A&D Travels - Ilocos Vacation Part 3 - Laoag and Vigan Tour and Our Last Day!

3rd day of our Ilocos Vacation! We woke up later than usual, we were a bit tired na haha. Again BOS and I took turns with our breakfast and kids. Good thing I brought cereals like Koko Krunch and fresh milk (our room has a mini ref) and plastic containers so they can eat in the car. This was our last day of tours! We went around Laoag City's famous landmarks and tourist spots before heading to Vigan for lunch.  

We stopped by Laoag Sand Dunes which our tour guide said to be the best sand dunes. R was bugging us to do another round of this, we said if we have time in the afternoon, we'll come back. But we weren't able to. Sorry R, we'll come back again to Ilocos!

We went to the plaza near Laoag City Hall, took photos then walked to the Laoag Sinking Bell Tower.

This is the Laoag Sinking Bell Tower, one of the famous local landmarks in Laoag. It is said to be sinking into the ground at a rate of an inch a year. We took a few photos and left to see Malacañang of the North and Paoay Church, also one of the famous tourist spots in Ilocos Norte.

We had a quick tour of the Malacañang of the North. I've been here twice, this was my 3rd time already. It's pretty much the same and it is well kept. They have clean rest rooms! We took a few photos, walked around then left na din for Paoay Church.

Paoay Church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's also a Baroque style church. I haven't been to many churches in the Philippines but this is one of my favorites from the ones I've seen and been to.

This is what it looks like inside.

These are famous buttresses found at the sides of the church. Paoay Church was declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the Philippine government in 1973.

After Paoay Church, we went to Baluarte ni Chavit. I didn't take photos anymore. It used to be so much nicer and well maintained. I don't think it is now... you can skip this from your tour, you won't be missing anything.

After Baluarte, we traveled for another hour to Vigan which is one of my favorite places in Ilocos. Old houses, old world charm, it's so rich in history and culture. We had lunch first at the Hidden Garden of Vigan, I also didn't put out my camera because I was saving my battery for later. Their bagnet was really good! After our filling lunch, we went on a Kalesa Tour around Calle Crisologo and the nearby museums. I forgot how much the Kalesa ride was, the rate was on a per hour basis.

Our first stop was the Provincial Jail of Ilocos Sur turned into an art center! This center is fairly new, it's clean and nice.

I can't imagine this used to be a prison jail. They turned it into a beautiful art center.

We also visited the Paburnayan and took silly photos. We didn't try making a jar anymore because it was just too hot that day.

We also visited the Crisologo Museum and passed by Syquia Mansion. I think it's nicer to tour around Vigan on foot. I wanted the kids to experience riding the kalesa that's why I opted for the tour. 

After the tour, we were so tired already that we went back home to our hotel in Laoag na and didn't get the chance to walk around Calle Crisologo anymore. I felt bad for not being able to go because I wanted to check out pasalubongs and Inabel... SO we went back the next day! After checking out at Vybe Hotel, we went straight to Vigan for lunch. We had lunch at Cafe Leona, which by the way, is very dirty. I'm so sad and disappointed how these establishments are not maintained given that they're a tourist spot. Are they maintaining that "old" feel because I felt that certainly but I don't know... Cafe Leona is one of the most recommended restaurants but it's really nothing special anymore. That or maybe we've had so much bagnet and pinakbet for the last three days that it didn't excite us anymore. Too bad I wasn't able to eat any kind of Ilocano empanada!

I was able to buy Inabel blankets and pillow cases! So happy but we haven't used them til now. Haha!

Our last stop before finally driving back home to Manila was the famous steel Quirino Bridge of Banaoang in Ilocos Sur which connects the towns of Santa and Bantay. The bridge spreads across the Abra River. This Old Quirino Bridge now serves as a tourist spot and a backup bridge. Cars can still pass this bridge however a new Quirino Bridge was built in 2007 and officially opened for vehicles in 2009. Pwedeng-pwede mag OOTD, family picture, jump shot dito! 

 This is the new Quirino Bridge. We passed this bridge going to Laoag but it was night time and we're probably asleep.

View from the Quirino Bridge. I was so scared I would drop my camera to the river because it was so windy! I wonder what's there at the end of the river.

And why on this angle, the water is green?? Haha! Final view before we left.

I couldn't leave Ilocos without buying pasalubong! I was able to buy bagnet and lots of chichirya from a pasalubong place at the highway. But my friend from Tuguegarao told me to check out Marsha's Delicacies for pasalubong and so we did! Mabilis ako kausap haha!

I got their Royal Bibingka, some chichacorn, and whatever I found yummy on their menu. Love the royal bibingka! Brought the royal bibingka to the Common Room Pop-Up the next day.

Our 3rd and 4th day was not as fun as the first two days. I think because it was so hot I didn't want to move so much. The heat made me tired, does that make sense? Haha! But it was still one of the most memorable family trips ever!!!

