Our first stop in Ilocandia was Ilocos Norte’s capital, Laoag City, known as the Sunshine City because Laoag itself means “light” or “clarity”. Getting to Laoag from Manila, tourists and visitors can either take the Manila-Laoag regular flights of Cebu Pacific Air, Air Phil Express or Philippine Airlines or do the 10 to 12-hour bus ride offered by bus companies Partas, GV Florida Transport, RCJ Trans, Maria de Leon Bus or Philippine Rabbit Bus Company. For the bus trip, it’s best to travel during the evening.
At Laoag International Airport, you’ll find a bus that offers a free ride to the city center. However, the bus usually waits for the next flight to arrive, therefore if you can't wait, you can also take a tricycle for 100-120php.
La Preciosa
If you want a taste of authentic and great Ilocano dishes, La Preciosa is the place for you. Located at J.P. Rizal, Laoag City, it's walking distance from Laoag Park offering a bunch of choices and a really cozy atmosphere for customers. I personally recommend their dish Puqui-Puqui, a unique kind of tortang talong with lots of sliced tomato and onions, and Insarabasab, grilled pork with papaitan sauce. For foodies, Puqui-Puqui would really make you feel like you're in heaven on first taste, because that's what I felt, while Insarabasab gave the impression that it's one of the most tender pork dishes I ever had in my life. Aside, from Ilocano dishes, La Preciosa also offers the best desserts in the area.
The cathedral is considered as one of the biggest in the Philippines. It was built of Italian Renaissance design in 1612 and is located very near the Marcos Bridge and Tobacco Monopoly Monument. It's also known for its bell tower a few meters away which is believed to be sinking, thus the name Sinking Bell Tower.
Located at the foot of the Marcos Bridge, Tobacco Monopoly Monument serves as the memorial to the lifting of Tobacco Monopoly in 1881. This is where most locals and tourists hang out at night, enjoying the relaxing evening the location provides as well as the different lights of the monument, the fountain of Pamulinawen and the Capitol.
Fountain of Pamulinawen, which some would know as the famous Ilocano song, is the lady atop the fountain who personifies the ideal Ilocana. It is located in between Tobacco Monopoly Monument and Ilocos Norte Capitol and is hard to miss because of it's dreamy lights and wonderful structures.
La Paz Sand Dunes
Ilocos Norte's famous attraction for adventure junkies is the sand dunes where you could ride the 4 x 4 and ATV and do sand boarding and zorb ball adventure. It's a unique land formation in Southeast Asia and has two locations in the province that you can choose from - Paoay Sand Dunes and La Paz Sand Dunes. The former is more desert-like with less grass than the latter. Also, it was the location of some local movies such as Ang Panday and Temptation Island. However, the latter has steeper and higher slopes for the 4 x 4 and ATV rides.
La Paz Sand Dunes, also known as Bantay Bimmaboy, consists of an estimated area of 85 square kilometer of protected sandy coastal desert which stretches from the town of Currimao to Pasuquin. It is also known as the Desert of the North.
1. It's best to visit the sand dunes during the early morning or late afternoon, unless of course you want to have sun-burnt skin. Nevertheless, wear sunblock for skin protection.
2. At La Paz Sand Dunes, 4 x 4 ride with sand boarding costs 2,500php for an hour accommodating 2 to 6 people. For those who do not want or cannot stay for an hour, you can haggle the price to 1,500php for half an hour.
Museo Ilocos Norte
The museum is the learning center of Ilocos Norte tradition showcasing the vignettes of the Ilocano culture. The museum's centerpiece is a life-size Ilocano house from the Spanish period containing the replica of old furniture and structures. The museum also has a souvenir shop for tourists and guests. It is located next to Ilocos Norte Capitol and has an entrance fee of 50php per person.
Fort Ilocandia
Fort Ilocandia is the only 5-star resort hotel in northern Philippines amidst the sand dunes and pine forest with a sandy beach facing the South China Sea. Its facilities include a 10-minute drive golf club at Paoay known as Fort Ilocandia Golf and Country Club. For non-guests, nothing much to see here except for the lovely facade of the resort hotel.
Formerly known as Ilocos Norte Hotel and Convention Center, Plaza del Norte is located along the highway going to Paoay. It has 100 hotel rooms, 24 dormitory rooms and a state-of-the art convention center that can accommodate up to 1,120 guests.
Definitely one of the grandest places to visit in Ilocandia, Malacanang of the North was built in 1970s as the official residence of the late President Ferdinand Marcos in Ilocos Norte. The place is currently maintained as a museum featuring President Marcos' achievements, especially in Ilocos, while he held office. Aside from the grandeur in itself, it's also overlooking the grandeur of Paoay Lake. And visitors only have to pay 30php to enter.
Paoay Lake National Park
The lake, known back then as Nangguyudan, was declared as a National Park and the landmark where you can take pictures, rest and eat is located along the main highway. The fresh body of water has a total area of 478 hectares. Upon stopping by, I noticed that they have a board where they record bird counts. Interesting and fascinating.
Commonly known as Paoay Church, San Agustin Church, built in 1704 and completed in 1894, was declared in 1993 as one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Philippines. Located at the center of Paoay, it is renowned for its unique baroque architecture and heavy uniform buttresses.
The ancestral house of the Marcoses located in Batac City, Ilocos Norte was turned into a presidential center showcasing the late President Marcos and First Lady Imelda's memorabilia. Also to honor his remains, they've put up a mausoleum for him where visitors can have a glance of his remains for a few minutes. Entrance fee is 50php per person.
Empanadaan
Empanada is known all through out Ilocandia and though I'm not fond of eating this, it's recommended to try. And Batac's empanada is said to be the best of all. It's a deep fried meat pie filled with bits of monggo, Ilocos-style longganisa and an egg, all of which are enclosed in an orange-colored dough. Definitely not your normal empanada. The cost of one empanada ranges from 35 - 55php.
I would like to thank Rubelyn and Josie for touring us around, Ilocos Norte Tourism Office's help and awesome list, which was way better than my list, and of course my friend and travel buddy Dominique for being my companion on this wonderful experience and for letting me share his pictures on this blog entry. The second and third parts of this 3-part blog would bring you similar and yet different experiences. Read and be inspired to visit as well. Until the next blog entry!
Be ready to accept the quirks and turns of every adventure. You'll be rewarded with experiences of a lifetime. - KM