Last December 26, 2014, my regularsunday and I started our Do It Ourselves Vigan, Laoag and Pagudpud Tour to make use of the long Christmas vacation and to celebrate our monthsary as well. 🙂 The trip was supposed to be with some friends but unluckily they were not able to come with us.
Here’s our actual Vigan-Laoag-Pagudpud Itinerary! 🙂
| DATE | TIME | EVENT/SITE |
| 26-Dec-14 | 6:30 PM | Taxi going to Florida Terminal – Sampaloc, Manila |
| 8:00 PM | Dinner | |
| 9:30 PM | Coffee at Floti Café while waiting for the bus | |
| 10:45 PM | Departure (Bus going to Laoag) | |
| 27-Dec-14 | 1:20 AM | First Stop @ Tarlac (CR Fee) |
| 3:30 AM | Second Stop @ La Union (CR Fee) | |
| 7:30 AM | Drop off to Bantay, Ilocos Sur | |
| Breakfast @ Jollibee | ||
| 8:30 AM | To St. Augustine Church/Bantay Bell Tower (Donation) | |
| 9:40 AM | Tricycle aroud Vigan to look for available hotel/inn | |
| 11:00 AM | Check-in (Homestay- all hotels/inns are fully-booked) | |
| 12:45 PM | Lunch @ Dada’s Carinderia | |
| 1:30 PM | Crisologo Museum (Donation) | |
| 2:10 PM | Tour around Syquia Mansion | |
| 3:00 PM | Baluarte ni Chavit Singson | |
| Buy Fresh Sugarcane Juice | ||
| Buy Ref magnet for souvenir | ||
| 4:30 PM | Visit the Hidden Garden | |
| Eat Special Empanada and Native Halo-halo @ Lilong and Lilang Café | ||
| Buy Sanseveria plant w/ pot | ||
| 5:30 PM | Watch Pottery Making at Burnay | |
| 6:00 PM | Tricycle back to house to get the Power bank | |
| 6:30 PM | Ride a tricycle to Calle Crisilogo | |
| 6:35 PM | Walk along Calle Crisologo | |
| Hire a Kalesa to enjoy the experience in Calle Crisologo | ||
| Buy T-shirt and Keychain for souvenirs | ||
| 8:10 PM | Tricycle going to Gen Luna St. | |
| 8:20 PM | Dinner | |
| Buy Mineral Water | ||
| 9:00 PM | Back to house | |
| Pay Kuya Larry for the tour around Vigan | ||
| 28-Dec-14 | 5:00 AM | Tricycle from house to Partas Terminal (c/o Kuya Larry) |
| 5:10 AM | Partas Bus going to Laoag | |
| 7:00 AM | Arrive @ Laoag City | |
| Experience the 4×4 ride and sand boarding @ La Paz Sand Dunes | ||
| 9:00 AM | Check-in at Balay ni Carol | |
| 9:30 AM | Breakfast @ Sinangag House | |
| 10:00 AM | Tricycle going Terminal | |
| 10:10 AM | Bus going to Batac | |
| 10:30 AM | Marcos Museum & Mauseleum (Entrance Fee) | |
| 11:50 AM | Tricycle going to Paoay | |
| 12:20 PM | Lunch @ Paoay | |
| 1:30 PM | Visit the Paoay Church | |
| Buy Mais con yelo | ||
| Buy Rice Coffee for take home | ||
| 3:00 PM | Tricyle going to Malacañang of the North and back to Laoag City | |
| Entrance fee to Malacañang of the North | ||
| 4:30 PM | Tricycle back to Balay ni Carol | |
| 5:30 PM | Picture taking @ Tobacco Monopoly Marker | |
| 6:00 PM | Attend a Mass @ St. William Cathedral | |
| 7:30 PM | Dinner beside the Sinking Bell Tower | |
| 8:00 PM | Buy souvenir | |
| Picture taking @ Ilocos Norte Capitol | ||
| Buy Water | ||
| 9:00 PM | Tricycle back to Balay ni Carol | |
| 29-Dec-14 | 7:00 AM | Free Breakfast @ Balay ni Carol |
| 9:00 AM | Check-out | |
| 9:10 AM | Tricycle to Drexel Terminal (Pass along Sinking Bell Tower) | |
| 9:30 AM | Bus going to Pagudpud | |
| 11:30 AM | Arrive @ Pagudpud | |
| 12:00 PM | Check-in @ Cathy’s Pension Inn | |
| 12:30 PM | Lunch | |
| 1:30 PM | Entrance Fee to Kabigan Falls | |
| Snacks | ||
| 3:00 PM | Picture taking @ Patapat Viaduct | |
| 3:20 PM | Picture taking @ TimmangtangRock | |
| 3:30 PM | Picture taking @ Bantay Abot Cave | |
| 4:00 PM | Arrive @ Maira-Ira Beach also known as Blue Lagoon | |
| 5:00 PM | Back to Cathy’s Pension Inn (Pay Kuya Jun for the North Tour) | |
| Pay for a cup of coffee | ||
| 5:20 PM | Walk along Saud Beach | |
| 6:00 PM | Early dinner @ Evangeline’s Restaurant along Saud Beach | |
| 7:30 PM | Back to Cathy’s Pension Inn | |
| 30-Dec-14 | 7:00 AM | Wake-up and sip for a cup of coffee |
| Buy T-shirt for souvenir | ||
| 7:55 AM | Swimming @ Saud Beach | |
| 8:40 AM | Breakfast @ Terra Rica | |
| 9:00 AM | Pack-up things | |
| 10:15 AM | Check-out | |
| 10:37 AM | Picture taking @ Pagudpud Marker | |
| 10:53 AM | Arrive @ Bangui Windmills | |
| Buy souvenir | ||
| 12:00 PM | Arrive @ Burgos | |
| Pay Kuya Jun for the tour | ||
| 12:05 PM | Picture taking @ Kapurpurawan Rock Formation | |
