Here I am again, popping like a mushroom and coming up with a new travel post without explaining where I have been for the past months. I would really like to explain my absence in a separate post but since labor weekend came in too fast, I’ll spare that part first and share our amazing time in the region of Ilocos.
Having a summer escapade is becoming an annual tradition for me to save myself from being burnout by work. And if last year I found myself fond of Mount Pinatubo’s ashes and agoho trees in Talisayen Cove in Zambales, this summer, my friend and I, have finally decided to act on our overdue Ilocos trip and discover what the north has to offer by ourselves.
Disclaimer: This post hasn’t been updated recently, hence, some information may be outdated. I highly encourage to check reliable sources for updates.
Check out our two days and one night DIY Ilocos trip itinerary below:
DAY 0
7:00PM – ETD for Pagudpud from Sampaloc, Manila
DAY 1
7:00AM – ETA in Pagudpud
7:30AM – ETA at Saud Beach; Check-in at lodge
7:30AM – 12:00PM – Rest; Lunch at Emohruo Restaurant
12:00PM – 5:00PM – Pagudpud North Tour
- Blue Lagoon Beach
- Bantay Abot Cave
- Paraiso ni Anton
- Patapat Viaduct
- Kabigan Falls
5:00PM – ETD for Saud Beach
6:00PM – ETA at Saud Beach
6:00PM onwards – Beach bum, rest, dinner at roadside eatery/baon
DAY 2
6:00AM – 8:00AM – Wake up, breakfast, pack up
8:00AM – Check out from lodge; ETD for Pagudpud South Tour
8:00AM – 11:00AM – Pagudpud South Tour
- Cape Bojeador Lighthouse
- Kapurpurawan Rock Formation
- Bangui Windmills
11:00AM – 12:00PM – Lunch at Bangui in roadside eatery
12:00PM – ETD for Pagudpud sentro
12:30PM – ETA at Pagudpud sentro
12:40PM – ETD for Laoag
2:10PM – ETA at Laoag
2:30PM – ETA at Malacanang of the North
3:30PM – ETD for Paoay Church
3:50PM – ETA at Paoay Church
4:30PM – ETD for Laoag
5:00PM – ETA at Laoag to depart for Vigan
7:00PM – ETA at Vigan; Buy bus tickets to Manila
7:00PM – 8:30PM – Calle Crisologo stroll, dinner, pasalubong buying
9:00PM – ETD for Manila
DAY 3
7:00AM – ETA in Manila
To save one from tediously scrolling through this post, I have decided to chop down this Ilocos trip into two based on our main destinations. This post will be mainly focused on our trip in Pagudpud. For our Laoag, Paoay and Vigan trips, click here.
GETTING THERE
Ilocos is accessible through air or by land and for our budget-friendly trip, we opted to travel by land and take the bus bound for Pagudpud, our first destination.
Most bus lines only offer trips to the main cities of Ilocos, Laoag and Vigan, so we’ve decided to look for a bus line which has direct trips to Pagudpud and found GV Florida in Sampaloc, Manila with regular trips to the place.
Florida buses leave Manila at night and only have 7:00PM and 9:00PM trips. Travel time can take up to 12 hours and has three stopovers in the towns of Pura, Tarlac, Batac, Ilocos Norte and Pagudpud.
REACHING ILOCOS
The 12-hour travel time feels shorter when you spend most of the night tucked under the blanket and sleeping (which I did). But during those times when you wake up because your back or neck starts aching, you’ll have the chance to marvel at the stillness of the fields beside the expressway and see South China Sea in the dark when you pass by La Union. In the dawn, you’ll be greeted by tall white windmills from a distance as the sun starts to rise behind it. Personally, I found these sceneries really peaceful that I already felt recharge even though we haven’t formally reached our destination yet.
We’ve reached Pagudpud past 6AM, almost an hour earlier than our estimated arrival, and easily realized how tourist-friendly the place is.
