I was so blessed to have been included in Caresharing founders' outing in Siargao. And when you are with these guys, it would mean (always) nice accomodation, very good food, and never ever concious with budget. 

I was expecting to see a lot of surfer dudes (foreigners most especially hahaha) there and was very very excited about it. But unfortunately I think summer is not the best time to go to Siargao if 6-packs is part of your itinerary LOLZ! But it's okay, I had 5 "surfer" dudes anyway that made the trip so much fun (a.k.a lots of tsismis lol).

I fell in love with the island (actually just in General Luna for now 'cause we hadn't explored the island that much) and one day I'll go back there and probably with my surfing dude loves and explore even more haha (dreaming!). Life is just so simple there with friendly sweet people around. What I also like about it is not over crowded, no parties by the beach, no fancy restaurants. Its relaxed and laid back atmosphere made me want to stay there forever. 

Siargao is known to be the surfing capital of the country but it has so much to offer also for people like me who don't surf. I really love to but I'm just too scared. Well I am a frustrated surfer dudette wanna be.

Here are spots Siargao offers beyond surfing:

Part of our travel itinerary was a trip to Bucas Grande to see the famous Sohoton Cave which I will be blogging separately. 

From our resort (Siargao Inn) in General Luna, we hired a boat that brought us directly to Sohoton National Park in Bucas Grande Island for about 3 hours. On our way there, we were welcomed by beautiful rock formations and deep blue crystalline water. That very tiring 3-hr boat ride was all worth it. Such an amazing place! 

Bucas Grande has been blessed with so many wonders of nature and our tour guide said that Sohoton Cove is by far the best in the island. They said it is submerged in water that the entrance and exit disappears during high tide. 

Going inside the cove was seeing what a wonderful world we have and I was mesmerized by its beauty. It was indeed one magical experience. There are three attractions inside the cove: Horse Foot, Hagukan Cave and Magkukuob Cave where the only way out is to jump off the cliff. 

Also never leave Sohoton without seeing the stingless jellyfish and snorkel near Markaa Beach.

On our way back to Siargao Island, our tour guide dropped us off near Markaa Beach as it is the best snorkeling site of the island. Let me show you some shots of the carebears:

The opportunity of going to Vigan Ilocos Sur finally came when I had to go to Baguio City to attend a friend’s graduation, and so I thought of travelling all the way up north.

Most people will go to Laoag City first when touring Vigan Ilocos Sur and Pagudpud Ilocos Norte. BUT I GUESS I FOUND A BETTER ROUTE.
From Cebu, I took a Cebu Pacific early morning flight to Manila. But I’ve learned that a Cebu-Clark route would have been wiser since Clark is nearer Baguio. Anyway,  from NAIA Terminal 3 in Manila,  you can ride on the shuttle bus then take a jeepney OR if you want less hassle [like me] just hail a taxi, to take you to Victory Liner Pasay Terminal.

My friends and I were not able to get on board the Deluxe Bus [the one that offers blanket and snacks and has it's own CR]  since it’s already full. But it was fine because the fare of a regular aircon bus is way cheaper than the Deluxe. Instead of paying PhP750, we only spent PhP455 for bus fare. It is a LONG RIDE, so better prepare yourself with some neck pillow, jacket/sweater,  and some food and water too if you don’t like to buy at the bus stop stations.

After 6 long hours on the bus we finally arrived in Baguio! I won't be talking about it anymore here since I've written so much about the city in the other pages. So from Baguio, you may start your Ilocos tour and your first stop should be Vigan.

Take a Partas Bus bound for Laoag City Ilocos Norte.  It will pass by Vigan City Ilocos Sur Bus Station. This is going to be another 5-hour ride. And the bus fare is around PhP360. The schedule of the last trip is 10pm while the first trip’s at 4am.

For me, there isn’t a lot to see in Vigan except the Heritage Village. It isn’t every day that we get to see antiques and century-old properties. I am not so much into antique items. I find the old houses especially the ones in Calle Crisologo amazing but scary too. If I was walking alone in the street, there might be some white lady and this ghost would suddenly interrupt my drama… this scene in my mind ended up with me realizing I was just stressed and I really needed rest asap. If you think about it, a 5-hour bus ride during your  monthly period is not a lot of fun anymore. 

I decided to stay overnight in Cordillera Inn.  The place is strategically located in Calle Crisologo, the main attraction of Vigan. Room rate’s at PhP1500 good for 2 persons.

