ILOCOS TOUR Itinerary 2017

ASEAN Summit Holiday well spent..very well spent by #TeamRYCE

Day1:
SUBIC
-Nike Factory Store
BAGUIO
-check in at Prince Plaza Hotel

Day 2:
BAGUIO
-Burnham Park
-Session Road
-Lunch at 456 Restaurant in Session Road
-back at Prince Plaza hotel for check out
-Start our Journey going to Vigan

ILOCOS SUR
VIGAN
-Eat dinner at Tapa King Narvacan
-Check in at OveMar Resort Hotel
-Experience nightlife in Calle Crisologo


Day 3
ILOCOS SUR
VIGAN
-Explore Ovemar Resort Hotel
-Visit San Vicente Beach near The resort
-Check out at the hotel
-Lunch and tour at Hidden Garden
-Tour at Baluarte
-Check in at Casa Teofila Lodge
-Visit Saint Augustine of Hippo Parish Church
Shrine of Our Lady of Charity
-Explore Bantay Church Bell Tower
-Checked out Chapel by the ruins
-Visit Plaza Salcedo
-Try Vigan's famous empanada at Plaza Burgos
-Eat dinner at Jollibee Vigan
-Watch dancing fountain at Plaza Salcedo
-Tour Calle Crisologo by Kalesa
-Back at the hotel


Day 4
ILOCOS SUR
VIGAN
-Eat breakfast at Casa Teofila Lodge
-Checked out at the hotel
-Pray and Visit the Cathedral of Vigan
-Tour via Kalesa
-Visit the National Museum's Padre Burgos house
-Try pottery making at Pagburnayan Jar Factory
-End of Kalesa tour at Calle Crisologo
-Back to Calle Crisologo for pasalubong search
-Picture taking at Vigan arc
-Go to Marsha's Delicacies for pasalubong treats (but wasn't able to bring it home since their products can only last for hours)
-Extreme ride at Ilocos Sur Adventure Zone
-Photo Op Quezon Bridge
-Back again to Vigan Capangpangan to buy Bagnet and Vigan Longganisa at Carl Louie's Vigan Longganisa and Bagnet
-Back to Road driving going to Ilocos Norte


ILOCOS NORTE
-Eat dinner at Mang Jose's Eatery
-Check in at Northview Hotel in Ilocos Norte


Day 5
ILOCOS NORTE
-Swimming at Northview Hotel
-Eat complimentary breakfast at Northview hotel
-Checked out at Northview hotel


LAOAG ILOCOS NORTE
-Visit Church of Laoag - St. William’s Cathedral -Photo Op at Sinking Bell Tower
-Photo Op at Aurora Park
-Visit Museo Ilocos Norte


BACARRA ILOCOS NORTE
-Visit Museo de Bacarra
-Visit BACARRA CHURCH(Bacarra Church & Bell Tower Ruins
-Bacarra Domeless Belfry


BURGOS ILOCOS NORTE
-Go to Cape Bojeador Lighthouse Burgos
-Burgos Wind Farm
-Horseback riding at the beach going to Kapurpurawan rock formation
-Picture taking at Kapurpurawan White Rock formation


BANGUI ILOCOS NORTE
-Bangui Windmills
-Late lunch in an eatery along the road.


PAOAY ILOCOS NORTE

-Malacañang of the North (but it's already closed a few minutes before we came)
-Paoay church at night.
-Dinner at Herencia Restaurant (home of the pinakbet pizza)
-Drive back to Manila



Day 6
BAUANG LA UNION
-Rest and checked in at China Sea Beach Resort Bauang La Union
-Eat breakfast at China Sea Beach Resort
-Buy dried fish at La Union McArthur Hi-Way


QUEZON CITY
-Watch Justice League at SM North Edsa
-End of tour

Golden Beach of Patar in Bolinao Pangasinan 2012

This is actually our first time traveling to a province other than Baguio City. It is also our first time going to the beach🏖 as a family👪and planning our trip without a tour guide. And it is our first time in an unknown place to us with no one to accompany us but only us 3. At first, it was a bit scary, especially we have with us our 3yr old son then Erky. But we want to take the chance.

#TeamRYCE in Patar Golden Beach in Pangasinan

I have already previously blogged some of the places we've visited in our Bolinao Tour 2012.

Cape Bolinao Lighthouse

St.James the Great Parish

Golden Beach in Patar Bolinao 

Now we will share our experience and photos in the famous Golden Beach in Patar Bolinao Pangasinan. As mentioned on my previous blog we've commuted🚌from Manila going here. While touring we hire the tricycle driver who has brought us to Bing's Beach Resort the night we arrived in Bolinao. Let me just share that the people here are so accommodating and very kind. The fear we had while traveling going to the resort since it's super late at night then was changed the moment we arrived at the resort when we have already had a talk with the people there as well as our driver.


