Read more "Ilocos Norte Travel Guide: Places to Visit in Ilocos Norte"
The post Ilocos Norte Travel Guide: Places to Visit in Ilocos Norte appeared first on Meghy Was Here.
]]>I personally suggest that one Filipino should at least experience an Ilocos Norte tour at least once in their lifetime. Imagining one province giving you so must to see and experience within a day. From old heritage churches to white beaches to windmills up to a coastal desert, there are so many things to do here making one day jam-packed.
Ilocos Norte is a special place for me as this was the first place I traveled miles away from home out of my hard-earned money. I remembered myself packing stuffs for our Ilocos tour years back, I was too excited that I even bought a new backpack just for this trip. The 11 hour travel didn’t bother nor scared me but it made me too excited that I can finally start my journey of seeing the beauty of my country. So for now, I listed some of the most visited tourist spots of Ilocos Norte. I am planning to write a more detailed blog about other less known spots of the province once I get back.
Knowing Ilocos Norte:
Ilocos Norte is a Region I (Ilocos Region) province located on the northwest corner of Luzon Island. It has Laoag City as its capital city. Ilocos Norte became known as the hometown of the former president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos, who used to be the longest serving president of the country that lasted 20 years.
Places to visit in Ilocos Norte:
La Paz Sand Dunes
This is one of my personal favorite in Ilocos Norte. It was actually my first time seeing a desert-like area that actually lies beside a sea! Lapaz Sand dunes, probably the most visited place on the province, is an 85-square km protected sand coastal desert and beach. It’s a desert-like landscape is such a scene that it became popular to be a shooting location for movies and TV shows locally and internationally. Fill your adventurer heart with a thrill of experiencing the landscapes by having a rollercoaster ride on their 4×4 vehicle or by trying the sandboarding.
Paoay Church
Paoay Church, completed in 1710, was declared as a collective group of Baroque Churches of the Philippines in 1993. This Baroque architecture has walls made of coral stones and bricks that said to be Javanese in architectural styles. A three-storey coral bell tower stands separately at some distance from the church that served as observational post for the Filipino revolutionaries against the Spaniards in 1898 and Filipino guerillas against Japanese soldiers during World War II.
Malacañang of the North
Malacañang of the North served as an official residence of the late President Ferdinand Marcos and family in Ilocos Norte. This two-storey mansion was opened to the public last 2011 as a museum. It resembles a 19th century bahay na bato with an overlooking view of the alluring Paoay Lake.
Marcos Museum and Mausoleum
It is a museum in Batac, Ilocos Norte exclusively devoted to our former President Marcos. The museum, that used to be the ancestral home of the Marcoses, showcases large cluster of collectibles of the late president all throughout his years up to his presidency. It used to house as well the preserved body of Ferdinand Marcos encased on a glass coffin until he was transferred at the “Libingan ng mga Bayani” last 2016. Today, they still display a wax replica of Marcos body inside the glass coffin.
Kapurpurawan Rock Formation
An intricate natural art that was formed thousands of years by the natural forces and phenomena. It is a breathtaking sculpture by the shore with creamy white limestone formations. It came from the word “puraw” which means “white” as its color suggests. The place is windy and a little walking is needed to reach the formation.
Cape Bojeador Lighthouse
This lighthouse was structured by the Spanish government as part of their plan of lighting up the Philippine archipelago during their colonial period. Also known as Burgos lighthouse, it stands 65 feet tall and was first lit up on March 30, 1892 and still functions up until today.
Bangui Windmills
Your Ilocos Norte tour wouldn’t be complete if you didn’t visit the iconic Bangui Windmills. This will usually come into our minds every time we heard of Ilocos Norte to the point that the province became synonymous with windmills. This famous spot highlights a series of windmills standing in a row on the shoreline of Bangui Bay.
Patapat Bridge and Viaduct
Patapat Viaduct is a coastal bridge that connects Maharlika Highway in Laoag to the Cagayan Valley. It is more than just a typical bridge, it wreathes around the mountainside while having a beautiful view of the Luzon coastline on the other side. Tourists and tour coordinators will usually park their cars on the side of the road to take photos along the scenic bridge for few minutes.
