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One dandy Wednesday morning, me and the Lakbay Norte gang had breakfast in Malacañang. Not quite “Malacañang Palace,” the official residence of the President of the Philippines. Neither did we get the privilege to dine with the President himself. I’m referring to Malacañang of the North, the lakeside estate in the charming town of Paoay, Ilocos Norte.
Main entrance of Malacanang of the North
I had just returned to my empty hostel room in a small town in Southern Palawan when I got a call from the North Philippines Visitors Bureau. They broke the news that I was chosen as one of the lucky travel bloggers joining the 3rd edition of the Lakbay Norte media tour. I was overwhelmed with excitement but I had to keep it to myself … I was traveling solo and there wasn’t anyone around that could relate anyways. The timing couldn’t have been better. It was the perfect way to kick-start my 2012 season of traveling.
I found out later when I got the chance to go online that I was going to be stuck with five other amazing travel bloggers on the Lakbay Norte 3 tour … that’s 8 whole days across 11 provinces in North Philippines! I almost fainted at the thought of traveling with Gael from thepinaysolobackpacker, Ed from soloflighted, James from journeyingjames, Angel from lakwatsero, and Christian from lakad-pilipinas.
Photo-op with the Lakbay Norte 3 Bus at Patapat Viaduct in Pagdupud, Ilocos Norte. Photo taken by Gael.
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.
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
Here is the itinerary during my do-it-yourself (DIY) tour of Ilocos Norte for 4 days. My major destinations in Ilocos Norte were Pagudpud, Laoag City, and Paoay.
My first stop was Pagudpud, located at the northernmost tip of Luzon Island. To get there, I took the long bus commute from Tuguegarao City in Cagayan Province.
I arrived at around mid-morning and spent the rest of the day going to a couple of spots in town like the Patapat Viaduct, Kabigan Falls, Blue Lagoon, and Saud Beach.
On the second day, I decided to do a commuting tour of the Bangui Windmills, Kapurpurawan White Rock, and Cape Bojeador Lighthouse on my way down to Laoag, the capital city of Ilocos Norte. I spent two nights in Laoag while taking day trips to the beautiful churches of Paoay, Sarrat, and Bacarra.
I made sure to visit the Malacanang of the North at Paoay Lake before moving further south to the heritage city of Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
My Ilocos Norte Itinerary, a Day DIY Tour of Pagudpud, Laoag, and Paoay
Last year, I went on the most butt numbing trip of my life. The experience was quite rigorous yet the rewards of visiting some of the most alluring places I’ve ever visited were also very gratifying.
It all started smoothly enough when I flew to Tuguegarao City, Cagayan Province from Manila.
It was very exciting for me since it was my first time to visit the northernmost parts of Luzon.
As mentioned earlier, I’ve been AFK (away from keyboard) for a while now. It’s still a busy month of traveling for me. Since I started blogging, it has always been my goal to live the lifestyle of other travel bloggers. To be able to travel extensively and frequently for longer periods of time. If feel really lucky that I’m already starting to live that kind of life and thankful to everyone who continues to visit my blogs and leave comments, which fuels my passion to continue blogging. Here’s a quick rundown of places I’ve traveled to since my last post.
Taken at Kuala Lumpur International Airport just before the return flight from our Singapore – Malaysia trip at the end of September. It took multiple shots … but I still couldn’t keep my eyes open for the shot since I was already so tired.
In the Philippine Ilonggo dialect, ambot ah literally means "I don't know." After graduating in college, I decided to hold off pursuing my profession and embarked on a free spirited journey of adventure and self-discovery. My travels have led me to many places across the Philippine Islands and South East Asia. I don't know where this path will take me but I'm certain I'll get a lifetime of stories out of it.
