Ilocos Adventure!

Hola! :)

I am extremely happy to tell you that I have crossed off another travel destination from my list! I have already walked along the streets of Calle Crisologo, witnessed the beautiful ruins of ancient churches, had a rollercoaster ride on the sand dunes of Paoay, got blown away by the enormous windmills of Bangui, ate bagnet (prolly in all the restaurants we ate at. lol) and experienced all other wonderful things that Ilocos could offer! 

It was a 10-hour drive from Manila and there wasn't much traffic since we traveled during the night. If you're not on a tight budget, I suggest you travel by plane to save time :) 

Day 1

This was taken during our plane ride from  Davao to Manila. This means a lot because this was our first plane ride together. Lol forgive me for being cheesy :))



After getting our butts sore from sitting for too long, we have finally reached Vigan! This was where we took our breakfast --- The Hidden Garden. They showcase a wide variety of plants you could look at and even buy as pasalubong for your mom :)


Next stop: Calle Crisologo!

This was actually my most-awaited part of the trip and luckily, I didn't have to wait long since it was our second destination! I have long been dreaming of stepping on the beautiful streets of this city. It was like having a stroll in Spain! (I have never been there though. lol) 






Off to bring out the kid in me in Baluarte!

Felt like a kid again with all the animal encounters we had! Got to ride ponies, feed Bambi, hold a tiger and so much more :D 




we go to feed Bambi! :D

never in my entire life had I imagined I would come close to a tiger :))

Mcdonald's --- the Vigan way! :)

Okay, I know it doesn't look a lot like the usual Mcdo we see in our cities. The structure of the building looks a lot like an old church or an ancestral house of a Spanish Donya or something and you may think you'll be served with different classic dishes but it is Mcdo, a beautifully built Mcdo for that matter! :D


One thing Ilocos never runs out of: Beautiful old churches! They have a lot, and I mean a LOT of houses of worship that have been built long before we have been born into this world. This was the first one we visited and just beside it resides the Bantay Belltower :)








Welcome to the Malacanang of the North! This is where our former president Marcos and his family were situated a long time ago. It has now become a tourist spot for people to have a glimpse of the life of the Marcos family way back many years ago. Their house was huge, filled with a lot of exquisite things - an implication of their luxurious life, and had a spectacular view of the lake :)





Now let's get ourselves covered with sand at Suba Paoay Sand Dunes! :) This is actually the most fun part of our Day 1. We first had a somewhat roller coaster ride on the 4x4. You could rent it for 500 pesos and go up and downhill while screaming your lungs out! Of course your sand dunes experience wouldn't be complete without sledding, it is a must that you try this no matter how poor your balancing skills are :))






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Day 2

The second day of our Ilocos adventure was much more jam-packed than the first day and mind you, we were able to go to eight places in just a day!

First stop: Sinking Belltower. We didn't spend much time here since they do not allow people to enter the tower. You could just roam around and take photos for free :)





Second stop: Cape Bojeador Lighthouse
It is said to be a cultural heritage built in the Spanish era.




Third stop: Kapurpurawan Rock Formation
This place is incredibly beautiful! You could see exquisite gigantic white rocks beneath the cloudy blue skies and look at windmills from afar. They offer horses you could rent to ride on while roaming around the place but I suggest you go walking, just sweat it all out! ;)




Fourth stop: Bangui Windmills
The widely known windmills of Ilocos is definitely a sight to behold! Couldn't stop taking pictures of them when we were there. The photos don't even give justice of how beautiful the place was :)



my cutie patootie trying his best to make it look like he's holding the windmill. close enough bebe. Hahaha! :*

Fifth stop: Patapat Bridge
The longest bridge in Ilocos Norte!



Sixth stop: Bantay Abot Cave
Just beneath the Pagatpat bridge resides the Bantay Abot Cave. Nothing much to do here, just for picture purposes ;)



Seventh stop: Agua Grande 
Went for a quick dip in the beach before heading back to Laoag ;)


Eighth (and last) stop: Downtown of Laoag
We went back to the hotel (UKL Ever Hotel) we checked-in in Laoag after a long, tiring, but fun-filled day. After having our dinner at some local restaurant just near the hotel, we decided to take a stroll at the heart of Laoag City :)






Day 3

The last but definitely not the least attraction we went to before bidding our goodbyes to Ilocos was the Paoay Church. We haven't attended mass and entered the church though since we were in a bit of a hurry but this photo was more than enough to capture the timeless beauty of the Paoay Church :)




Til' my next adventure! ❤️




xoxo,
Delyn ♥







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