This pretty much where our trip ended. Kids were tired from the trip, kami din ni BOS. We had dinner at KFC in NLEX before finally heading home. 

You can read about Part 1 and 2 here and here. All about our hotel and tour is on the Part 1 of the blog. And if you have any questions, just send me an email at applesanddumplings@gmail.com! 

A&D Travels: Ilocos Vacation Part 2 - Pagudpud Tour, Patapat Viaduct, Bangui Windmills, Kapurparawan Rock Formation and More!

Second day in Ilocos! You can read about our first day here. And as I've mentioned in my previous post, I booked the tours thru our hotel. A tour guide was with us for this day and the next day. It was a jam packed day for us. Ganun talaga if you book tours, maybe next time we can DIY our tour na din. The problem with traveling with kids, schedules aren't always followed. Haha! I knew I have to be the one wake them up, feed them, change their clothes and fix our things for the day. So, I woke up extra early so I can eat breakfast peacefully at Cafe Bonita. Ha!

Love the interior in Cafe Bonita. BOS and I took turns who to eat first in the morning. We had plated breakfast with brewed coffee. We had beef tapa, longganisa and another one I forgot. All of them were served with egg and rice.

For the kids' food, I usually asked the staff of Cafe Bonita to serve it a take away box because my kids eat really slow. So they usually eat in the car, I also bring cereals and milk on our every trip because my kids are really picky and I want to make sure they have a full stomach in the morning.

We went on a Pagudpud Tour on the second day, it was a jampacked day! Pagudpud is about 2 hours away from Laoag. It's a challenge to keep my kids entertained especially on a moving car. We didn't bring any iPad on this trip but I gave Y my Vivitar lomo camera to use. That kept her entertained but as for R, his toys weren't enough to entertain him. Mommies, do you have tips?

Our first top was the Patapat Viaduct. This has got to be one of the most photographed places in Ilocos Norte!

From Wikipedia: The bridge is elevated 31 meters over sea level. It is a concrete coastal bridge 1.3 km long and connects the Maharlika Highway from Ilocos Region to Cagayan Valley. The viaduct was constructed by Hanil Development Co. Ltd. under the overall management of DPWH-PMO-PJHK and was completed and opened to traffic in October 1986. It rises along the town's coastal mountains, which is the starting point of the Cordillera Mountain Range that snakes through Northern Luzon. It is the 4th longest bridge in the Philippines.

We just had to have a photo taken in the middle of (an empty) Patapat Viaduct! Thank you again Kuya Darius!

Our next stop was Blue Lagoon in Pagudpud Beach. It was far from the Pagudpud I saw the first time 7 years ago, it's so crowded now with different resorts and activities. I don't know if it's just me getting older (or the introvert in me) but I prefer less crowded places and traveling on off peak season. Seeing the crowd, our tour guide suggested to go to another resort on the other side of Pagudpud na lang but first suggested we try the zipline in Hannah's Beach Resort. Of course I said yes! Andun na din kami so why not?! Make memories with the kids, right? Haha! This has been one the most eventful trips we've had, a lot of firsts for us as a family too!

We went to Hannah's to pay for the activity, I think it was Php900 per person plus a kid rate of Php350 per kid (ages 2-6 years old). They have a different rate if you want to do the "superman". You can check the rates here. We geared up then rode their L300 van up to the zipline's starting point while our van waited for us at the resort. Hannah's Zipline is reported to be the longest zipline over water in the world! It's 1.2 kilometers long! This mommas was excited to ride the zipline!

This is the view from the starting deck of the zipline. It was quite high and I was worried my kids would change their mind but fortunately they didn't haha! Expect the unexpected na lang sila. LOL!

Y rode with her papa while R rode with me. Thrilling experience! Y almost cried again, BOS had to distract her when it was their turn. They sell souvenir photos and we bought them too! Must remember to put them on a photo album or frame them!

On our way out, we made a pitsop at Bantay Abot Cave. Bantay Abot means "a mountain with a hole", the hole was a result from an earthquake in the 80's. Going to the cave is a bit tricky especially with kids, make sure they're wearing shoes and hold them as it is rocky. We went down from the main road to get to the cave, there are little girls there that will serve as your guide. Our guide was Rosalyn, a 9-year old girl who also offered to take our photos. She knew how to work my camera better than me! Haha! I gave her P100 tip after the tour.

So pretty!

Extra careful when going up, it's rocky and a bit steep.

Pa-effect ni Ate Rosalyn! Haha! So nice, parang Meteor Garden lang. Heehee! To get this photo, we had to climb that big stone/rock. Again, I have to emphasize, you need to be extra careful especially with little kids and your cellphone too!

This is the view from where we were standing on the above photo.

