Bantay-abot cave

How to go to Ilocos Norte

Cebu Pacific and Philippine airlines have regular flights from Manila going to Laoag, Ilocos Norte. Fares ranges from P1100 to P1300 (one-way, non-promo fare).

Alternatively, another transportation to get you to Ilocos Norte is through bus. There are bus companies in Manila that has regular trips going to Laoag, it would take at least 10 hours to get there.

Bus Companies with trips to Laoag

Fare : Ranges from P600 to P800

1. Florida - Contact: 731-4473 (Mla. Office)
2. RCJ - Contact: 741-2994 (Mla. Office)
3. Rajan – Contact: 749-3969 (Mla. Office)/0920-217-9813

How to go to Bantay-abot cave

For my boyfriend and I’s trip, we made Pagudpud as the base location of our tour. From here, we hired a tricycle driver (Mang Nelson) to take us to the tourist spots near Pagudpud this including Kabigan Falls, Patapat Viaduct, Agua Grande Park, and Bangui Windmills. Fee for Manong Nelson’s trike is about P500.

Where to stay in Pagudpud – Jun and Carol’s Beach Resort

In Pagudpud, we stayed at Jun and Carols cottages. At the time (2007), the fee was P1100 a night. The original price was actually 1600 a night, but since there was a typhoon (See related entries) we bargained for 1100.

Contact Info of Jun and Carol’s beach resort:
website: http://juncarolbeachresort.com
contact person: Albert
contact numbers: +63-919-6405630

What to see – Tourist spots in Ilocos Norte

Bantay-abot cave would take around 30-45 minutes from Bangui Windmills. The cave is stunning from its view from afar, though I was’nt able to capture it in photo as I was so captivated on looking at it from the tricycle.

View from Bantay abot cave

Coming near the cave, you will have to get down from the main road, in this beautiful garden-like stairways.

Path to Bantay-abot cave

Up-close,  the cave is just a mountain with a hole. On each side are rocky formations surrounding the cave. Though there is a beach near the cave, it is not recommended to swim around the area due to it’s rocky sea grounds.

Beach at the back of Bantay-abot cave, perfect for strolling and sea shells hunting

Fees and Fares in Ilocos Norte

Tricycle tour – about P500.00(tour includes other areas and tip to our driver)

More pictures of Ilocos Norte here:

(Click on the picture to view album)

Bangui Windmills

How to go to Ilocos Norte

Cebu Pacific and Philippine airlines has regular flights going to Laoag, Ilocos Norte. Fares ranges from P1100 to P1300 (one-way, non-promo fare).

Alternatively, there are bus companies in Manila that has regular trips going to Laoag, and would take at least 10 hours to get there.

Bus Companies with trips to Laoag

Fare : Ranges from P600 to P800

1. Florida - Contact: 731-4473 (Mla. Office)
2. RCJ – Contact: 741-2994 (Mla. Office)
3. Rajan – Contact: 749-3969 (Mla. Office)/0920-217-9813

How to go to Bangui windmills

For my boyfriend and I’s trip, we made Pagudpud as the base location of our tour. From here, we hired a tricycle driver (Mang Nelson) to take us to the tourist spots near Pagudpud this including Kabigan Falls, Patapat Viaduct, Agua Grande Park, and Bantay-abot cave. Fee for Manong Nelson’s trike is about P500.

Bangui Windmills - Ilocos Norte

Where to stay – Hotels in Ilocos

In Pagudpud, we stayed at Jun and Carols cottages. At the time (2007), the fee was P1100 a night. The original price was actually 1600 a night, but since there was a typhoon (See related entries) we bargained for 1100.

Details of Jun and Carlo’s beach resort:
website: http://juncarolbeachresort.com
contact person: Albert
contact numbers: +63-919-6405630

Bangui is a whole different town from Pagudpud, getting there from Pagudpud would take around 30-45 minutes via a tricycle.  Mang Nelson was kind enough to still agree to go there.

In Bangui, there are trees and plants covering  up the beach and location to where the wind mills are. There are 8 total wind mills in the area, and up close these giant fans are super scary.

That small spec there is Manong Nelson's tricycle

The windmills are used to power up most of the cities and town of Ilocos and is maintained by the the NorthWind Power Development Corporation.

More pictures of Ilocos Norte here:

(click on the picture to view the album)

Stream of Kabigan Falls

How to go to Ilocos Norte

Cebu Pacific and Philippine airlines has regular flights going to Laoag, Ilocos Norte. Fares ranges from P1100 to P1300 (one-way, non-promo fare).

Alternatively, there are bus companies in Manila that has regular trips going to Laoag, and would take at least 10 hours to get there.

