Illustrious Ilocos Norte

Rough ride aside, my trip to Ilocos Norte was absolutely memorable! It didn’t matter that our designated driver took no mercy on road bumps (if I were pregnant, I would have given birth in transit). He drives fast, much to the chagrin of my travel buddies. To be fair, I liked that he drove fast because it took us an hour earlier than usual to reach Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

Driving around Ilocos Norte is easy and quick because of the free-flowing traffic. Local drivers are also courteous and disciplined. Because of the fast transfer from one designation to the next, we covered a lot of spots included in our itinerary. It was physically demanding and the scorching heat of the sun did not help — but boy, was it all worth it!

Do I recommend going to Ilocos Norte? 100% yes! For those who are traveling in groups on an official trip, check out the brand new Ilocos Norte Hotel and Convention Center in Laoag City. It is very near Fort Ilocandia, which is the old favorite hotel for local and international tourists. INHCC is a good alternative because of its more affordable cost, new and clean facilities, free wifi access, and since it’s new, it is not crowded (yet).

Bangui Bay Wind Power Project -- Bongbong Marcos' pride
had to take a break for photo before climbing up Cape Bojeador lighthouse
the rusty spiral steps inside the lighthouse
Malacanang of the North
one of the many spacious dining areas inside Malacanang of the North
view from the veranda
historic St. Augustine Catholic Church, more popularly known as Paoay Church
Paoay Church belfry, said to be the highest structure in the province
I'm not afraid of heights, but these rickety Molave steps did me in. The caretaker said this is the original wood used since the belfry was built
the vandalized bell and the playful tourist
INHCC driveway
INHCC pool
INHCC twin sharing bedroom
Saud Beach Resort, Pagudpud
I didn't sleep here because of the heat
this is where I fell asleep. You are forced to pay for a hut once you take a dip in the cool beach water

One thought on “Illustrious Ilocos Norte

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s