Ambot ah! Travel Blog

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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The Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Piat is one of 12 minor basilicas in the Philippines. It is distinguished as the home to the venerated Black Virgin Mary.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Piat is located in the town of Piat, which is 30 minutes away by land from Tuguegarao City, Cagayan Province.

This pilgrimage site attracts a large number of devotees especially on July 1 and 2 when the feast of Nuestra Señora de Piat is celebrated.

The first thing I noticed that was different about the Basilica of Our Lady of Piat was its entrance arch. It was located at the back of the church. You’d have to go around from the entrance to see the the church facade.

Basilica of Our Lady entrance arch

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Visiting Tuguegarao City and Cagayan Province wasn’t originally part of my Northern Luzon DIY tour. Good thing Eric told me about his plan to visit Tuguegarao.

I fired up Google Maps and included it in what would be longest road trip ever spanning at least 700 kilometers along the national highway.

I planned to encircle the northern cape of Luzon Island. Starting from Tuguegarao … then continuing my journey northwards to Pagudpud, westwards to Laoag, southwards to Vigan, and finally taking a stop in Baguio before returning to Manila.

Tuguegarao Metropolitan Cathedral

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