Going back to the Golden Beach, after Cape Bolinao we head directly to the public beach which is the Golden Beach in Patar. The moment we saw the sand from the tricycle where we are, we were already amazed! Then Manong driver brought us nearer to the shore. And that is when our hearts almost fell with the scenery. Our first time falling in love with the ocean. What we first thought when we saw it was "God was really good.". For he made an excellent place on earth like this. This may not be the most beautiful beach in the universe but this is a piece of heaven on earth.




We were owed, amazed, shocked and at the same time thankful that we get to see and experience this place. This is the best public beach for us. You can swim and roam in the place for free. But if you need a shady place to take a rest you can rent a cottage for a minimal price of 150 or rent a cottage type room with air condition for 2500/night. Way back in 2012, there's still no resorts or hotels near the public beach.

Cottages for Rent. 

Since we're having a tour with our Manong driver we just took pictures, stay for a while in a Bangca near the shore. We really want to experience the beach and have a dip but the problem is the waves when we arrived there was a bit high and since we have a 3yr old kid with us we prefer not to swim for safety. We just have our feet experience the waves and the sand. But it was a great feeling really even if we weren't able to swim. The view was amazing!








Let me also share that before Patar Beach was still not that crowded. In 2012, it is still one of those beaches not normally explored by beachgoers. Only a few have discovered it way back then.


The shore was clean.

Footprints in the sand.

Not crowded.




The waters are clear and you won't see any floating garbage's.

crystal clear waters of Patar 

No one is littering.

Can you see how clear the water and shore was? 

And the place was a real beauty.




Here are more pictures on our Patar Golden Beach tour in 2012.

Me, playing like a kid in the water. 

The happiness in my husband's face. 

Looking back now, we are so much thankful and feel really blessed that we were able to experience the beauty of this once undiscovered place.





I will soon blog more of our Patar Beach visit.

You may check it out soon:



Thank you for reading.

Enjoy exploring with #TeamRYCE.

Photo Vlog: Enchanted Cave Bolinao Pangasinan 2012

Traveling up north? Visiting Bolinao Pangasinan? Before heading up to Patar Beach or after sunbathing in their golden sands, try exploring this Amazing cave. "Nakatago pero hindi nagtatago."

One of Bolinao's hidden treasure. The Enchanted Cave.

Photo Vlog: Cape Bolinao Lighthouse 2012

Photo Vlog: St.James the Great Parish in Bolinao Pangasinan 2012

Photo Vlog: The Old Diplomat Hotel

Photo Vlog: ISDAAN Floating Resto Fun Park in Gerona, Tarlac

Lion's Head (Baguio City)

March 15, 2015

It was our last day on our first Baguio road trip with our son. Since we're heading to Kennon Road and the famous Lion's head is located in Kennon Road, we've decided to drop by for a breakfast and check our motorcycle breaks before continuing our Journey back to Manila.



So how to get there?

If you have your own vehicle you must take the Kennon Road instead of following public buses route which is the Marcos highway, because you won't be able to see this tourist spot instead you'll see Marcos off course.

Through public transport; if you're already in Baguio and decided to visit the famous Lion's Head, you can always ride a cab but you should make sure that you already make arrangement with your taxi driver to wait for you and bring you back to Baguio, because you won't be able to get back easily to the City unless another tourist will visit the place and you'll get there cab.


Explanation: On our first visit here with my husband's family, we easily get a cab going TO Lion's head, but we were not able to get a new cab going back to Baguio. There will be a few PUJ's traveling from La Union to Baguio but it is always full and most of the tourist riding a cab already make arrangement to send them back to Baguio. Good thing a good Samaritan driving a truck a vegetable delivery truck was able to give us a ride up back Baguio City, we were very much thankful because we're with a couple of kids with us.


So don't forget to take a note of that, or else you'll be left with this Lion if no Good Samaritan will pick you up.


What to do here?

Honestly, since it's along the road, what people who visited here probably done,,, PICTURE TAKING. Yes! you can take a lot of pictures of the famous Lion's head. But aside from that, there are also "pasalubong" stores here, Where you can buy different handicrafts, mostly made from mats and woods.

My son bought for his car collections 

tourist taking there photo ops 

me & my son having our picture taken 

There are also a couple of food stores where you can buy water, soda drinks, and some foods. But we decided to take a sip of Baguio's strawberry taho instead.




Done with the Lion's Head adventure.


Happy planning!


