A Day in Laoag, Ilocos Norte's Capital and Gateway to World
Ilocos is surely one region that has a lot to offer to tourists. And we (Lhei, Sheila, and moi, byahera) have been on a wonderful race to squeeze every possible must-see's in our hectic three-day vacay...and don't forget, on a tipid budget!
Vigan and Pagudpud (previous posts) were wonderful. Yet as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Hence, Laoag, the capital of Ilocos Norte, served as the last leg of our trip before we finally go home. We have several hours to spare before our flight back to Manila that an idle day was ahead of us. After conferring on what to do next, we came up with this narrowed list: Fort Ilocandia, Museo Ilocos Norte and whatever-may-come-later-location.
Fort Ilocandia
Fort Ilocandia, our first stop, is outside the city center and is beyond the reach of public transport. Sans personal vehicle, one has to rent a tricycle or a vehicle to go to the place . In our case, we paid our rented tricycle Php 100.00 for a one-way trip to the hotel. We also contracted the same driver to fetch us back after two hours. The ride lasted around fifteen minutes. The hotel, even if out-of-the-way, is really not far away and, as you'll see, was worth the trip.
Fort Ilocandia is a five-star hotel that rests on a sprawling 77-hectare area of land and is complete with a range of amenities and facilities, including a shooting and archery range, hot air balloons, all terrain vehicles, banana boat, outdoor massage, hot sand spa and many more. There is a casino at the second floor for the casino aficionados. I'm not quite of a casino person and my companions also seem to be not in the mood, so we just skipped that part.
We strolled around inside and outside the hotel, enjoying its magnificent interiors as well as the view of its manicured lawns and beautifully landscaped surroundings.By the way, even if we're not in the guest list of the hotel we kinda roamed around freely, save for certain places reserved only to guests...
Then we came to the part where a fence separates the lawn from the beach. It turned out that the beach is off-limits to visitors not officially checked-in.
Maybe it was the effect of heat, mild hunger, or simply the irresistible temptation to have a brief glimpse of a beach nearby--its waves we already hear...that while the guards were not looking we quietly entered an open portion of the fence toward the beach :) Nonetheless, lest we get caught and be labeled as deviants to the detriment of our squeaky-clean criminal records, we also immediately got out. We just surveyed the view and took some pictures.
Fort Ilocandia Resort, with its clean, fine gray sand
...the trespassers, absorbed in their thoughts :)
It was past 10 already and we thought to have some snacks first. We bought pastry and cake at the cake/bread shop inside the hotel and ordered our drinks at the Garden Restaurant. Since both the bread shop and the restaurant are in a five-star hotel, the foods and drinks were quite pricey...(so better take a picture of it LOL...)
After our morning stroll and snacks, we went back to Laoag City center for our next location,the Ilocos Norte Museum (Museo Ilocos Norte).
Ilocos Norte Museum
From its website, the Ilocos Norte Museum's general description is as follows:
Gameng, after the Iloko word for treasure, symbolizes the wealth of Ilocos Norte. It showcases the varied ethnicity and multi-faceted cultural heritage of a sturdy, hard working people known for their industry, resourcefulness and loyalty.
With an affordable entrance fee of Php 20.00, visitors will be introduced to all things related to the history and culture of Ilocos. Inside the museum is an extensive collection of relics showcasing the ways of life of the Ilocano people from the pre-historic and Spanish era times. The same attests to the tenacity of the Ilocanos, as they make the most of their natural resources.
Displayed also are the different products and handicrafts traditionally manufactured in the region. In fact, in relation to the region's cigar-making tradition, it is aptly suited that the building that now houses the museum collections is actually a former Tabacalera tabacco warehouse. The building's aged brick facade is, in itself, a scenic view.
The museum also has its souvenir store, although we postponed pasalubong-buying in case we come across cheaper items outside.
After the museum visit, we have nowhere else to go and our flight is still a few hours away. We asked the Museum guards if there are any nearby tambayans (hangout place) and they referred us to the DAP-AYAN TI, which actually translates to "tambayan" in Ilocano dialect. We've been there earlier that morning, so we instead decided to walk wherever our feet will take us. And that's what we did--walk, walk and walk around the city until we unexpectedly discovered a McDonald's.