In the bus stop, several tricycles are already lined up waiting to accommodate passengers. Aside from bringing tourists to their respective destinations, tricycle drivers here are trained to conduct Pagudpud tours which, of course, has corresponding price. It was here where we met Kuya Romy who eventually became our tour guide for the day.
ACCOMMODATION HUNTING AND ARRANGING THE TOUR
Pagudpud is dotted with accommodation places for every type of traveller that reservation is not really necessary when visiting the place. However, if you are planning to check in at a popular hotel, reserving a room is highly recommended. If you’re not, looking for a place to stay wouldn’t be a hard work.
We first asked our driver, Kuya Romy, to bring us to Britanya Lodge, a lodge near Saud Beach, since it was one of the places I had correspondence with online. Unfortunately, due to the peak season, no rooms were available during our arrival so we were forced to look for another one.
Eventually, we settled with Rey’s Place, another lodge not far from Britanya whose set of guests were coincidentally checking out upon our arrival. We weren’t able to immediately check in and go inside our room, though, –thanks to our unannounced and early arrival—so we’ve taken the time instead to get to know our guide and arrange our Pagudpud tour with him. In the end, we have decided to not follow our itinerary and let him lead the tour to surprise us with the places where he’ll bring us.
As recommended by the owner of the lodge and to save time, we’ve started the tour without getting inside our room since it will still take a while for it to be prepared. So to make up for the inconvenience, the owners allowed us to leave our bags and promised to bring it inside our room once it was ready which they did. They also allowed us to use another room so we can brush our teeth and change our clothes for a day of tour. After that, our Pagudpud tour has finally commenced.
THE PAGUDPUD TOUR
Traveling Pagudpud is divided into two tours namely, the North Tour and the South Tour. Basically, the North Tour is composed of destinations found in the eastern part of Pagudpud while the South Tour is composed of tourist spots on the other side of the municipality which include the towns of Bangui and Burgos.
The South Tour is more expensive compared to the North Tour which surprised me at the first place because it was different from my research. But eventually, I realized that the reason for the higher price is the long distances of the tourist spots from one another. Nevertheless, the price was worth it upon arriving in the places and knowing the effort of our guide.
The following are the specific destinations under each tour:
North Tour
Kabigan Waterfalls
Patapat Viaduct
Aqua Grande
Paraiso ni Anton
Timmangtang Rock
Bantay Abot Cave
Blue Lagoon
Dos Hermanos Island
South Tour
Bangui Windmills
Bangui View Deck
Cape Bojeador Lighthouse
*Kapurpurawan Rock Formation
*Was not included in the tour guide’s list but was actually included in the tour
As recommended by our guide, our Ilocos experience started by doing the South Tour with the famous Bangui Windmills as the first destination.
On the way, Kuya Romy was kind enough to bring us to some Pagudpud landmarks which were not part of the tour which included the Pagudpud Municipal Hall, Shell Statue and, of course, the famous Pagudpud Municipal Arch.
I was worried I wouldn’t have a photo op of the latter since we’ve taken a public transport which doesn’t make a stop at the place so it was really good thing that our guide has brought us to the famous landmark to officially seal our trip.
After some photo ops, our journey to the windmills continued which took us almost half an hour to finish. One can easily know that they are nearing the place, when they start to see the distant white windmills become closer and bigger.
When I first saw the windmills, I was amazed with how tall they were despite having expectations that they were gigantic. Our tour guide has related that the windmills were imported and its exposed height is the same as its buried part. He also shared that when a windmill is spinning, it means that it is ‘charging’ or producing energy and if it’s not, it means that it has enough energy stored –a fun fact I didn’t know. Apparently, the collected energy from the windmills are the ones powering the whole province of Ilocos.
The huge waves hitting the coast added to the beauty of the place by producing relaxing and calming sounds every time it crashes to the bay. This crash produces mist that add to the picturesque scenery of the place. Nonetheless, one wouldn’t dare to go near the waves nor dare to swim in it as it can get really rough and take someone away. Still that wouldn’t change the fact that I would like to spend a day in the place just to listen to the sound of waves.
