Ilocos Travel Guide / DIY Do it yourself Tour

 

Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur Travel Guide, Tara...Let's go...

Traveling is not on my  things to do list this year, I admit time constraint and budget are the factors that hinder me to travel, I only  have the chance to travel during company outings or when a relative residing abroad comes here for a brief  vacation that's because its FREE until I read a blog about backpacking and do it yourself tour  here in the Philippines. That changed everything and traveling became #1 on my list this year. To start it off, me and my wife went on a backpacking experience to the Ilocos region and as a guide to would be DIY travelers, here is our itinerary including expenses for two incurred during our trip.

 



March 30, 2012

•  Manila - Laoag via Partas Bus departure time 05:30pm (php773/person)

           there were 4 stopovers during the entire trip  (dinner php186.00)

March 31, 2012 

• arrived at Partas bus terminal Laoag City, Ilocos Norte 04:30am
• rode tricycle to UKL Ever Hotel (fare php50.00)
• check in at hotel  (php1300.00) should only be php800.00/day but since we checked in early(check in time is 12:00pm) they charged us extra php 500.00 for 12hr rate.

 

• breakfast at Jollibee 07:30am (php156.00)
• rode tricycle to bus terminal to Pagudpud (fare php30.00)
• Laoag - Tuguegarao departure time 08:30am tell ticket seller to drop you off at waiting shed in  Brgy Balaoi Pagudpud (php126/person).
• arrived at Brgy Balaoi Pagudpud 10:30am and met our guide and tricycle driver Edison (09102361493)
• started our 30mins hike to Kabigan falls (fee php120.00), you will be accompanied by a tour guide wearing a green shirt with their names printed.
• finished  our Kabigan tour at 12:00pm and gave our tour guide php php100.00 tip

 


 

      

• next destinations Patapat viaduct, Agua Grande (entrance php25.00/person), Paraiso ni Anton,
Timmangtang rock and Bantay Abot cave (end of North tour)

                   





PATAPAT VIADUCT
 

 

grotto at Paraiso ni Anton

                                                               Timmangtang Rock



 
                                                              Bamtay Abot cave from a distance

 
                                                             Bantay Abot cave closer....

 

• lunch at roadside eatery (php285.00)
• start of South tour: Bangui Windmills, Kapurpurawan Rock formation and Cape Bojeador Lighthouse

                                                           Bangui Windmills, Bangui, Ilocos Norte         
 

 


 
                                                            shot from the view deck



 
                                                    miniature windmills for sale at the view deck



 
                                                 Kapurpurawan Rock formation on a cloudy day



 

                                                    Kapurpurawan Rock formation, Burgos, Ilocos Norte

 
                                                         Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, Burgos, Ilocos Norte

 

We finished our Pagudpud, Bangui and Burgos trip at 06:00pm and Edison dropped us off at the highway to wait for a bus going back to Laoag City (tour fee/tricycle rent php1200.00).

We boarded a Florida bus at 07:00pm (fare php160.00) and arrived in Laoag City at 08:00pm, from the Florida bus terminal, we took a tricycle (fare php40.00) to Chowking which is near our hotel (dinner php237.00). Lights out 10:00pm.

April 01, 2012 (Laoag - Batac - Paoay - Vigan tour)

• tricycle to St Williams Cathedral to attend the Sunday mass (fare php22.00)
• breakfast at Mcdonalds (php190.00) and picture taking at St Williams Cathedral, Sinking bell tower and Tobacco Monopoly monument and Museo Ilocos Norte (entrance php50.00/person).

 

Saint Williams Cathedral

 

The Sinking Bell Tower

  

Tobacco Monopoly Monument

                                                               inside Museo Ilocos Norte

• from the museum, we rode a tricycle to our hotel (fare php25.00) and checked out then another tricycle (fare php25.00) to Batac - Paoay jeep terminal (fare php50.00).

                                     Marcos Mausoleum Batac, Ilocos Norte (no cameras allowed inside)

• Marcos museum and mausoleum (entrance php50.00/person)
• jeep ride to Paoay (fare php20.00) 

                                              San Agustin Church Paoay, Ilocos Norte

• rent tricycle (php250.00) that will take us to Malacanang of the north and Paoay Lake and back to highway in Batac for a bus ride to Vigan, Ilocos Sur

 
                                     Malacanang of the North (entrance php30.00/person)










                                                long table inside Malacanang of the North





                                                                       Paoay Lake

• from the highway, we took an aircon bus(Partas) going to Vigan, Ilocos Sur (fare php127.00/person) and arrived at 05:00pm and had dinner at Chowking (php268.00), no more time for Baluarte and Pagburnayan so we just headed to Calle Crisologo or Heritage Village in a kalesa (fare php50.00), took pictures and bought some pasalubongs (php2000.00) and ride in a kalesa again (fare php100.00) to Partas bus terminal.

•  Partas bus terminal departure time 08:00 pm (fare php661.00/person)
• dinner at bus stopover (php175.00) 
•  arrived at Partas bus terminal in Pasay at 05:00am April 02, 2012.

Until  my next trip, see you on Tara...Let's go...!!!

TOTAL EXPENSES FOR 2 = Php 10,298.00 (Mar 30- Apr 2 2012)