And this was view on our right. We were literally beside a cliff.
Thank you again Rosalyn for taking our photos and taking good care of my camera! :)

After Bantay Abot Cave was lunch at Saud Beach. Our tour guide took us to Evangeline's Beach Resort. It was not as crowded which I liked and the kids had the beach all to themselves. We had lunch at Emohruo Beach Restobar. We had seafood and chicken for the kids. Food was just okay, maybe that's why I almost forgot the name of the resort. Haha! Buti na lang andyan si BOS, he has a better memory than me. Haha! Are you like that too? 

The view was great though! Kids played in the sand and we swam for a bit after lunch. It was so hot that day but I was also grateful for the good weather too.

Our next stop was a spontaneous one, our tour guide is a trail runner and she had a run at Caunayan and remembered the awesome view so she took us there. We climb up a small hill and WOW, the view was spectacular! It is a perfect spot for watching the sunset! It is overlooking the West Philippine Sea. You have to be there and see it for yourself! I was in awe of how beautiful Ilocos and mother nature is. I just had to stand there and take it all in, no photo or video will ever do justice on how beautiful our country is. I said this and will say again, this is one of the most memorable trips we had!

You can see the windmills from here!

Next stop: Bangui Windmills! By the time we arrived at Bangui, the kids were sleeping already. Too bad, I wanted them to see the turbines up close pa naman. They still did naman at Kapurparawan but it's nice to see the turbines in one line facing the sea. We took photos, bought some souvenirs then went to another next destination!

There are 20 turbines at the 9-kilometer shoreline of Bangui Bay, facing the West Philippine Sea. Big magnificent turbines, each capable of producing electricity up to a maximum capacity of 1.65 MW, for a total of 24.75 MW (from Wikipedia).

Our second to the last destination was the Kapurparawan Rock Formation. I wanted to see the rock formation 7 years ago when BOS and I went on a Ilocos trip but it wasn't a popular tourist destination yet so it wasn't in our itinerary. This time, I made sure it was on our itinerary. There's a minimal fee (environmental fee) of Php15 per person (rate may change!).

Because we were too tired to walk and it was so hot, we opted to ride a horse. It's Php100/person. Riding the horse and walking have different routes. From what the kuyas told us, if you opted to walk the trail, it will lead you to the "original" rock formation spot but it's already off limits, there's a viewing deck and you can take photos. When you ride the horse, they take you on a different trail and they will take you to the other side of the rock formation and you can still go up and take photos at the rock formation.

Kids woke up when we arrived at Kapurparawan!

Kapurparawan means "white" in Ilocano. Kapurparawan Rock Formation is a natural (limestone) rock formation caused by years of natural forces like the weather and ocean waves crashing through rocky coast of Burgos, Ilocos Norte. Fascinating! 

Every time we travel, I silently wish my kids would remember where we take them just like this place. But if not, I have photos and this blog to show them.

Our last stop for the day was the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse also known as the Burgos Lighthouse. This was my third time to visit the lighthouse and a lot has changed. Cars can no longer go up the road leading up to the lighthouse and you can no longer go up to the top of the lighthouse. This was the second lighthouse the kids got to visit, the first one was at Corregidor earlier this year.

Cape Bojeador is not tallest lighthouse in the country BUT it is the highest elevated still original and active Spanish era lighthouse in the country. It was first lit in March 30, 1892. Cape Bojeador Lighthouse was declared a National Historical Landmark on August 13, 2004 and a National Cultural Treasure on June 20, 2005 by the Philippine Government. (From Wikipedia)

Since we're not allowed to go up the lighthouse anymore, we just stayed below and took photos and admire the view.

We had a long second day and I was looking forward to our dinner at Saté, an Indonesian restaurant in Laoag. I don't have nice photos of the place nor the food because my camera had no battery anymore. Sad. Anyways, Saté serves authentic Indonesian food because the owner and chef is Indonesian Chef Robby Satiawan, a former executive chef in a luxury hotel in Macau. He met his wife in Qatar where he also worked as a chef. We got to chat with him and he was very accommodating! Everything was cooked by him! Ito nanaman ako sa memory gap, I forgot what we ordered but everything was yummy! We had Nasi Goreng, a beef dish which was so good, and the noodles (Mie Goreng) for the kids.

For dessert, we had the Indonesian Halo-halo!

After dinner, we went back to the hotel, washed up and slept early again because it's another long day again the day after. It was a very jampacked day, there were places we wanted to see that was not in our itinerary but since we were running out of time and sunlight, we skipped them na. More reason to come back to Ilocos. We also saw one of the best sunsets! Sayang lang we weren't able to stop because we were on our way home to the hotel already. But really, it's different when you watch the sunset by the beach and sunset by a cliff. The sun was so big and red. It was a gorgeous sunset!

Our next tour: Vigan!

For more information of the places we went:

Hannah's Beach Resort

Evangeline's Beach Resort

Sate: A Modern Indonesian Dining