A trip to the north: Discovering Ilocos Norte & Ilocos Sur – Trip preparation

The northernmost part of the Philippines used to be one of my top dream destinations; how I long to walk the streets of the Heritage Village in Vigan, visit the beautiful San Agustin Church in Paoay, see for myself the giant windmills in Bangui and more. After seeing so many scenic travel photos of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, and reading a lot of positive reviews about the region, I made a promise to myself to explore the place someday. I’m usually based in Paranaque whenever I visit Luzon, and the northernmost city I’ve gone so far was Baguio.

Last year, I finally had the chance to visit Ilocos with my mom. I got a seat sale alert on June for air ticket promos from Manila to Laoag, the capital of Ilocos Norte, for flights on August and beyond. We chose August 28, the feast day of St. Augustine, for our arrival date in Laoag as we consider it a blessed day to finally arrive in the country’s northernmost part for the first time.

San Agustin Church in Paoay, Ilocos Norte is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Manila to Laoag air travel

We bought our Manila-Laoag (MNL-LAO) tickets on promo via Cebu Pacific for only Php571.20 per passenger on LiteFARE option, i.e. with no checked-in baggage. This is definitely a more practical travel option than choosing a tiring 9 to 11 hours aircon bus trip from Manila to Laoag at about Php800.

To get the lowest airfares, just keep on checking airline websites for ticket promos; you need to decide on the travel dates though, as these promos are usually valid for travel periods 6 to 12 months later. I didn’t book an air ticket for our return trip so we could have more flexibility in our tour itinerary, plus I also wanted to experience the bus ride from Ilocos to Manila.

Choosing our Laoag accommodation

I always check online for hotel reviews and personal recommendations from actual travelers; it’s not wise to readily go for those enticing texts and attractive photos most hotels put on their websites. Getting information from unbiased customer reviews is part of my travel research before a trip to any destination. I usually check out TripAdvisor and Agoda for customer reviews on hotels and accommodations.

For our stay in Ilocos, I contacted about 4 hotels in Laoag, and Balay da Blas came out as the best choice for us, although it is not centrally located in the city as compared to other popular options.

Balay da Blas Pension House is ranked #1 out of 10 Laoag B&B and Inns according to TripAdvisor

Aside from the affordable accommodation, positive reviews and the included amenities, what made us decide on Balay da Blas was getting the best response from their staff, based on promptness and professionalism, through email and phone.

Arrival in Laoag City

Early in the morning of our trip, we received a text message from a concerned friend in Laoag if we would push through with our flight as classes were even suspended days before due to heavy rains. Our reply, full of faith, was: if our flight would not be cancelled, we’d be there! Thank God, It was just drizzling when we arrived in Laoag Airport; I was so excited to tour around and discover Ilocos beyond what I had theoretically learned from the numerous travel brochures, blogs and photos read beforehand.

To be continued…

Upcoming posts for A trip to the north: Discovering Ilocos Norte & Ilocos Sur
Day 1: Laoag City
Day 2: Paoay and Vigan
Day 3: Pagudpud, Burgos (Kapurpurawan), Bangui