Location: Camp 6, Kennon Road Baguio City

Isdaan: The halfway to the North Floating Restaurant (Gerona Tarlac) - 1

March 15, 2015


After a couple of hours traveled from the City of Pines we were now down to the last part of our itinerary, the Isdaan Floating Resto Fun Park in Gerona, Tarlac.




This place has been featured in a couple of TV shows, including Rated K, and has been popular since then. Every time we traveled to Baguio thru provincial buses, and we get to pass by this place, I have always wanted to drop off and experience what this place has to offer.

at the entrance from the parking lot 

And now, we did it already. We were able to enter this famous place.

So what does Isdaan Floating Resto in Gerona, Tarlac has to offer? Off course, as we all know this Resto's specialties as the name implies, are S-E-A-F-O-O-D-S! It's just so strange that in the middle of rice fields is a floating seafood restaurant, who thought of that? Oh well, leave it to the owner.

receiving area 

And since we are so hungry when we arrived here at around 4pm, and the only breakfast we take was a cup of strawberry taho from Baguio, we don't waste our time and immediately order a couple of dishes listed in their menu.


What you would notice in their menu was it's very Filipino, I think mostly we're Kapampangan dialect. To be really honest, their Menu, at first sight, is really expensive.


Below are the foods we have ordered:

Lechon tinupig na manok, it's a roasted chicken cooked in a traditional tupig(is a popular native delicacy from Pangasinan which is made out of ground glutinous rice and coconuts strips wrapped in banana leaves then cooked over charcoal.) way. I can say that we don't get the worth of our money for this one, I believe 498 pesos is way too expensive for a whole roasted chicken, with no specific kick on the taste, if we buy Andok's chicken we could afford 2 whole roasted chicken already, and that's the jumbo size.

Lechon tinupig na manok - 498 pesos 

Isang Kalderong Kanin, your typical rice cooked in the old way. Well, we are so disappointed with this one, we thought it was the normal pot our grandmas used to cook rice in the old times. But when it was served oh well my eyes almost dropped with the surprise of how big their kaldero(pot) is! With the price of 134 pesos, I could already buy 2 kilos of rice and that's already the high-class type of rice.

Isang Kalderong Kanin - 134 pesos

Isang Kalderong Kanin - 134 pesos, I guess in the picture it looks big already but you have to see it to believe it.


Ensaladang Mangga, a plate full of a combination of chopped mangoes, tomatoes, onions and bagoong (anchovies), I cannot help but order ensaladang mangga whenever I saw one on the menu because it's my favorite, so I ordered one even if it cost too much for 118 pesos per plate, though at first, I thought it's gonna be a bigger serving compared to other restos who offered this, but again, I am disappointed.

Ensaladang Mangga - 118 pesos

Leche Flan, our all-time favorite, my son's super favorite, so we didn't think twice and order this for dessert. I guess this is one of the few affordable foods in their menu if you could say that 79 pesos are worth your money for 2 glass tip size and a couple of macapuno (soft jelly-like coconut flesh) on the side. Well, this one really made our dining very much enjoying, this is really good, super yummy, especially the macapuno. I wish we just ordered a bunch of this so we could say our money is worth it.

Leche Flan - 79 

For drinks, we've ordered Isang Pitsel na Iced Tea for dandararan....253 pesos! Oh god, we were just so tired and the heat is really getting into our nerves that day that's why we don't have a choice but order something that could quench our thirst. The taste? The usual, nothing special.

Pitsel ng Iced Tea - 253 

That is all that we have ordered, for that 5 items, our total bill was 1,082 pesos and I don't feel it, well except for the Leche Flan, it's my favorite! We have to compliment them for not having a service charge though, even if they are famous enough to do so. But do we really don't have a service charge? Oh well, what's done is done, and it's our first time, might be worth the experience.

Before I forgot, they have served us additional mango with bagoong, for free, yes that's right it's free so you won't be bored while waiting because your food will be served a minimum of 30mins if I remember it right.

compliment of the house

But I know the chicken took so long to serve that my husband has already eaten too many tupig which we bought in Pangasinan to be brought home for our relatives as pasalubong. And he's already complaining that we have to ring and so that the red light will flash on and the crew will be notified.

our own cottage 

Done with my review on Isdaan Floating Restaurant's food, this is only the first part for this place. Check out part 2, for my review of the place.

Part 2: Isdaan, The halfway to the North Floating Restaurant - Gerona, Tarlac

Facebook page: Isdaan, The halfway to the North Floating Restaurant - Gerona, Tarlac

Isdaan: The halfway to the North Floating Restaurant (Gerona Tarlac) - 2

March 15, 2015

You can see the Part 1 of my review for Isdaan: The halfway to the North Floating Restaurant (Gerona Tarlac) - 1, just click on the link.

