(Travel) Road Trip to Pagudpud

It's been a long time since I've posted on this blog, writing seems to be an on-and-off switch for me. Now that it's on, I'd like to re-visit our last few couple trips before our little one arrives in eight weeks.

First up was our road trip to Pagudpud with a couple of friends.

Left Manila at Midnight
We drove to Pagudpud on a Ford Everest switching drivers every four hours or so. The total trip to Pagudpud (excluding stops) took around twelve to fourteen hours.

Paoay Church

Our first stop was at the Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte.  The church is famous for its distinct architecture highlighted by the enormous buttresses on the sides and back of the building and is declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the Philippine government 

Fort Ilocandia

Next stop was at Fort Ilocandia, the only five-star hotel in northern Philippines. Picture-picture lang.
















Lunch @ Saramsam Cafe (Laoag)

After a couple of more hours of driving, we had lunch at Saramsam Cafe in Laoag. It was highly recommended by guides and trip blogs. The food was great and unique. Dinuguan pizza anyone?







Casa Victoria Pagudpud - Saud Beach 

We then arrived at our hotel in Saud Beach, Pagudpud named Casa Victoria. We relaxed for the rest of the day.

Kabigan Falls
Day two. Our first stop was the Kabigan Falls, a half-hour trek from the national road. We took a dip in the water as well as took pictures.

Cape Bojedor Lighthouse
Next stop was the Cape Bojedor Lighthouse, a cultural heritage structure in Burgos, Ilocos Norte.

Bangui Windmills

Last stop for the day was the Bangui Windmills. The structures were awesome! The wind farm uses twenty units of seventy-metre high Vestas V82 1.65 MW wind turbines, arranged on a single row stretching along a nine-kilometer shoreline off Bangui Bay, facing the West Philippine Sea.

Dinner @ BergBlick Restaurant (Pagudpud)

A recommendation from a friend. The place is just along the highway. They serve German as well as Filipino dishes. The food was excellent.

Lunch @ Hidden Garden (Vigan)

Day three. On our way back to Manila, we decided to stop at Vigan to experience the town. One of the recommended restaurants was the Hidden Garden. A very green approach to dining.







Calle Crisologo (Vigan)

We then explored Calle Crisologo, the reason why Vigan is one of the seven wonder cities in the world. It was like taking a stroll during the Spanish era. It's also a great place to buy "pasalubong"













Dinner @ Halo-Halo de Iloco (La Union)

After hours of driving we decided to make a stop at La Union and have our dinner at Halo-Halo de Iloco (yes, they serve dinner as well). Best halo-halo in the north.

Back in Manila
It was a great trip. It was worth the long drive to see what northern Luzon had to offer. It was fun as we rarely have out of town trips with friends.