Blue Lagoon
Blue Lagoon is one of the beautiful beaches found North of Luzon. It’s a stretch of shoreline with white to off-white sand and azure waters. So if you’re thinking of spending time to relax under the sun and swim your heart out of the waters, this is the spot for you!
The post Ilocos Norte Travel Guide: Places to Visit in Ilocos Norte appeared first on Meghy Was Here.
]]>Read more "Minalungao National Park: Travel Guide 2020"
The post Minalungao National Park: Travel Guide 2020 appeared first on Meghy Was Here.
]]>Every time we heard about Nueva Ecija, I am sure that boundless rice fields will first pop out of our minds. Being dubbed as the “Rice Granary of the Philippines”, it is the number one producer of rice yield in our country. But this silent province of Nueva Ecija is more than just their rice fields. It has one of our country’s best-kept secrets. Located on one of its towns, General Tinio, is the Minalungao National Park which is being promoted by our government as an ecotourism destination.
Knowing Minalungao National Park:
Minalungao National Park is located in General Tinio (formerly known as Papaya), Nueva Ecija. The park covers an area of more than 2,000 hectares along the scenic Peñaranda river and high limestones skirted on both sides. It is just around 4 hour ride north of Manila and it is said that during summer is the best time to visit the park to see the emerald-green river at its best. But regardless of the day or season, you can’t deny the beauty of the place has to offer.
How to get to Minalungao National Park:
- From Manila, ride a bus going to Cabanatuan/Gapan. On our case, we took a Five Star bus route directly to Gapan. Fare is P163 and travel time may take around 2-3 hours depends on the flow of traffic.
- Upon reaching Gapan, charter a tricycle that will take you directly to Minalungao. (We read about jeepneys from Gapan to Gen. Tinio but upon reaching Gapan, we were told by the locals that there are jeepneys and bus that heads to Gen. Tinio but there’s no specified time of departure and most of the time it only departs later in the evening). We hire a tricycle to Minalungao for P800 (two way). There is no standard fare as of this moment but it may cost you around P500-P800 (two way) and travel time may took around 1-1.5 hours (per way).
What to do in Minalungao?
Upon reaching the park, you need to pay the standard entrance fee of P100/person. Once settled, you are now free to do activities you wish to try. Due to the rain that occurs the day before we visited Minalungao, we didn’t witness the river on its full grandeur. Regardless of the color of its waters, it is still a beauty that needs to be seen and adored.
One of the best way to see the beauty of the river is to ride a bamboo raft. The raft will tour you around the river and will take you to its swimming areas. The bamboo rafts also have a built-in cottage perfect for your picnics and lunch.
If you won’t be taking any bamboo rafts, you can trek a bit on the sides of the river to reach some of its cliff diving spots and viewpoints. With this, you can have a chance to walk through its scenic rock formations and have a hands-on experience with its 16m high limestone walls. Just be careful walking as some of the spots are slippery. Please take note that if you wish to swim, a life vest is required that you can rent for P20 each within the area.
There is also a hanging bridge that you can cross for free. Standing in the middle of the bridge can give you the best spot to take a high angle photo of the river.
Upon crossing the hanging bridge, you can start your trek going to the other must-see spot of the park, the grotto with a glass cross. You have to take a 1000-step journey to reach the top. This activity can be tiring but you will be rewarded with a panoramic view and you can enjoy the solemnity of the place from above.
Another activity you can try is riding a zipline (P100) and buy souvenirs in various stores in the park. These souvenir stores sell T-shirts, ref magnets, keychains and many more.
After all the tiring activities that you can try in the park, it is best to reward yourself with a sumptuous meal to end the day right. Families and “barkadas” usually rent a cottage and bring their own foods to eat but if you don’t have and food with you, you don’t have to worry as the place has food stalls that offer foods in affordable prices. We had our lunch at Minalungao Cafe and Restaurant with an overlooking view of the river.
More photos:
Other things to know:
- Minalungao can be crowded especially during weekends so if you will be given a chance, it is better to visit during weekdays to have a better experience in the park.
- Don’t expect an emerald-green or clear water during the rainy season. It is said that summer is the best time to visit the park.
- Comfort rooms take additional charges.
- There are no phone signals within the park’s vicinity.
The post Minalungao National Park: Travel Guide 2020 appeared first on Meghy Was Here.
]]>