Bus Companies with trips to Laoag

Fare : Ranges from P600 to P800

1. Florida - Contact: 731-4473 (Mla. Office)
2. RCJ – Contact: 741-2994 (Mla. Office)
3. Rajan – Contact: 749-3969 (Mla. Office)/0920-217-9813

How to go to Kabigan Falls

During our Ilocos Norte trip, Jeff and I hired a tricycle driver to tour us to the spots of Ilocos. We got Manong Nelson as our driver/tour guide who was super nice. I have to say Ilocanos are one of the nicest people I have ever interact with. Plus Jeff is part Ilocano, so that makes it true that Ilocanos are really nice. hehe.It was an advantage for us that Jeff can speak Ilocano, Manong Nelson and him would talk sometimes in Ilocano, and of course I just take pictures around since I dont understand what they’re talking about. One of the places Mang Nelson, took us is Kabigan Falls.

The high fall of Kabigan Falls

The falls is 30 min trek from the main road, and an entrance fee of 10 pesos is required before going in. You will also need a guide, but if you’re lucky that you’re tricycle driver knows it, He can guide you going there. In our case Mang Nelson hasn’t been there for quite a while so we hired a guide going in. I think we paid him 50 pesos only since it was just the two of us, and he didn’t have to carry any of our stuff. So me, Jeff, Manong guide and Mang Nelson head on to Kabigan.

Going to kabigan, you will pass this cute nipa hut floating on a pond. A narrow path way is the only way to pass there..

Nipa hut going to kabigan

You will also pass a stream following Kabigan falls path. During the time we went there, the water was cold and clean. They said the waters of the falls are at its best, after the typhoon.

When we arrived there, there were this religious group having a picnic at the site. A bunch of kids was also playing in the waters, while some climbed up the top of the falls. I thought they were gonna jump that steep falls, but they were just pushing these logs down. I don’t know what they’re gonna use it for. But it was scary looking at the big logs falling off the falls.

A bunch of kids pushed off these logs from Kabigan Falls

Other tourist spot in Ilocos Norte

• Bantay-abot cave
• Bangui windmills

Fees and Fares

Tricycle tour: about P500.00

More pictures of Ilocos Norte here:

(click the picture to view the album)

The famous Patapat Viaduct of Ilocos Norte

My first airplane ride was just last August 2007. Along with my boyfriend Jeff, we had booked a flight to Ilocos after learning that CP(an airline name)have promo fares. So our flight was Wednesday and prior to that date, there was a drought in the Philippines as it haven’t rained in weeks and the water level here is slowly depleting. Everybody prayed for rain then. The catholic church even called upon it’s members to pray for rain, while I was the lone selfish person asking not to rain, just for three days. And so by Tuesday, PAGASA had released a weather update saying there’s finally rain in the Philippines..wooohooo!!! But! It’s not enough to cover those lost waters in the La Mesa Dam. PAGASA said there’s gonna be minor scattered rain showers in the Philippines, and boy did I felt good about that report. Jeff and I can still go about the streets of Ilocos!

Despite bad weather we still went to Ilocos to see this

Wednesday, it was pouring, just outside Jeff’s house was a half-foot high flood. Apparently, the minor rain showers PAGASA was telling about was actually super typhoon’s Dodong and Chedeng, and these two are also planning to go up north.

We couldnt get out that we had to get a tricycle just to get to the next street. It was pretty early when we got out of Jeff’s house, so the initial plan was to get me home first (I packed light) to get more clothes. We got into ShopWise, where according to Jeff has more vehicles passing by. In there, were flocks of people waiting for jeepneys.

We got there at nine, hoping to be at the airport by 10 am. Lots of jeepney’s went by and all of them were full. It was 9:30 then, so we decided to just ride a taxi. But all of them were occupied while some of the taxi drivers were just a*holes looking for passengers that wants to get off in Makati area only. It was near 10 am, so we decided to ride a trycicle to Buendia, so atleast well be halfway there, and there’d be more public vehicles there.

We got onto Buendia by 10 am, it was too late to get home, so we decided we’ll just head for the airport instead. And so, we waited again, waited.. waited.. waited. All jeepneys were full and none of the taxi’s were vacant. We finally got a ride going to EDSA through a jeep, since we cant get a taxi, the plan was to ride a bus on EDSA going to the airport instead.

When we finally got to EDSA, we havent been there that long, a taxi stopped on us. Finally our first stroke of luck!

Chedeng and Dodong showing their presence at Pagudpud

We got to the airport, and headed for the airlines’ terminal. We got there smoothly, the line wasnt long and everything’s in order. We sat near the advisory tv screen, so we’d know when we’ll be boarding. I see some of the flights were already being cancelled. Since the typhoon was up north, and Ilocos was there too. I was kinda expecting it would be cancelled, but I was hoping it wouldnt.

So 12:30 came, there were no advisory on our flight, until minutes later, there was an announcement that our flight has been CANCELLED. We were told to go to the *CP area and wait for their personnel. We were asked if we’d like to cancel our flight, or have a flight with PAL instead, they have a flight at 5:30 and CP will be transferring us instead.