There’s a lot of fastfoods and carenderia near Calle Crisologo but never leave Vigan without eating in these places. The food’s great, the ambiance good, plus there’s a lot of handsome attraction for a single lady like me!

But I really love the architectural design of their fastfood restaurants there. Check out this McDonalds Vigan branch:

I striked up a good deal with a tricycle driver to take me to other nice spots in Vigan for a reasonable Php150 per hour. I was so surprised when he handed me a list [wow, kuya hindi ka masyadong prepared, lol!]. It is also good to visit the other side of the city to appreciate and learn more about their people and culture. This is Vigan aside from the heritage village but honestly you don’t really need to go here but for the sake of sightseeing, go! This one’s owned by the infamous Governor Chavit Singson and entrance is free!

This Vigan Cruise for Php100 is not so impressive.

 This is for me the Philippine version of Macau’s Ruins of St. Paul, only this is a bell tower. This site is nice to see.

Well, going to museums is also cool but too bad I don’t have good pictures indoor but I’ve got these 4 photos worth sharing: the hanging refrigerator, the pig system toilet, the wooden refrigerator, and the ambushed car of Governor Crisologo.

For reference, I recommend you contact this Manong tricycle driver in your future Vigan Tour just in case you want to roam around . His name is Rico Soriano and his mobile is 0906 395 5949. He is a very buotan (nice) old man, who can take good photos and knows  the best angle. Too bad I didn’t have a camera, I just used my 2mp camera phone. I know, I know, I’m bringing a decent one on my next trip. Stay tuned!
Up next is my trip to Ilocos Norte. Read my next blog about the province. 

Ilocos  is not one of those places on my bucket list until this Filipino film titled “Suddenly It’s Magic” was released in cinemas. Okay fine, I know it’s baduy [lol] but the location where they shot the movie caught my attention. Making my travel soul go. . .ohhhhh those windmills!
From the Vigan Bus Terminal, take any bus bound for Laoag. Those buses are either coming from Manila or Baguio. It will be a 2-hour ride. Fare’s around PhP200. I negotiated with this tricycle driver to give me a city day tour for PhP700. IT’s really not a bad deal. I am also recommending this tricycle driver for your future Ilocos tour. You may reach Mr. Wawie Bartolome through his mobile 0906 972 9377. I was expecting a Laoag City Tour, but actually it turned out as a tour to neighboring municipalities! And it even had a theme: getting to know the Marcoses  ! But of course, you may skip this leg if you’re not interested. But I guess any tourist going up north of the Philippines would like to see the Marcos Museum, right? So as I’ve expected, we cannot take photos there, it’s prohibited. But here’s some images from one of the museums in Batac.

One should  never fail to visit Paoay Church of course, because it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest churches in the country.

And your Ilocos Norte tour won’t be complete without experiencing the adventure at the Sand Dunes! Perhaps this is our version of the Dessert Safari in Dubai. This activity offers so much excitement and fun.

You might also want to visit Malacanang of the North to complete that “getting-to-know the Marcoses tour.” :) 

In my own opinion, there’s no need to stay overnight in Laoag. There’s nothing more there for sightseeing; might as well take a 2-hr mini-bus ride bound for Pagudpud. Fare’s PhP60 only.
Stay at the Saud Beach especially if you’re a first timer. It’s nearer the bus terminal and there are a lot of resorts you can choose from depending on your budget. Cathy’s Homestay is known for budget accommodation but unfortunately it was fully booked. I opted to stay 1 night at Britanya Resort (http://www.britanyalodge.com) with a room rate of PhP1500. But if I will have another opportunity to go back in Pagudpud, I will stay at Kapuluan Resort (http://kapuluanvistaresortandrestaurant.com) because it would be  a perfect accommodation for my dramas [lol]. I cancelled my reservation there because somebody told me that it’s far from the bus terminal and I also considered that my arrival would be in the evening. The following morning I told the tricycle driver to take me there, and yes, it is indeed far, but still I will recommend the resort.

I again hired a tricycle driver for a rate of 1200 to see the windmills and other nice spots of Pagudpud, Bangui, and Burgos. I got lucky to meet Mr. Arnel, who turned out to be a dakilang tricycle driver slash tour guide. His number is 0926 588 0666 just for your reference. Here’s what Ilocos Norte can offer:

1) Kabigan Falls

2) Patapat Viaduct

3) Bantay Abot Cave

4) Blue Lagoon

5) Kapurpurawan Rock Formation

Kapurpurawan means white in Ilocano which describes the shade of the rock formation. It’s a white limestone formed by the force of the wind and waves from the ocean.