After battling against the hot sand with our feet and buying some souvenirs in the shops, we then proceeded to our next destination which was the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation in the town of Burgos.
As expected, Kuya Romy talked to us about the eventual transfer to another guide for the remaining two destinations of the tour to comply with the agreement between Pagudpud and Burgos tricycle drivers. This transfer stemmed from the fact that Pagudpud drivers are more inclined to receive more tourists than Burgos drivers because of the town’s popularity as a tourist spot. To resolve the issue, the two parties have agreed to transfer tourists to Burgos drivers every time the destinations will include Kapurpurawan Rock Formation and Cape Bojeador Lighthouse. No worries on the part of the tourists as the amount of the tour will be the same except that ₱300 of the price will go the Burgos driver. After the Burgos tour, the tourists can return to their original guide.
Travel time from Bangui to Kapurpurawan Rock Formation can take up to 30 minutes and requires a small amount of ₱10/head as a fee upon entrance. We’ve arrived at the place late in the morning so a swarm of tourists welcomed us upon arrival to the tourist spot.
After entering the gates, expect to make a little trek downhill towards the sea where the famous white rock formation is located. On the way, you’ll see souvenir shops and a service which offers horseback riding to tourists.
We weren’t able to go near the rock formation as there was a rope hindering anyone to pass by beyond it. Nonetheless, if you don’t want to go home without a photo op with the natural formation, one can still do a little trek to the other side of the rock and take many photos as they want. When we were satisfied with our shots, we trekked back to the main entrance and started the day’s third destination, Cape Bojeador Lighthouse.
Among all of the places we’ve visited in Pagudpud, Cape Bojeador Lighthouse was the farthest and the destination I was really looking forward to see.
Travel time going to the place was another 30 minutes and requires vehicles to pass by narrow and slightly steep roads. Upon arriving, one will be welcomed by a set of stairs leading to the lighthouse itself. No fee is required upon entering the place.
Similar with our earlier experience, the place was also filled with tourists when we arrived that I barely had the chance to get a photo without a person passing by in it. Nevertheless and disregarding the crowd of tourists, the view of the nearby sea from the place was very beautiful that it’s probably one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in my life. Aside from the sea and the building’s architectural remnant, old and original parts of the lighthouse are the other things one can expect to see in the place.
After we fulfilled our eyes, we traced our steps back to the place’s stairs and found ourselves en route to our original guide.
Last stop for the South Tour was the Bangui View Deck which is another 30-minute travel from Cape Bojeador Lighthouse. The tourist spot is located right beside the national road that one wouldn’t easily recognize that the place is a tourist attraction. Nevertheless, the view here is also beautiful which features the whole stretch of Bangui Bay and its windmills.
We’ve finished the South Tour past 11AM and decided to have an early lunch before starting the North Tour. Once again, we asked our guide to surprise us and bring us to a dining place which he thinks offers delicious and affordable meals. Kuya Romy have taken on the challenge and decided to bring us to an eatery in the town center of Bangui which serves traditional carinderia foods.
To further authenticate and get the most out of our trip, I’ve decided to order the well-known Ilocano dish, igado (₱50/serving) and partner it with everyone’s favorite, plain rice (₱10) to complete my lunch. Since it was summertime, I’ve also decided to add dessert with a serving of halo-halo (₱25).
Generally, the place was average when it comes to the food but not impressive in terms of service, since our halo-halo has taken a while before being served. Nevertheless, dropping by at the place wasn’t that bad since it has satisfied our grumbling stomachs for a few hours.
Still with a cup of halo-halo in our hands, we returned to our guide’s reliable tricycle to begin the North Tour with Patapat Viaduct as the first destination. Travel time from Bangui to the place can take up to half an hour.
