the Paoay Lake. It has 5 guest rooms, 2 main bedrooms for Imelda and Ferdinand (they both have their own rooms), a huge dining area, a kitchen and a mini kitchen, a clinic (it is said that this is where he had his dialysis treatment during his last few years of stay here), and an office. There's also a majestic lobby at the second floor the house aside from the first floor lobby.

The Master's bedroom, which is President's Marcos' bedroom, has a large receiving area. It is located on the first floor. Imelda Marcos' room is located at the second floor, also have a receiving area, a walk-in closet and a bathroom (bathtubs are not so popular at that time yet, but Imelda has one in her bathroom already!).

the main entrance

Former President Ferdinand Marcos' study area

former president marcos' receiving area

one of the rooms on the first floor (this was the room of Imee and Irene)

the first floor lobby

staircase leading to the second floor

the second floor lobby

former fisrt lady Imelda's receiving area

a view from the veranda (at the back of the palace)

D. The Paoay Church
Another Historical landmark in the area is the Paoay church, was said to be built around 1800's and is included in as UNESCO's Heritage list. The massive post of the church makes it earth quake resistant that is why it remains one of the architectural wonder in the region. A similar Baroque style church stands in Intramuros, Manila, the San Agustin church, except that it is smaller than the Paoay Church.

A little trivia -The Paoay church bell tower that still stands today, has been said that it served as an observation post of the Filipino Guerillas during the Japanese war era.

the Paoay Church

the church on its side ( Paoay Church)

having fun!

group picture with the bell tower in the background

we had our lunch at Herencia's Cafe (home of the famous Pinakbet Pizza)

You shouldn't leave Ilocos without trying this original recipe. Yum!!

another must-try food is the Ilocos Empanada (Yummy!!)

Basi Wine, one of Ilocos' native products

group pic inside the restaurant

E. Fort Ilocandia Resort

One of the best resorts to stay-in while you are in Ilocos is of course, Fort Ilocandia. It is not a budget hotel, but if you have some money to spend, it's definitely a good experience to try. Just like most 5 star hotels, it offers convenience to all it's guests such as fine dining, sports and leisure activities, salon, spa, and fitness amenities. Aside from a swimming pool surrounded with good landscape, there's also a beach that guests can enjoy.

Fort Ilocandia Hotel

olympic-size swimming pool - Fort Ilocandia

by the poolside (one of the swimming pools in the resort)

there's a restaurant at the lobby that has a glass-bottom floor

Congresswoman Imee Marcos and Fomer 1st Lady Imelda Marcos

Fort Ilocandia hang on their walls pictures of famous personalities who had visited the resort (President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo)

oops..! warning!

F. Bangui Bay Wind Power Project

Of all the wonderful places we visited here in Ilocandia, for me, nothing beats the Bangui windmills. Never been to anything like this before. Merely the sight of the windmills from afar excites me, much more going to the shore where it actually stands! The road going to the windmills is horrible, talk about rough, dusty, rocky roads that goes up and downhill. Some visitors opted to walk instead of riding a vehicle going to the windmill shore but since me and my friends were not equipped for that long walk, we drove the car up to the shore. There are total of 15 giant windmills at this time but President GMA is expecting 5 more wind turbines to rise at Bangui wind farm to increase the energy produced for Ilocos Norte power consumers.