We were about to find out where our tired yet exhilarated bodies were going to get a night’s rest in Ilocos Norte. The organizers announced they were splitting the group in two, each staying at different hotels. As soon as I heard one was going to be P

Visiting the Malacanang of the North and teeing off at Paoay Golf Course are not the only worthwhile things to do in Paoay Lake, Ilocos Norte. After breakfast at the scenic lake shore courtyard of Malacanang of the North, we discovered Paoay Lake was a

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 r

La Tabacalera is a new dining and lifestyle center in Laoag, the capital city of Ilocos Norte. There were a handful of food and retail shops open during our visit. We spent dinner and the rest of the evening hanging out at La Tabacalera. I get excited

Stop over at the Empanada and Mami stalls in Batac. I didn’t know about it during my first visit and to think this was just within the town center of Batac. Glory’s Empanada  was super yummy and so was the Mami at Mami Bel’s Noodle Stall.  After the fu

Ilocos Norte is already known for the La Paz Sand Dunes in, the capital city, Laoag. I was psyched after the announcement on the Lakbay Norte bus that we’ll be passing by the Paoay Sand Dunes after our visit from Paoay Lake. First of all, I was surpris

I couldn’t contain a sudden gasp of excitement when I found out we were suring in Pagudpud during Lakbay Norte. Getting drawn into surfing culture thanks to movies like “Surfer Dude,” “Blue Crush,” and “Into the Blue” convinced me (and I know most peop

We were on our way to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. From the moment of wake on the long bus ride, I had been eagerly awaiting the final uphill road and sharp bend that would take us to the Blue Lagoon, a place I’ve been craving see under excellent weather. I

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 Lakba

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