6) Cape Bojeador Lighthouse in Burgos

7) Bangui Windmills

This leg of my trip was purely sightseeing! There are still a lot of things to do in the province for sure. If it was not because of my “period”, I could have had a good long run at their Patapat Viaduct and at the Windmills area. Experienced horseback riding at the Rock Formation, enjoyed the white beach, and tried their zipline.! Truly it’s more fun in Region 1! Up next..Region 2? Oh my goosh, Batanes must be the first on my list! We’ll see.  :)

And by the way, take a 12-hr bus ride from Pagudpud Bus Terminal to Sampaloc Manila via Florida Bus Line. Or you may go back to Laoag City a one-hour plane ride bound for Manila.

And it is still always nice to travel in group so you have other people to share the expenses with. But if you’ll have some episodes of drama101 like me, then nevermind [lol].

Last year, there was already a plan to go to Baguio and surprise a friend who will be finishing his Masters degree in Divinity at Asia Pacific Theological Seminary (APTS). I visited the school website to check the graduation schedule so I can book the ticket earlier for a cheaper rate. But there’s one beautiful Christmas Manita who was so kind and gave me round trip ticket (Cebu-Manila-Cebu) as a gift. Whew! Such an awesome Christmas gift! Thank you arrreeee!! 

So from 10 people who initially planned for the said surprise, only 4 who made it to the trip—me, Ann, Cyrus and Third. We were in a different morning flight schedules and just meet up at Victory Liner Terminal. We were not able to get the deluxe bus, the one with CR and snacks. But I’m fine with that since regular aircon bus is way cheaper than the deluxe one, from PhP750 to PhP455. Actually it was a bad day because it’s unfortunately my “period”; it’s uncomfortable since it’s the 2nd day [if you’re a girl you can really relate how bad this day was]. But since this trip is special, I really needed to manage my mood so not to ruin the special-ness. Good thing, Victory Liner has good stop over locations, clean CR and daghan food.

It was around 6pm when we arrived in Baguio and headed immediately to APTS to check-in at the school dorm [US $7 per night per person]. It’s really cold during the night especially that APTS is located somewhere uptown.  

This is the video when we surprised Herman, here's the link to Cyrus' facebook account: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200320489487958 Hope this can be viewed publicly :D

Herman is one special person to us. He’s a good friend and a strict kuya. He is not perfect, so are we. And such  imperfections and personality differences brought us together and share a wonderful friendship. We’ve been through a lot—our friendship has been tested many times. But I can say those dramas needed to happen so to make the friendship stronger and more genuine. Ok fine, have to end this oa-ness [lol].

We went the following morning to Philippine Military Academy and Camp John Hay for some very quick tour. Herman will always say there’s nothing in Baguio except these 2 places. Well I don’t mind since this is my 3rd time already so there’s really no need to tour the entire city. Ann being the first-timer didn’t mind also since she’s imagining the windmills of Ilocos already while we were in Baguio. For the first-timers, I suggest you'll check also Burnham Park, Wright Park, The Mansion, Botanical Garden, strawberry farm, etc.

What I really like the most in this summer capital of the country is their long and winding road. Now that I’m into running, this city is perfect for such activity. Imagine yourself doing LSD (long slow distance) run here: 

And here's Philippine Military Academy; too bad it's sem-break so we didn't see any cadets around the campus.

After this very quick tour, we went back to APTS for the graduation ceremony. We were so surprised to see the program having Herman’s name marked CUM LAUDE! He’s a what?!?! Wow!!! Proud friends here [lol]

Of course eating out was the next agenda. We went to O' Mai Khan (meaning come over) for dinner. It’s a Mongolian restaurant in Baguio, eat all you can for PhP210/person and you can do your own concoction. It's like Cebu's Kublai Khan. 

Celebration was not actually fancy but the warmth and care of each and everyone were there. From their teachers, school administrators, classmates, families and friends. All are genuinely happy and proud.

The following morning, me and Ann pursued our "premature" plan of going to Ilocos Sur and Norte, while Cyrus and Herman went to Sagada. Third decided to stay in Baguio for the entire weekend. The boys wanted to have some adventure trip, while I wanted sightseeing. My reason: it’s my period and I just wanted an easy and light trip.

But before I will show you the beauty of Ilocos, let me show you the beauty of APTS campus first- my favorite spot in Baguio:

Again, congratulations Herman! ‘Till next graduation…PhD?? Oh well *wink*