Tired and thirsty, we spent our remaining hours there at McDo Laoag. Lhei and I reviewed our Civil Code codals (for utter lack of other things to do hehe) while Sheila busied herself taking pictures. Came five o'clock and we elected to attend Sunday mass at the nearby St. William Church, which is a look-alike of St.Paul's Cathedral in Vigan City. It was the first and only mass I've attended that is spoken in Ilocano dialect. "It's the thought that counts", I told Lheila--at least we attended mass than not at all even if we did not understand a word of the sermon. After the mass, we headed to the airport for our flight, making sure that we're at least an hour early. We do observe airline flight rules ;) better careful than be left behind.
...the end of vacay, back to normalcy...
That ends our whirlwind, lagare Ilocandia trip. I got to hang-out with two of the nicest people and tour one of the regions I've been longing to go to ever since. Hopefully when I go back to the Ilocos region, I will not only relive the experience but also reach the other places we've failed to visit. Overall, my trip was sulit and fun.
Some Pointers on How to Reach Laoag City:
Those who would travel to Laoag may choose between 1) land and 2) air transportation. As per my previous posts, there are a number of bus lines that have daily and nightly trips from Manila to Laoag and vice versa, such as Farinas, Florida Bus, Partas, Viron, Philippine Rabbit and Dominion Bus Lines.
Bus fare could range from P600 to P800.Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines are the two airlines that cater weekly Manila-Laoag flights. Travel by land takes around 10 hrs, whereas by plane around 1 hr.
During promo periods, the difference in fare between these two is quite minimal, and if you're lucky you might even chance upon really cheap piso fare flights.Also, Laoag International Airport is now a hub to international flights to and from Hongkong and some parts of mainland China.
Here are the addresses and contact numbers of some of the Laoag-bound buses:
Philippine Rabbit Bus Lines: Rizal Ave., Manila & EDSA, Q.C. Tel # 734-9838, 734-9836
Dominion Bus Line: New York St., Cubao, Q.C. Tel # 731-4180, 741-4146
Partas Bus Company: Aurora Blvd., Q.C. Tel. # 725-7303, 724-9820
Maria de Leon Transit: Dapitan cor. Gelinos Sts., Sampaloc, Manila Tel # 731-4907
Vigan and Pagudpud (previous posts) were wonderful. Yet as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Hence, Laoag, the capital of Ilocos Norte, served as the last leg of our trip before we finally go home. We have several hours to spare before our flight back to Manila that an idle day was ahead of us. After conferring on what to do next, we came up with this narrowed list: Fort Ilocandia, Museo Ilocos Norte and whatever-may-come-later-location.
Fort Ilocandia
Fort Ilocandia, our first stop, is outside the city center and is beyond the reach of public transport. Sans personal vehicle, one has to rent a tricycle or a vehicle to go to the place . In our case, we paid our rented tricycle Php 100.00 for a one-way trip to the hotel. We also contracted the same driver to fetch us back after two hours. The ride lasted around fifteen minutes. The hotel, even if out-of-the-way, is really not far away and, as you'll see, was worth the trip.
Fort Ilocandia is a five-star hotel that rests on a sprawling 77-hectare area of land and is complete with a range of amenities and facilities, including a shooting and archery range, hot air balloons, all terrain vehicles, banana boat, outdoor massage, hot sand spa and many more. There is a casino at the second floor for the casino aficionados. I'm not quite of a casino person and my companions also seem to be not in the mood, so we just skipped that part.
We strolled around inside and outside the hotel, enjoying its magnificent interiors as well as the view of its manicured lawns and beautifully landscaped surroundings.By the way, even if we're not in the guest list of the hotel we kinda roamed around freely, save for certain places reserved only to guests...
Then we came to the part where a fence separates the lawn from the beach. It turned out that the beach is off-limits to visitors not officially checked-in.
Maybe it was the effect of heat, mild hunger, or simply the irresistible temptation to have a brief glimpse of a beach nearby--its waves we already hear...that while the guards were not looking we quietly entered an open portion of the fence toward the beach :) Nonetheless, lest we get caught and be labeled as deviants to the detriment of our squeaky-clean criminal records, we also immediately got out. We just surveyed the view and took some pictures.