We opted to transfer to PAL since  we have planned all this already. We followed CP’s instructions so we could get to PAL. We were the second people to get our names listed on their 5 pm trip for PAL. After us, their manager had asked her personnel for a highlighter pen, so she could highlight the names of those that will be in the PAL trip. We assumed our names would be highlighted on that list.

So we were transferred to PAL, Jeff and I had snacks since we havent eaten all day. We were calmly waiting for our tickets in the waiting area. Taking silly pictures and all.

By 4:30, a CP personnel came, and started giving E-tickets to the other passengers who were with us. Up until the personnel’s hands was out of E-tickets, we asked where are our tickets. Apparently, me, Jeff, this other guy werent highlighted on their list. The other guy was the first in line and we came next to him.

It’s just an hour till the flight. And we couldnt even get in the terminal yet. We argued with the personnel, and different CP personnel were coming and talking to us, asking us the same questions, which really irritated me, so I asked that only one person talk to us. Finally we got a paper ticket from them at about 4:45. The flight was 5:30.
We rushed in to the PAL terminal, and when we finally got to the terminal window, the PAL personnel told us that we cant board the plane yet cause they’re boarding the baggages and packages first. When I looked at our paper ticket. What CP has given us is an Open Ticket. So we werent the priority at all, the ticket has no flight number, no departure time, no departure date, just a fare and a route.

I felt crying that time out of annoyment. But I looked at Jeff, and he was really calm. Though I can see the other guy with us really angry. The terminal personnel said, they’d know if we can board at 5:10. We waited inside the airport again. I went to the bathroom and fixed my self. I was at the airport all day, and havent had a bath.

Rains outside of St Williams church in Laoag

And so 5:10 came we went to Check-in window # 2 and the personnel who we were talking with wasnt there. That really hit a nerve, Our flight was 5:30, and the person who can allow us to get in is not there. This other guy before us went to the next window and asked if he could board already. But the PAL personnel said we’d have to wait for the person who handled us before. He said, he’d be back, he just took a break.

5:30 came, the announcement that our flight was already boarding kept going a few minutes then. I was restless and becoming irritated that time especially with this voice saying that our flight is about to leave. The guy finally came, and processed us. I lost all anger then coz Im too f*ckin in a hurry to argue with him. We rushed into the plane and finally got in. Thank God.

When we flew, that was my first flight and there was nothing to see, plus the terbulence was so frequent. We only staballized like half way to Ilocos already.  When we finally arrived, it was pouring hard in Laoag, we went to a WOW Philippines help desk to ask for cheap hotels that was near the town.

I called them on the telephone and told that we were coming there. I expected that there’d be public vehicles outside the airport to take us to the hotel, but there werent any, so we walked further just to look for a trycicle or jeep. A trycicle saw us but he had already passengers on and he told us that he’d tell the other tricycles to pick us up.

We walked still anyways, A van stopped on us, and asked us where we were going but he didnt know it, so we declined his offer since we have a trycicle to pick us up. Then a jeepney came and asked a lift again, he knew the place so we got in. In there, Jeff and I kept asking how much the fare is. but the driver kept replying, “Saan ba kayo?”, and then we’d answer and then he’ll not answer back. I was really annoyed coz we kept asking him.

When we got to the hotel, we asked the jeepney driver how much the fare is again! Instead of replying he got out of his jeep, we got out too. Apparently he didnt want his Korean passengers to know how much the fare is. He asked us for 100 pesos each. We have asked the WOW Philippines personnel how much a fare from the airport would be, so we knew that the 100 pesos was enough.

We got to the hotel, (I forgot the name). It was inside a narrow alley but it was near town. It’s kinda like a scary-really really cheap hotel. We asked to see their rooms before getting in.

We were directed to a room in the third floor, and it was not fixed, only one bed has a bedding to it, the personnel told us, he’ll be cleaning it after we agreed to get the room. We checked the bathroom and there were no towels. We brought our own, but we still need towels. He said the towels are still wet, so he’ll give us bed sheets instead. That’s when we said no. The room wasnt worth it at all. It was funny how the guy kept offering us the bed sheets, and I was being sarcastic with it. Though I have to say, Ilocanos are very very nice people.

We went back on the front desk again and told them that we dont want the room, the front desk personnel offered as another hotel instead, which was weird coz that’s their business competitor. He even called this other hotel himself and booked us a cheap room. They told us to mention their hotel upon checkin to the other hotel, La Elliana. They must’ve had a commission from La Elliana.

La Elliana was really nice, they have responsive people in there plus they have an elevator going to each floors, and our room was big, air conditioned, with cable tv, towels and bed sheets. And they’re all clean! Their food is eve amazing, we ordered the same thing twice in our stay there.

This Ilocos trip didnt end there…