So after reviewing Isdaan: The halfway to the North Floating Restaurant (Gerona Tarlac) - 1 menu, I will now proceed with their facilities.

I like their idea of having separate cottages for each group of customers, so you'll have an exclusive (if that's the right term) time with your friends and families. So the idea is an A+ for me, because regardless of how big or how small your group is they'll surely have a place for you.

our cottage in the middle of the pond 

As most people know, this is where the famous Tacsiyapo wall is located. Just a few walks from where our cottage is located. I didn't have a closer shot because there are too many people here when we finish our dinner, and since we are so eager to go back home, we didn't find the time to at least have a closer look.


What is Tacsiyapo wall ("Release your anger. Ilabas ang sama ng loob)? For those who are not familiar with this famous wall, this is a spot where you can release your anger by throwing or smashing something on the wall. From 15 pesos, to smash a plate, bowl or a mug up to 1,300 pesos to smash a working television, yes a television if you're up to changing your 1,300 pesos just to smash a T.V. So if you want to release your anger for just a moment, you can try this.

A view from where our cottage is located. 

After releasing your anger, and to soothe things up, you will be entertained by singing staff's not sure if they are waiters as some say they have singing waiters here, the quality of singing is good, and you can request for any songs in your mind. Since the food takes a long time to be served these singing waiters will entertain you for sure, for a moment we forgot that we are waiting for our food and that we are so hungry already.

singing waiters singing our song "I'll Be by Edwin McCain"

My husband has requested I'll Be by Edwin McCain and they sang it very well, 2 thumbs up for them! We just forgot to get their names. Good thing they are the ones who drop by in our cottage instead of the one impersonating Ka Freddie Aguilar who looks like him and dress like him, I just can't imagine how he'll sing I'll Be to the tune of Anak, hahaha bad me! And so my husband is feeling a bit generous that time and he really likes their singing so he gave him 200 pesos for 2 songs...if I know I may have offered my singing instead :).

Hubby really looks happy with the singers. 

Just a thought, we noticed that in some tables with a few more heads than us, almost all singers are dropping by at their cottage to sing, and that's already a bit annoying to have 2 or more group of singers bugging you while eating and you have no choice and it's a bit uncomfortable if you can't give them even 20 pesos for their singing.


Just like the table next to us who have experienced that, one customer just uttered: "mamumulubi tayo nito, sa pagkain palang mahal na, dami pang sideline". Well, I also think so.


So as the name of this establishment implies, Isdaan, Floating Resto, literally, the cottages are floating or shall I say over the pond under. The place is surrounded by ponds and man-made lagoons with Japanese Koi fishes. The management will give you an option not just to watch the fishes swim all over, but also to feed them. But take note, one move, one more payment. That's how it works there. We don't spend money to pay the food of those fishes, the cottage next to us saw my son watching the fishes while they feed them, and so they hand him a pack of fish, and that's when all the fishes in this picture have circled around our cottage.

Koi fishes

After eating we decided to roam around to explore the place. So here's what we have captured.

Floating Island

Buddha is it? 

Pond in front of our cottage, with big fish statues that is really huge! 

A lot of baby's cradle on Isdaan's live band's stage 

See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil 

The famous See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil post. Like Monkey, like Mommy. 

And who would forget to take a post with the Obama's? 

Don't tell anybody, That's him! 

Thai already? Nah! We're just in Gerona Tarlac. 

Thai like Temple underneath. 

Unggoy, Unggoyan, for 1 kilo of free fish, survive the spitting, urinating monkeys. Gotta try this one. Good luck! 

Oh, the elephant..head... Thai, Thai, Thai 

Isdaan at night. 

Isdaan at night. The clearer version. 

Definitely, Isdaan is like a miniature of Thailand located in the Philippines, it's also like Thai+Phil in one. We really like the view and the whole package of the place, if we only have to consider the structure and design. This place is two thumbs up! You'll enjoy taking pictures with your friends and families. Actually, we weren't able to explore the whole place as we really wanted to get home the soonest that we can. As you can see it is already dark when we left the place.

I'd also like to commend how clean their restrooms are. Even if their restrooms are quite small, it is always clean, whatever CR you visit they have staff outside who is so willing to serve you.

And of course we wouldn't want to forget to commend and thank their staffs, they are really accommodating, respectful and super kind. From their receptionist to the staffs who takes our order, to their singing waiters, up to their staff in their comfort rooms, also a 2 thumbs up for all of you.

So to sum it up, we still have a great time visiting this place. And as I promise to my son, we still visit it again next time when we have more time to enjoy it and explore its beauty. Well regardless of how expensive their food is, we still want to try it the 2nd time around.

Happy Eating & Happy Planning!