Experiencing the place in person is very different from being amazed with it in the photos. Main attraction of the tourist spot is the view of the Pasaleng Bay where a relaxing breeze comes from and will welcome any visitor. Waves crashing beneath the viaduct is also a sight to watch for people fond of watching and listening to the sound of the waves. Lastly, the bridge itself is also worth remembering as it is the very structure which connects the province of Ilocos to the region of Cagayan. I was actually wondering what the scenarios will be if we have ample time to drive through the entire viaduct and visit Cagayan.
After breathing in some fresh air and trying our best to snap photos without capturing any group of tourists in our shots, we continued our tour with Aqua Grande as the next destination which was an easy 5-minute travel from the viaduct.
Aqua Grande is popular park where visitors can experience the waters of a nearby hydroelectric power plant by lounging in the big rocks located below the plant’s big tube. The waters fall to the rocks through this tube creating an artificial falls and spring which flow to the sea.
We decided to not enter the place to save time but a ₱20-entrance fee is required for people interested in experiencing the popular attraction. Evident from what we saw, the place is not just only popular to tourists during summer but also to locals wanting to escape from the season’s heat.
A 15-minute travel from Aqua Grande is our tour’s third destination which is known as Timmangtang Rock. According to our guide, the natural formation is typically paired with the popular Bantay Abot Cave because of the belief that the two rocks are lovers, with Timmangtang Rock as the male and Bantay Abot Cave as the female counterpart.
No fee is required upon entrance to the place and going near to the rock is also possible. Aside from the natural formation, a beach can also be found beside the rock where the waves are less rough compared to the ones in Bangui Bay and Patapat Viaduct.
Already visible from Timmangtang Rock, our next destination was the famous Bantay Abot Cave which is an easy 5-minute trip from our previous stopover.
Upon arriving in the place, expect to make a little workout as the path going to the tourist spot requires a trek going down to the coast and a 75 degree ascend to reach the hole’s center. Entrance fee is also free for tourists visiting the place.
Our guide has shared that the cave used to be a rock like Timmangtang until former President Ferdinand Marcos ordered to dig the rock to uncover the alleged treasure hidden in the place. He did not confirm if a treasure was found but it was interesting to know about the place’s history.
Upon reaching the center of the hole, one would be greeted by a view of the nearby coast behind and in front the cave. You can also climb down to the other side of the cave if you want to get a photo op of the coast behind it or climb up to the side to step up your Instagram ante.
Probably the biggest challenge of the cave for any tourist is the descend from the top of the hole since the soil here is looser and can make one easily slip. Best thing to do to avoid the latter is to grab onto the rocks in cave’s wall and calculate each step. This activity has taken me a time to do but I managed to survive.
After our physical trip to Bantay Abot Cave, our tour proceeded with Blue Lagoon and Dos Hermanos Islands as the next destinations. Travel time going to the place can take up to 8 minutes.
Our guide has first brought us to a deck overlooking the whole stretch of Blue Lagoon and explained that the reason for the name is because of the water’s remarkable blue color. I agree because the color of the water looks distinctively blue and very different from the one in Saud and in the other beaches I’ve seen that I feel like I’m looking at a scenery which is already edited in Lightroom. At the far end of the coast are the two islands of Dos Hermanos which resembled a similar shape with that of Timmangtang.
Our visit to Blue Lagoon was supposed to include an entrance to Hannah’s Beach Resort and a photo op with its life-size figures but since we found the entrance fee (₱100) slightly expensive we’ve decided to abort the plan and be satisfied with the life-size figures and view of the beach from the entrance. After some photo ops, we proceeded to the tour’s last destination, Kabigan Falls.
Travel time from Hannah’s to Kabigan Falls’ jump-off point in the town of Balaoi can take up to 15 minutes and requires tourists to log upon arrival. Going to the falls requires an entrance fee of ₱10 and a guide (₱100) who will lead the trek which can take up to 30 minutes. Expect the long walk to be composed of sceneries of greenery and a series of streams. Hiking or rubber shoes is not really necessary since the trail is novice-friendly that a good pair of reliable slippers will be enough.
