Wazzup Pilipinas!
The Ilocos province is a perfect place for your most craved me-time or a perfect place for couples- or in my case, with my family. About 400 kilometers from Manila and about 8 hours of travel by car is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vigan, Ilocos Sur. This is where we spent our summer vacation, and I'm here to tell you our adventure in the city where time stood still.
Vigan City is the capital city of Ilocos Sur and the seat of the provincial government. It was once a thriving center for trade and commerce among the people of Ilocandia and the Cordilleras.
The name Vigan came from the Ilocano word "kabiga-an" pertaining to the plant "biga" which is a tuberous plant that once grew along the banks of its rivers. The must-sees and must-do's wonders of the tiny yet culture-filled Vigan can be toured within two days. It is one of the few remaining 16th century towns in the Philippines.
People describe Vigan as a place where "time stood still" because it is the most intact example of a Spanish colonial town in Asia, and is well-known for its cobblestone streets and a unique architecture that fuses Asian building design and construction with European colonial architecture and planning.
The most famous place to see the images of antiquated house and cobbled narrow streets is at Calle Crisologo. Calle Crisologo or Mena Crisologo street is a major attraction of Vigan because of the Spanish houses were the rich people lived during the Spanish era. They say the best time to visit Calle Crisologo is during night time but we had so many sites in our itinerary so we couldn't stay until night time.
After strolling at Calle Crisologo, we had our breakfast in Grandpa’s Restaurant. It’s an ancestral house transformed into an inn and restaurant.
After having our fill we went to the Bantay Church Bell Tower. A local said that the bell tower stands on the tallest point in the town, and was used as a watch tower during the Spanish colonial period. He also mentioned that the bell tower was the location for the filming of the Panday movies by the late FPJ.
Since I have already visited the Bell Tower before, I decided to stay outside to take some pictures.
Next on our list was the Baluarte Zoo. The locals told us not to wear anything red, because the ostriches might chase us. I don’t really know if it’s true but we decided to obey, so I ended up removing my jacket.
Chavit Singson, the owner of the zoo, lets people visit the zoo at no charge. You can bring the family, have a picnic, and learn something new. Besides its low budget feel, I give it two thumbs up.
After a 30 minute drive, we arrived at Hidden Garden. At first, I thought that it was just an ordinary garden where, they sell various plants and stuff. But there’s a restaurant, a mini forest and even a spa.
The place was no longer “Hidden” because there were so many tourists visiting the place. And oh, their halo-halo is a must-try.
After “discovering” the Hidden Garden, we headed to the Marcos’ House. Unfortunately, we were too late. The place closes at 3 pm. So after a few photo ops, we decided to go to the sand dunes in Paoay.
It’s a scenic torture! Before arriving at the place you still have to ride a 4x4 vehicle. After draining all our energy, we decided to call it a day.
We rented an entire house, beside a beach. We reached the house at around 10 pm, because we were not familiar of the place. It took us almost 3 hours to figure out where the house was. It was really dark and it feels like we’re on a horror film on the way there.
We started our Day 2 with a trip to Kapurpurawan Rock Formation in Ilocos Norte. The Kapurpurawan rock formation is located on the rocky coast of Burgos, Ilocos Norte. It is known for its creamy white and streamlined limestone formations, which have been sculpted by different oceanic and weather forces.
The best time to visit the Rock Formation is on the early morning to avoid the crowd and the extremely hot weather. Before seeing it up close, you need to trek along a ragged trail.
Next on our list was the Bangui Windmills, the first wind farm in the Philippines. The tourist guide in Bangui will give you a miniature windmill if you can give her the exact count of the turbines. I was too lazy so I just bought my own miniature windmill!
The attraction is open to the public, no fences, no entrance fees or whatsoever. Truly, a must-visit place in Laoag!
We left the beach at around 5 pm and headed to La Preciosa Restaurant for dinner. We’ve always wanted to try their food. The restaurant is famous among tourists and food bloggers. If ever you’ll go there, you should try their carrot cake!
We ended our Ilocos Escapade and went home. We didn’t took too many pictures because we were busy enjoying the beautiful scenery.
The Ilocos Region has several cultural heritage sites, beaches, churches, and historical places. It is a must-visit for all Filipinos and for foreigners as well. If I’d be given a chance, I would like to visit the province again.
Contributed by Czarina Rentoza
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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