Fort Ilocandia Resort, with its clean, fine gray sand
...the trespassers, absorbed in their thoughts :)
It was past 10 already and we thought to have some snacks first. We bought pastry and cake at the cake/bread shop inside the hotel and ordered our drinks at the Garden Restaurant. Since both the bread shop and the restaurant are in a five-star hotel, the foods and drinks were quite pricey...(so better take a picture of it LOL...)
After our morning stroll and snacks, we went back to Laoag City center for our next location,the Ilocos Norte Museum (Museo Ilocos Norte).
Ilocos Norte Museum
From its website, the Ilocos Norte Museum's general description is as follows:
Gameng, after the Iloko word for treasure, symbolizes the wealth of Ilocos Norte. It showcases the varied ethnicity and multi-faceted cultural heritage of a sturdy, hard working people known for their industry, resourcefulness and loyalty.
With an affordable entrance fee of Php 20.00, visitors will be introduced to all things related to the history and culture of Ilocos. Inside the museum is an extensive collection of relics showcasing the ways of life of the Ilocano people from the pre-historic and Spanish era times. The same attests to the tenacity of the Ilocanos, as they make the most of their natural resources.
Displayed also are the different products and handicrafts traditionally manufactured in the region. In fact, in relation to the region's cigar-making tradition, it is aptly suited that the building that now houses the museum collections is actually a former Tabacalera tabacco warehouse. The building's aged brick facade is, in itself, a scenic view.
The museum also has its souvenir store, although we postponed pasalubong-buying in case we come across cheaper items outside.
After the museum visit, we have nowhere else to go and our flight is still a few hours away. We asked the Museum guards if there are any nearby tambayans (hangout place) and they referred us to the DAP-AYAN TI, which actually translates to "tambayan" in Ilocano dialect. We've been there earlier that morning, so we instead decided to walk wherever our feet will take us. And that's what we did--walk, walk and walk around the city until we unexpectedly discovered a McDonald's.
Tired and thirsty, we spent our remaining hours there at McDo Laoag. Lhei and I reviewed our Civil Code codals (for utter lack of other things to do hehe) while Sheila busied herself taking pictures. Came five o'clock and we elected to attend Sunday mass at the nearby St. William Church, which is a look-alike of St.Paul's Cathedral in Vigan City. It was the first and only mass I've attended that is spoken in Ilocano dialect. "It's the thought that counts", I told Lheila--at least we attended mass than not at all even if we did not understand a word of the sermon. After the mass, we headed to the airport for our flight, making sure that we're at least an hour early. We do observe airline flight rules ;) better careful than be left behind.
...the end of vacay, back to normalcy...
That ends our whirlwind, lagare Ilocandia trip. I got to hang-out with two of the nicest people and tour one of the regions I've been longing to go to ever since. Hopefully when I go back to the Ilocos region, I will not only relive the experience but also reach the other places we've failed to visit. Overall, my trip was sulit and fun.
Some Pointers on How to Reach Laoag City:
Those who would travel to Laoag may choose between 1) land and 2) air transportation. As per my previous posts, there are a number of bus lines that have daily and nightly trips from Manila to Laoag and vice versa, such as Farinas, Florida Bus, Partas, Viron, Philippine Rabbit and Dominion Bus Lines.
Bus fare could range from P600 to P800.Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines are the two airlines that cater weekly Manila-Laoag flights. Travel by land takes around 10 hrs, whereas by plane around 1 hr.
During promo periods, the difference in fare between these two is quite minimal, and if you're lucky you might even chance upon really cheap piso fare flights.Also, Laoag International Airport is now a hub to international flights to and from Hongkong and some parts of mainland China.
Here are the addresses and contact numbers of some of the Laoag-bound buses:
Philippine Rabbit Bus Lines: Rizal Ave., Manila & EDSA, Q.C. Tel # 734-9838, 734-9836
Dominion Bus Line: New York St., Cubao, Q.C. Tel # 731-4180, 741-4146
Partas Bus Company: Aurora Blvd., Q.C. Tel. # 725-7303, 724-9820
Maria de Leon Transit: Dapitan cor. Gelinos Sts., Sampaloc, Manila Tel # 731-4907
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