Tag Archives: province

Aparri, Iguig, Penablanca, Cagayan

January 10, 2016 couplemeetsworld Leave a comment

November 20, 2015

This was the last leg of our 6-Day North Luzon Backpacking Adventure.

From Santa Ana, we had to get to Tuguegarao City to catch a bus going to Manila. But we decided to ride one of the night-sleeper buses so we could explore more of Cagayan Valley in one day.

In the morning, we hopped on one of the UV Express vans and went to the sleepy town of Aparri, which was two hours away from Santa Ana. We just checked out the Aparri Delta, where the Cagayan River meets the sea, the Aparri Park, a church, and had Pancit Cabagan in a local panciteria.

Then we were off to Iguig, which was another two hours from Aparri, to check out the Calvary Hills, where life-size statues depicting the stations of the cross lie.

After spending less than an hour in Iguig, we then proceeded to Penablanca, to explore the Callao Caves. We chartered a tricycle (P1,000) because we were pressed for time already.

The beautiful Callao Caves had religious formations, and even had an altar inside. They hold Holy Masses there regularly.

Our Tour Guide also suggested we ride a boat along the Pinacanauan River and wait for the colony of bats that fly out of a cave every 5:30 in the afternoon. Our three-minute experience watching the bats was surreal.

When it was already dark, we headed to Tuguegarao City to get to a bus terminal. Buses were fully booked but after having another variant of Pancit Cagayan (Pancit Batil Patong) for dinner, we were able to ride a bus as chance passengers.

12 hours later we were back in Manila.

If you need a place to stay in Tuguegarao City, click on the following link for our suggestions: Hotels/Bed and Breakfast/Inns

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Burgos, Bangui, and Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

December 7, 2015 couplemeetsworld Leave a comment

November 17, 2015

On Day 3 of our 6D/7N North Luzon Backpacking Trip, we took the mini-bus from Laoag City and got off in Burgos, where we were greeted by Drex, who was referred to us by our Laoag Tour Guide James. We paid him P1300 to do the North and South Pagudpud Tours (including entrance fees).

We got to explore the upper part of Ilocos Norte, particularly the towns of Burgos, Bangui, and Pagudpud. Burgos is known for its Kapurpurawan Rock Formations and the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, while Bangui boasts of its 1.65 MW wind turbines placed along a nine-kilometer shoreline.

Meanwhile, Pagudpud is famous for the Patapat Viaduct and Kabigan Falls. Moreover, it is where the northern-most tip of the Luzon Island lies. We also got to visit the Blue Lagoon and Saud Beach, which are definitely included in the best beaches we’ve seen — with white powdery sand and sapphire blue water.

Here are some photos:

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Laoag City, Batac and Paoay

December 4, 2015 couplemeetsworld Leave a comment

Day 2 of our North Luzon Backpacking Trip was spent touring Laoag City, the capital of Ilocos Norte, and nearby towns, Batac and Paoay. We chartered a tricycle for P700 and it took us to the Sinking Bell Tower, Laoag Church, Malacanan of the North, Paoay Lake, Paoay Church, Marcos Mausoleum and Museum, Ilocos Museum. We even got to try riding a 4×4 and sand boarding in the Laoag Sand Dunes, for P2500 (up to 5 persons).

If you need a place to stay in Laoag, click on the following link for our suggestions: Hotels/Bed and Breakfast/Inns

Here are some photos:

https://flic.kr/s/aHskpE6hqh

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Bangued

November 24, 2015 couplemeetsworld Leave a comment

We had the chance to tour North Luzon via public transportation from November 14 to 21, 2015. Since both of us are government employees, we had work suspension from Tuesday to Friday due to the APEC summit. We also took a leave on Monday, giving us nine consecutive vacation days.

Since we are fond of doing spontaneous trips, our itinerary was planned only two days before, not really being entirely sure if it was feasible. We also didn’t book anything in advance because we’re kind of risk averse. All we knew was that we wanted to visit the Ilocos Region and the Cagayan Valley by commuting, and that we had to be back two days before the next working day.

On the day of the trip, we decided to squeeze in Bangued, Abra as part of our trip, and that it be our starting point. Abra is a landlocked province in the Cordillera Administrative Region. Its capital, Bangued, is only an hour away from Vigan City, Ilocos Sur. We chartered a tricycle for P600 to tour around Bangued for half a day. We were able to visit the Victoria Park or the peak of the Cassamata Hill, which gave us a good view of the province. The tricycle also took us to the Tayum Church, the Bangued Cathedral (St. James the Elder), the Calaba Bridge, the Don Mariano Marcos Bride, and the ancestral House of former senator Quintin Paredes.

Bangued is also known for miki, its indigenous noodles and so we tried it out at a local panciteria, which our tricycle driver/tour guide recommended. We look forward to visiting the town again during its miki festival, which is held every February.

