Ilocos Norte is one of the most popular provinces in the Philippines, famous as the native province of Philippines' former president Ferdinand Marcos. Also known for their rich history and Spanish heritage.
It is my first visit to Ilocos Norte with my husband, the trip was in May and it was an unplanned trip.
Tip1: Budget airlines like Cebu Pacific offers flights to Laoag, the capital city of Ilocos Norte.
Tip2: There are not so many daily flights, plan your trip and try to be on time to avoid delays.
Tip3: To avoid hassles, try to book a hotel that offers airport pick-ups.
Tip4: We chose Ilocos Rosewell Hotel,
http://ilocosrosewellhotel.com/ . It's a simple hotel, 30-45minutes away from the airport and just 15minutes away from Robinson's Mall. There are also available laundry shops nearby.
The room that we chose is only for night sleep, though small it's clean and cozy.
They got some interesting furnitures made of local materials and they also have a small restaurant at the ground floor offering local specialties.
Tip5: Rosewell is offering tours, you can choose among the tours but for us we think that the Pagudpud tour is the most worthy of all.
Tip6: Rosewell is very near to my husband's relatives in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte. The San Nicolas church is a good visit and just nearby is a park. At night the empanadahan at the park is open, you can try the known empanada of Ilocos Norte.
Laoag City is the capital city of Ilocos Norte, upon entering the city the welcome arc and the river wall with grafitti are for good sight.
Tip7: Instead of availing the city tour, we went to Laoag buy renting a tricycle for Php100. But sometimes the offer can range from Php60-100.
Tip8: Ask the driver to stop near the Sinking Bell Tower, the tower is located near Ilocos Norte Capitol and wet market.
Sinking Bell Tower is a beauty standing at the corner of the street to Laoag's Market. It is said that years ago a horseman can pass through the tower's door but nowadays even an average person cannot go through.
Tip9: Visit the St. William Church in front of the Sinking Bell Tower.
Tip10: Get a glimpse of the Ilocos Norte Capitol and the park in front of the building.
Tip11: Visit the museum adjacent the capitol building named Museo Vivo de Ilocos.
Tip12: Enjoy the empanada made of papaya, mongo sprouts, egg, ground pork with Ilocano taste and the famous bagnet ( dried pork meat ) in Laoag's dap-ayan (foodjoint).
Tip13: Stroll around the wet market in Laoag, bring home different kinds of rice cakes, plants, native garlics and onions.
Also you can enjoy take a look at the pottery products available.
Tip14: Try some famous native seeds like the watermelon seeds and the corn chips. One pack ranges from Php75-100.
Tip15: For our ride to San Nicolas, we tried the horse carriage for the first time. From Laoag City the deal that we had was Php100.
It was a fun ride!
Tip16: Paoay Church is well-known in Ilocos Norte, it is one of the most sought churches in Ilocos Norte. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Read on the history slate to learn more about Paoay Church's history.
Tip17:On the way to Paoay Church, sand dunes are for a peek. Try to visit sand dunes in Ilocos Norte too for a different kind of adventure. It was raining when we were on tour, we did not have the chance to see any sand dunes.
Tip18: Also, stop by the Paoay Lake. It's legend is mysterious and interesting, the story of Paoay Lake is available for the tourists to learn.
Pagudpud tour is up next! :)
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