| Picture taking @ Burgos Wind Farm | ||
| Eat Empanada | ||
| 1:15 PM | Climb the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse | |
| 1:40 PM | Wait for a bus going to Laoag City | |
| Pay for Manong Driver for the Burgos Tour | ||
| 2:30 PM | Bus going to Laoag City | |
| 3:00 PM | Tricycle going to Florida Terminal | |
| 3:30 AM | Tricycle going to Hypermarket | |
| 3:45 PM | Late lunch @ Mang Inasal | |
| 4:30 PM | Tricycle back to Florida Terminal | |
| 5:45 PM | Departure from Laoag City to Manila (Florida Bus) | |
| 8:30 PM | First Stop – Bantay, Ilocos Sur | |
| Eat Dinner @ Dulce Señorita | ||
| Buy pasalubong @ Dulce Señorita | ||
| 31-Dec-14 | 1:00 AM | Second Stop – La Union |
| Eat Mami | ||
| 5:00 AM | Arrive @ Sampaloc, Manila | |
| Take a taxi going home | ||
| 5:30 AM | Arrive HOME safely 🙂 |
Some tips to consider:
- It would be more convenient and less costly if you reserve in advance for bus trip tickets and hotel/room accommodation, especially if you will be traveling during a peak season.
- Instead of heading directly to Laoag or Vigan, one good option is to drop along Bantay Bell Tower. It is already a walking distance from the main road.
- Hiring a Kalesa is P150.00 per hour. Your trip to Vigan would not be complete if you don’t ride a kalesa, so I suggest you to hire kalesa for just one hour to tour around Calle Crisologo and Calle Plaridel. Then just ride or hire a tricycle to take you to museums and to other farther attractions like Hidden Garden, Baluarte ni Chavit Singson, etc. Regular rate for tricycle in Vigan is only P10.00 per person.
- I recommend that you stay in Vigan even for just one night. Walking along Calle Crisologo at night is really a great experience!
- Eat yummy Special Empanada at Lilong and Lilang Cafe!
- Experience the Pottery Making at Burnay!
- Aside from taking pictures, listen to tour guides to learn the history behind the antiques, old houses and places in Ilocos.
- Be nice and friendly! All rooms were fully booked when we arrive Vigan. Lucky for us that we met a very nice and accommodating local tricycle driver that he accepted us to stay at their place.
- Eat delicious Ilocos cuisine!
- Experience the 4×4 ride and sand boarding at La Paz Sand Dunes. Rate is P2,500 for a maximum of 5 persons – so it would be an advantage if you travel in a group of 3-5 persons to lessen the cost.
- There are lots of places to stay at Laoag City, but I greatly recommend Balay ni Carol! The rate is cheap, the place is really clean, homey and just a walking distance to the Sinking Bell Tower, and most of all, they (the owner) of the house were really nice people. We paid P1,200 for the room with breakfast (the room is good for 2-4 persons).
- Visit the nearby towns of Laoag like Batac and Paoay for more attractions.
- From Laoag ride a bus going to Pagudpud. They say that it is nice to stay at Hannah’s at Maira-Ira Beach, but if you are in a budget like us, I suggest that you stay at Saud Beach. I recommend Cathy’s Pension Inn, the cheapest yet still nice along Saud Beach.
- Hire a tricycle for a Pagudpud North Tour for P600.00 good for 2-3 persons. We hire Manong Jun (his tricycle is also owned by Manang Cathy). North Tour includes Kabigan Falls, Patapat Viaduct, Timmangtang Rock, Bantay Abot Cave and Maira-Ira Beach or Blue Lagoon.
- Walk along Saud Beach and eat at one of the restaurants along the beach (although some are little costly – but still worth it to try 🙂 ).
- Tour at Pagudpud will never be complete without swimming! 🙂
- I suggest that from Pagudpud, you ride a bus and drop at Bangui Windmills.
- Then depart for the town of Burgos. From there, hire a tricycle to tour you around Kapurpurawan Rock Formation, Burgos Wind Farm, and Cape Bogeador Lighthouse. Tricycle rate is fixed at P300.00 and no tricycle from other towns are allowed to tour you around these places.
- From Burgos ride a bus going back to Laoag where you can ride a bus back to Manila.
- Take lots of pictures and buy souvenirs! 🙂
The whole trip is really enjoyable, memorable and worth the cost!
I will surely make another detailed posts next time and will include possible contacts and more pictures for other interested travelers would like to experience the beauty of Ilocos! 🙂