One can determine that they have reached their destination when they have to make the biggest ascend in the trail and gradually be welcomed by the gushing sounds of water. The top of the slope is the best spot in the place to get a view of the whole location covered by the falls. A descend from the slope is needed to go near the falls and experience its refreshing cold water.
The water in the falls is very clear that one wouldn’t have a hard time seeing their feet underneath the water’s refrigerator-like temperature. The natural formation is also surrounded with big rocks covered with mosses that require extra attention to avoid slipping and getting cut by some of its sharp edges. Man-made benches created out of trees’ trunks are also available in the area for resting.
We stayed in the place for 30 minutes before deciding to end the day’s tour to give our tired bodies a chance to rest. Eventually, we were able to come back in Saud quarter to 4PM and bid goodbye to our kind guide, Kuya Romy, and paid him for a day of effort. After an hour and half later, we found ourselves recharged and full of energy as we watch the sunset in Saud Beach.
SETTING THE SUN AT SAUD BEACH
Watching the sunset while sitting on a fine sand is probably the best way to cap off our Pagudpud tour. Although Saud Beach is filled with other tourists who wanted to do the same, the beach is not crowded and will allow one to relax his/her mind after a tiring day of tour.
The beach’s sand is very fine that it has managed to get into the deepest part of my shorts’ pockets while the water is so clear that you’ll be deceived by how deep the water is despite appearing shallow. The water’s temperature is also enough to take away the day’s heat and replace it with a refreshing and cooling sensation.
Saud Beach is a public beach and does not require visitors to wear swimming attire. Although a fee is required in some areas, there are other areas surrounding the place which allows entrance for free. Nevertheless, free of charge or not, Saud Beach is a must-visit when you’re in Pagudpud.
Generally, our first time in Pagudpud was a positive experience. With its natural formations, man-made attractions, a well-preserved Heritage site and hospitable and very kind locals, it’s hard not to fall in love with Pagudpud. Plus, its eco-friendly sources to produce energy is another thing to love about this town.
However, the only negative thing I’ve seen in the place, is not in the locals or in the establishments found in it, but in the tourists visiting the place. During our trip, I noticed a constant scenery wherein pieces of thrash such as water bottles and snack wrappers were lying beside the highway which is, no doubt, were things brought by the tourists. It’s really sad to think that these visitors are interested only in the idyllic pictures that they are going to take and not in preserving the beauty of the place that they are capturing. Sadder, because, apparently, Filipinos still haven’t learned their lesson with the recent closure of Boracay.
TRAVELER TIPS
- Major Pagudpud-bound bus terminals are located in Sampaloc, Manila. Booking a trip requires a personal visit to the terminal as most bus lines’ telephone numbers are unattended.
- Reserve bus seats one week before your scheduled trip, not just to secure seats, but also to score cheaper bus tickets. On the day of our trip, we’ve learned that ticket prices have went up because of the peak season.
- Buying snacks before boarding the bus is highly recommended as foods being sold in the stopovers are (very) expensive. These snacks will also be helpful and reliable when you find yourself hungry during your Pagudpud trip.
- Always secure a bottle of water to stay hydrated during your trip.
- Always bring cash as ATM is very rare in Pagudpud.
- Don’t forget to bring a cap and a reliable pair of sunglasses.
- Practice the “Leave no trace” rule.
EXPENSES
- Bus going to Pagudpud from Sampaloc, Manila – ₱700
- Tricycle to Saud Beach – ₱60
- Lodge accommodation – ₱1,500
- Kapurpurawan Rock Formation entrance fee – ₱10
- Burgos tour – ₱300
- Lunch – ₱85
- Kabigan Falls entrance fee – ₱10
- Kabigan Falls Guide – ₱100
- Pagudpud North Tour – ₱600
- Pagudpud South Tour (minus Burgos Tour) – ₱600
Check out our experience when we traveled to the cities of Laoag, Paoay and Vigan by ourselves!
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