It was my first morning in Vigan. I spent the night at Vigan Hotel, an old Spanish-colonial house turned budget hotel.

Awakened to a bright sunny sky. Normally, I’d be really happy to be greeted by blue skies but I was a bit disappointed. I was hoping to take dawn shots of Calle Crisologo.

I wanted to go there when it was still dark and witness the sunrise slowly light up the houses … complete with the sensory experience of the soft twilight colors and the crowing of roosters and all. Oh well, I still had the next morning to try it.

I planned a full day to explore the heritage structures in Vigan. It all started with a fulfilling breakfast at the Vigan Empanadaan.

Morning view of Vigan Hotel

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It’s the seventh day on my trip across Northern Luzon and I’ve arrived in the World Heritage City of Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

Vigan is one of those places that immediately enters my mind whenever I think about “Traveling in the Philippines.”

It’s the pinnacle of Spanish-colonial heritage tourism in the country. In my opinion, there are grander structures elsewhere but there’s no other place in the Philippines where a considerable part of the city still has its old structures intact.

Walking along the cobblestone streets of Vigan’s Calle Crisologo have long been a dream of mine. A wish come true for me!

Ilocos Sur Tourism Information Center, my first stop in Vigan

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The Malacanang of the North built at the shores of the Paoay Lake was one of my major destinations in Ilocos Norte.

I spent half a day for this trip since it was a bit out of the way. The experience was well worth the effort though.

Commuting to Paoay Lake took a while. Most tourists visiting the Malacañang of the North usually have their own ride or rent a tricycle / van from Laoag.

I didn’t have that kind of luxury. The locals pointed me to a jeepney stop located near the approach of the Marcos Bridge. It was just a short walk past McDo.

A full jeepney had just left. The next one waited a loooong hour before leaving. It seems I’d have some commuting problems because of scarce transportation options.

View of the Marcos Bridge while waiting for the jeepney to leave.

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Ilocos Norte is one of the places I wouldn’t dare leave without attempting a church hopping tour across its historic townscapes.

I had a couple of hours left before sundown.

Having just visited the grand Paoay Church, I decided to stop by Batac and San Nicolas on my way to Laoag. Then go a little further north to the town of Bacarra.

It was really refreshing to see, not only the old churches, but also a couple of surrounding structures still standing. They truly are a testimony of the Ilocos Norte’s rich Spanish-colonial heritage.

Laoag Metropolitan Cathedral basking in the afternoon light

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If I were living in Manila and had a sudden urge to endure an butt numbing 8-hour bus, I could have already visited the Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte … sadly it wasn’t the case.

The most convenient way from Iloilo, my hometown, to this iconic church is to take a flight to Manila and another flight to Laoag City. From Laoag, it’s just 30 minutes by land to the Paoay Church.

It’s so cool to be so far away from home and have the chance to visit the Paoay Church alongside many attractions of Ilocos Norte … especially because I didn’t exactly take the most convenient route :)

Paoay Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

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I was already halfway on my trip around Northern Luzon.

Even though it was nighttime and I still hadn’t found a place to stay for the night, arriving safely in Laoag City was such a relief.

Two hours prior, I risked a solo visit to the Kapurpurawan White Rock. Luckily, I encountered a traveling couple and hitched a ride back to the highway.

From there, it was just an hour ride to Laoag, the capital city of Ilocos Norte. Back to civilization!

Laoag Provincial Capitol at night

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The Kaurpurawan White Rock kinda resembled a dragon. While taking pictures, there were some interesting formations that looked like body parts of the dragon scattered around.

Maybe its was the long lonely walk that had lit my imagination aflame. I was nevertheless inspired to make a photo series out of it.

The Kapurpurawan White Rock is located in Burgos, Ilocos Norte. It’s usually included in the tour, which covers other attractions in the area such as the Bangui Windmills and the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse.

Since I didn’t go on one of these tours and found no passing tricycles to take me to the Kapurpurawan Rock. I had to walk 45 minutes from the highway to the coast to see this beautiful monster.

Dragon’s Lair

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Visiting the Callao Cave was numero uno in my list of things to do in Cagayan Province. What makes this cave special is the presence of a chapel established right within one of its spacious caverns.

I’ve drooled over photos of the Callao Cave far too many times. Now was my chance to take some of my own.

I’ve always imagined myself setting up my tripod and camera in this dimly lit misty cave … capturing the dramatic skylight shining down on the chapel altar and benches.

A problem emerged because me and Eric didn’t exactly know how to get there. The commuting tips I’ve read online haven’t been very straightforward. Plus … we arrived in Tuguegarao from Tumauini at around 2PM. Even if we could find a way to get to the Callao Caves, I was worried we might have some difficulty catching a ride back to the city.

Pathway to Callao Cave

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Braving the punishing midday heat of the Cagayan Valley, me and Eric went on a short side trip to Isabela Province. I did some googling and found a couple of places in Isabela I’d love to visit.

When Eric told me we were going to Tumauini to visit its church, it drew a big question mark on my mind. It wasn’t one of the places I’ve pinned down.

I didn’t remember reading about the Tumauini Church or seeing its photos online. All I know about Isabela was that its capital, Cauayan City, was 2-3 hours away from Tuguegarao by land and that it was famous for infrastructures such as the Magat Dam, one of the largest dams in the Philippines.

Our destination, Tumauini, located a few towns past the boundary of Cagayan Province, was only 45 minutes away from Tuguegarao.

Scenery along the highway from Tuguegarao City, Cagayan Province to Tumauini, Isabela

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The Buntun Bridge is often overlooked by tourists visiting Tuguegarao City in Cagayan Province.

I agree that it’s no feat of human engineering (even in its time of completion) but I was somehow drawn to it.

I was scouting for locations to take sunset photos in Tuguegarao. The mighty Cagayan River, the longest and largest river in the Philippines, was an easy candidate.

There was no better and more convenient way to take photos of the Cagayan River than from the Buntun Bridge located at the western edge of Tuguegarao City.

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