More details about our trip in the coming days. In the meantime, please find below our itinerary for this 6D/7N Backpacking Trip:

November 14, Saturday (10:00 pm) – Departure from Cubao, Quezon City (Partas Bus)

November 15, Sunday (5:00 am) – Arrival in Bangued

November 15, Sunday (6:00 am to 9:00 am) – Bangued, Abra Tricycle Tour (Victoria Park or Cassamata Hill, Calaba Bridge, Mariano Marcos Bridge)

November 15, Sunday (10:00 am to 11:00 am) – Travel to Vigan City, Ilocos Sur by Mini-bus

November 15, Sunday (12:00 pm to 6:00 pm) – Vigan City Tricycle Tour (Saint Augustine Parish Church or the Bantay Church, Bantay Bell Tower, Baluarte, Hidden Garden, Cristy’s Loomweaving, Pottery, Calle Crisologo, Metropolitan Cathedral of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle or the Cathedral of Vigan, Town Plaza)

November 16, Monday (8:00 am to 11:00 am) – Travel to Laoag, City, Ilocos Norte by Bus

November 16, Monday (12:00 pm to 6:00 pm) – Laoag City, Batac, and Paoay Tricycle Tour (Laoag Sinking Bell Tower, Malacanan of the North, Paoay Lake, Paoay Church, Marcos Museum and Mausoleum, Museo Ilocos Norte, Laoag Sand Dunes)

November 17, Tuesday (8:00 am to 10:00 am) – Travel to Burgos, Ilocos Norte

November 17, Tuesday (11:00 am to 12:00 pm) – Burgos and Bangui Tricycle Tour (Kapurpurawan Rock Formations, Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, Bangui Windmills)

November 17, Tuesday (12:00 to 2:30 pm) – Trek to Kabigan Falls

November 17, Tuesday (3:00 pm to 6:00 pm) – Pagudpud Tricycle Tour (Pagudpud Arch, Timangtang Rock, Bantay Abot Cave, Dos Hermanos Islands, Blue Lagoon, Saud Beach)

November 18, Wednesday (8:30 am to 9:30 am) – Travel to Pancian, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte via tricycle

November 18, Wednesday (9:00 am to 10:30 am) – Travel to Adams, Ilocos Norte via motorcycle

November 18, Wednesday (10:30 am to 11:30 am) – Adams Motorcycle Tour (Lover’s Peak, Hanging Bridge, Viewpoint, Winery)

November 18, Wednesday (12:30 pm to 3:30 pm) – Trek to Anuplig Fallss

November 18, Wednesday (4:00 pm to 5:00 pm) – Travel to Pancian, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

November 18, Wednesday (6:00 pm to 7:00 pm) – Travel to Claveria, Cagayan

November 18, Wednesday (9:00 pm to 1:00 am) – Travel to Nangaramoan Beach, Santa Ana, Cagayan

November 19, Thursday (8:00 am to 4:00 pm) – Palaui Island Hopping (Cape Engano, Punta Verde, Punta Verde Falls, Crocodile Island, Anguib Beach)

November 19, Thursday (7:00 pm) – Reached San Vicente (642 km) marker

November 20, Friday (8:30 am to 10:00 am) – Travel to Aparri, Cagayan

November 20, Friday (10:00 am to 11:30 am) – Aparri Tricycle Tour

November 20, Friday (12:00 pm to 2:00 pm) – Travel to Iguig, Cagayan

November 20, Friday (2:00 pm to 2:30 pm) – Iguig Calvary Hills

November 20, Friday (3:00 pm to 4:00 pm) – Travel to Penablanca, Cagayan

November 20, Friday (4:00 pm to 5:00 pm) – Callao Cave

November 20, Friday (5:00 pm to 6:00 pm) – Pinacanauan River Boat Ride and Bats Watching

November 20, Friday (6:00 pm to 6:45 pm) – Travel to Tuguegarao City

November 20, Friday (9:00 pm) – Departure from Tuguegarao City (Florida Bus)

November 21, Saturday (8:00 am) – Arrival in Sampaloc, Manila

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Lakes of San Pablo: Lake Sampaloc, Lake Bunot, Lake Palikpikan, Lake Mohicap, and Lake Pandin

November 10, 2015 couplemeetsworld Leave a comment

November 8, 2015

On our way back to Manila from a Christening in Lucena City, Quezon, we dropped by the City of San Pablo to check out its Seven Lakes. We were kind of pressed for time though, so we were able to see only five, namely, Lake Sampaloc, Lake Bunot, Lake Palikpikan, Lake Mohicap, and Lake Pandin.

Lake Sampaloc

Lake Palikpikan

Lake Mohicap

Lake Pandin

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Mt. Mirador / Mt. Pinagbanderahan: Quezon National Forest Park

September 1, 2015 couplemeetsworld 1 Comment

August 30, 2015

Situated right in the middle of Quezon National Forest Park is Mt. Mirador or Mt. Pinagbanderahan, whose peak is 1200 ft. above sea level. The cemented 2-km. trail is manageable, scenic and alluring to newbies in hiking. It was very important during World War II, as it was where the Philippine flag was hoisted; hence, its name.

If you need a place to stay in Lucena City, click on the following link for our suggestions: Hotels/Bed and Breakfast/Inns

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Trolley Ride (a.k.a. Skate System)

June 5, 2015 couplemeetsworld Leave a comment

The trolley/skate system is a common mode of transportation in rural areas that are near the railroad system. Skates are usually motorized and the ride is truly enjoyable.

We had the chance to rent out a trolley in Brgy. Lutucan, Sariaya, Quezon for just P150 (round-trip) but the fare is usually P10. We told the driver we just wanted to try it out and we really had no destination. Our trip took 45 minutes. It was Nikko’s first time but Janna had been on it a couple of times before.

You need to watch our video below to get a grasp of the trolley system but you’re gonna need to try it to fully appreciate it: