My Ilocos Vacation Tour – Vigan, Laoag, Pagudpud

This article is posted under In Focus, Money Saving Tips.

Just recently, I went on a road trip vacation to Ilocos. Me and three other friends drove all the way from Manila to Vigan, Laoag, Pagudpud and back in a span of four days.

Our mission was to see the famous places in Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte while experiencing the joy of travelling on the road.

Our vacation rules were simple – see as much tourist destinations as we can, eat only in local restaurants and of course, enjoy our time together.

Armed only with internet research, hotel brochures and some street smarts, we set out to see Vigan, Laoag and Pagudpud. Our initial budget was set at P10,000 per person which was inclusive of everything from gasoline, food, accommodation and others.

Personally, I thought this was too expensive but was advised that this was a just conservative estimate. At the end of the trip, I would find out that this was indeed a very conservative budget.

Budget Travel Tip: Plan your trip. Be conservative with your budget and make sure you can cover it. Don’t ruin your vacation by running out of money.

We left Manila very early morning on Thursday. We drove a Toyota Revo AUV on a full tank which was just enough to bring us to Vigan. If you’re planning to do the same, make sure you gas up in Manila because the the price of gasoline is more expensive as you drive further up north. We had a few stops along the way, not just to rest and eat but also to buy some snacks for the road.

Budget Travel Tip: Prepare snacks at home or buy them at the grocery where it’s cheaper. Bring a cooler to keep your drinks cold. Snacks are expensive in gas stations and bus stop overs.

We arrived in Vigan early evening. We didn’t have any hotel reservations so we went around to scout for the best deal available. We decided to stay in Villa Angela based upon the recommendation from a friend. It’s not the cheapest place to stay in Vigan but it’s also not the most expensive. Our main reason for choosing the place was actually the ambiance and the great customer service of the staff.

The next day, we had our tour of Vigan, courtesy of one of the Villa Angela staff, Kuya Tony. He offered to take us around while giving us bits of trivia about Vigan. We went to the Baluarte Open Zoo, Hidden Garden, Padre Burgos Museum, Bantay Church and many others. We also saw Vigan’s handloom weaving and pottery making industries.

We were lucky to have a “free” tour guide. But in any case, there’s a Tourism office in Vigan where you can get free brochures of the places you can see and visit around town. The people of Vigan are also friendly and will give you proper directions when asked. Everybody seems to know how to speak Tagalog and English so there’s no language barrier.

vigan pictures

Budget Travel Tip: Shop around for the best prices for souvenirs but more often than not, the best place to buy them is in the local public market – so buy your pasalubongs at the palengke. And of course, don’t forget to haggle.

In the afternoon, we went on our way to our next destination, which was Laoag. This was an hour and a half drive from Vigan. Our internet research showed us that Balay Da Blas is the best place to stay in Laoag but it was already fully booked. However, owner Mr. Sammy Blas was kind enough to reserve for us a room at Isabel Suites. To show our gratitude, we had dinner at his restaurant, Saramsam Cafe.

That night, we inquired on the available Laoag tour packages of the hotel. We really had no intention of availing them, our purpose was just to see the itinerary and come up with our own tour of Laoag. The hotel had free WiFi (actually, most hotels and establishments in Ilocos do). So we did internet research for directions going to Museo Ilocos Norte, Sinking Bell Tower, St. Williams Church, the Marcos Museum and Mausoleum, the La Paz Sand Dunes, Paoay Church and Paoay Lake to the Malacanang of the North.

laoag pictures

Budget Travel Tip: Don’t spend on expensive guidebooks, maps and tour guide packages. The internet is full of free information about popular tourist destinations. Blogs are specially very helpful in giving you directions and reviews of places you should visit.

By the end of the day, we were beginning to get tired of all the walking and the sight seeing and looked forward to a relaxing day in Pagudpud. We were more than half-way through our road trip vacation but have only spent less than half of our budget.

Maybe that’s why we decided to spend a little more in Pagudpud and booked a room in Apo Idon Beach Hotel. It’s a bit expensive but it’s very relaxing and beautiful there. If you’re on a tight budget, less expensive accomodations are available in the area. Just ask the locals and they’ll point you to them.

pagudpud pictures

We checked out after lunch and got ready to go back to Manila. But not after we visit four more destinations, which was the Patapat Viaduct, Bangui Windmills, Cape Bojeador Lighthouse and the Baroque Church of Sta. Maria.

Among these, I enjoyed my time most at the Bangui Windmills. It’s really an awesome sight. If you’re going there, be sure to visit the Kangkang Windmill Cafe. I know the name of the place sounds funny but the place is very cozy.

bangui-patapat-bojeador pictures

We left Manila Thursday morning and was back by Monday morning. That was four days and four nights of great sight seeing in Ilocos. Our trip cost each of us around P5,700.

I believe this is a modest expense for the whole trip given that we stayed in medium price ranged hotels and mostly ate in restaurants. Our total gasoline expense was P5,000. If you don’t have a car, hiring a van for an Ilocos tour can be an option or just take public transportation all the way just like what this guy and his friends did.

Anyway, here’s a short video of the trip that I managed to put together in case you want to see more of the places we saw in Ilocos. Special thanks to Don, Rina and Mike for the great company. Can’t wait for our next road trip vacation.

Lastly, I believe that this trip wouldn’t have been possible if not for the time freedom in my life.

Having a business that can run on its own and earning passive income allows me to do things that I love and spend more time with both family and friends.

I guess that’s why I want to be financially free, so I can have the luxury to experience more in life.

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This entry was posted on Friday, March 13th, 2009 at 6:41 am and is filed under In Focus, Money Saving Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. If it's your first time to comment here, they will be held for moderation. Off-topic responses may be deleted.

41 Responses to “My Ilocos Vacation Tour – Vigan, Laoag, Pagudpud”

Nicely on March 13th, 2009 at 6:58 am

love this place! been here in 2007. i really enjoyed my vacation, especially in pagudpud. and in vigan, the museums are indeed educational. longanisa in ilocos is the best!

if i am going to mention all the things i love about ilocos, i won’t stop. lol.
Dinah on March 13th, 2009 at 8:56 am

once pa lang ako nakarating sa Ilocos and it was to attend pa a funeral. but we were able to go to Baluarte and Vigan for half a day lang. I hope to back there soon! This summer for a company outing, I hope! Thanks for the pics and the budget travel tips!
Jay Castillo on March 13th, 2009 at 9:41 am

Wow, now this is something I look forward to experiencing with my family! For now, I’m still building our passive income streams but I’m willing to wait as I also believe in delayed gratification. It’s also nice that you decided to visit places in the Philippines like Ilocos, instead of going to international destinations, Philippines muna!I’ll do the same when I’m out of the rat race. Great post, thanks for the tips!
issa on March 13th, 2009 at 12:05 pm

great article fitz! the windmills are lovely =) cant wait to go to ilocos soon!
iRonnie on March 13th, 2009 at 1:03 pm

budget friendly na talaga mag vigan these days but i see na malakas pala sa gas ang revo. we went there last december lang on a honda city and siguro we used 2.5 full tank then at ~1,300 each.

i love ilokos!
Make Money From Home on March 13th, 2009 at 1:21 pm

kakainggit, hehe. sana xa susunod mkasama aq, hehe…. thanks for sharing one of our best tourist spots kuya.
itot on March 13th, 2009 at 2:36 pm

tagal ko ng pangarap makarating jan.
Rins on March 13th, 2009 at 6:52 pm

Ang cool nung video Fitz! Fave part ko yung tumakbo ka sa shore while taking your shirt off. Parang feel na feel!

San next road trip natin? Daya nyo eh, ayaw nyo ko pagdrive. Nung madaling araw naman, wala nakong makita sa daan. Di ako makapag sight seeing!
Millionaire Acts on March 16th, 2009 at 6:57 am

Great trip Fitz!~ I hope I can also visit Ilocos soon.
Susan on March 16th, 2009 at 10:39 am

Nice blog and video, Fitz!..the whole family plus my grandkids will be going there on the 20th via PAL econolight Php488/one way..cheap noh? here’s another budget tip for you and the readers> subscribe to PAL.com, cebupacific.com and airasia.com too so u will be the 1st to know their promos/free seat fare..
Fitz on March 16th, 2009 at 4:10 pm

Thanks everyone for the comments and sharing your thoughts. I really loved Ilocos, specially Vigan. Gusto kong bumalik kasama naman parents ko. I’m sure they’ll enjoy it there.
Dexter | Tech A Hand Dot Net on March 17th, 2009 at 1:17 pm

Galing naman .. this made me think of my itenerary during my Philippine vacation on April .

I have not yet visited this places
Mike on April 17th, 2009 at 4:58 pm

Hi,

have read through your article and it got me excited as we are planning a same trip in May.

Your gas expenses was 5000 pesos. Ask ko lang kung yung REVO nyo is Gas or Diesel? and kung manual o automatic?
Also, if you can recall the total kilometers that you have travelled in your trip.

Just wanted to check out the budget for this pag sa car ko.

Thanks in advance for your reply.
Fitz on April 18th, 2009 at 1:12 am

Hi Mike.

The Toyota Revo is a manual transmission that runs on gasoline. We used E10 and unleaded for the trip.

We traveled an estimated total of 1,200 kilometers. Gas price in Manila was P29 per liter and around P36 in Ilocos during that time.

Have a great trip!
venice on May 2nd, 2009 at 10:54 am

kuya ask ko lang kung ilang hours ang driving kc i have a 1 yera old son baka mainip sya pag punta namin im planning to go there on his 2nd bday on sept. at tlga bang 5000 pesos ang nagamit nyo grabe parang sobrang layo nmn ata baka d namin kayanin. at sir san po pinaka cheap na hotel kc medyo madami po kmi pupunta at ako po ang taya. tnx po
Fitz on May 5th, 2009 at 12:09 am

@venice
Manila to Vigan – 8 hours
Vigan to Laoag – 1.5 hours
Laoag to Pagudpud – 1.5 hours

Yes, P5000 ang nagastos namin sa gas dahil ginamit din namin ito sa pag-tour. Lalo na sa Laoag na medyo malalayo ang mga tourist destinations sa isa’t-isa.

Regarding sa cheap hotels, may mga dorm type na accommodations doon na good for large groups. Pwedeng magtanong sa tourist center sa Vigan kung saan ang location nila, pero within the city din ang mga yun.

Ganun din sa Laoag at Pagudpud.
Rene R. Baltazar on May 24th, 2009 at 6:03 pm

Hi Fitz,

I’ve been to Vigan to teach bagmaking last March. I enjoyed my stay there though I didn’t have much time to see the landmarks. I’m looking forward to seeing Vigan again for my next sked this June because Mayor Eva Marie Medina had requested me to come back for additional training for the women there. They love the bags that the participants had made using the Vigan weave.

I enjoyed the food they serve to us while we were there. We stayed at the La Playa Resort at Mindoro bearch which is owned by the city government. The place is good hideaway for those who love the beach. Many thanks to the staff of the Mayor for making my stay there memorable.

Thanks also Mr Fitz.

Rene R. Baltazar
jacqui on September 4th, 2009 at 11:25 am

Hi there, Mr fitz
Nice blog.. I’m planning for a trip alone in a place na unfamiliar sa akin and Im thnking about Ilocos since gustong gusto ko makarating ng dun wala lang akong chance and gusto kong mag travel alone safe ba kung mag stay dun sa mga lugar?
and since wala rin akong sariling sasakyan so mag commute lang ako and pati mejo tight din ako sa budget. Marami bang murang lugar dun na pwedeng mag stay at safe?

Thanks for the time Mr. fitz =)

Jacqui Corpuz
Fitz on September 4th, 2009 at 4:33 pm

Hi Jacqui,

Yes, Ilocos is very, very safe. And taking public transportation is easy. In addition, you can contact Mr. Sammy of Balay Da Blas to guide you in and around Ilocos. Just go to their website and look for his contact number.
baby on September 24th, 2009 at 5:07 am

kuya,gusto ko talga makarating ng ilocos, we are planning to go there for 2 days with my boyfriend on december, but gusto sana namin magcommute papunta dun from manila kasi gusto nya rin makita sceneries papunta dun.at kung safe ba talga bumyahe. just want to ask kung may idea po kau kung mgkano rent ng car dun and estimated expenses to visit places in laoag and vigan. and if kung magcocommute lang to visit places…ok lang po ba?we have found already northview hotel to stay there for 2-3 days.
thank you po and hoping for your reply..
ervina on October 5th, 2009 at 7:06 pm

Hello,

Would just like to ask where did you stay and how much?? and would you know if there are cheap house for rent there??my family’s planning to go there and will be hiring a driver kaya naman bahay po talaga prefer namin..hoping for your reply..thank you
marc on November 25th, 2009 at 11:13 pm

grabe 5k pang gas palang? unleaded ata kc gamit.. dapat kc diesel para one to sawa travel.. ^_^ nkapunta na ko sa mga yan,, actually province kc namen yan,. sa burgos ilocos norte kame.. ganda sa kapurpurawan! ^_^
Sweet on January 4th, 2010 at 3:02 pm

Hi! Enjoyed reading your post, can’t wait to go back there. Every Holy Week pumupunta kami dyan except the last 2 years, so I guess it’s time we go back. Can’t wait to eat the empanada in Vigan and also the bibingka from Marsha’s
Ang hindi ko pa napuntahan sa places that was mentioned is Pagudpud, hopefully this time makadating na ako hehe And medyo malaki na rin anak ko, so mas ma-a-appreciate na niya yung vacation namin.
gilbert on February 14th, 2010 at 5:25 pm

grabe naman pala habang tinitignan ko ung mga view tlagang nakakaingganyo, this weekend balak nga nmin manila to vigan , vigan to batac, batac to laoag at pagudpud, kaya! kaya sya ng 3 day para mapasyalan lahat ng site?
Ivy on February 18th, 2010 at 3:59 pm

Hi! I raad ur blog and it’s pretty interesting. My friends and I are going to Ilocos on May. Can you please give us driving directions to Ilocos, or where can I find a good map (as in detailed). We opted to bring an auto instead of commuting. We prefer to leave in the morning, para just in case maligaw kami eh maliwanag pa, hehehehe. We will be leaving Sunday and be back Friday. We plan to go to Laoag, Vigan and Pagudpod and Baguio. Ano ba dapat mauna sa itinerary, we also include Baguio, it’s either pabalik from Ilocos or bago pumunta na ilocos, what do u suggest. Thanks in advance and looking forward on your reply. God Bless!
chai on February 23rd, 2010 at 2:37 pm

hi fitz,

what a very informational article this is!

we were planning to visit vigan and pagudpud this may. you mentioned that during your visit to vigan, you only used 2 full tanks of gas using toyota revo. is that for the whole trip? we have a toyota revo glx and we’re planning to use it on our trip.

thanks in advance
Fitz on February 24th, 2010 at 7:51 am

Yes, we only used around 2 full tanks of gasoline. And for what it’s worth, we loaded up with regular unleaded.
christine on February 24th, 2010 at 4:45 pm

hi. my friends and i are planning a travel to ilocos on a very tight budget kc from leyte pa kmi. interested in visiting the windmills, the beach and the cobblestones in vigan. wala kmi car so we have to commute lang tlga…

pano kmi mka punta sa destination namin and how much po estimated budget. thnks
Louie on March 26th, 2010 at 8:12 am

It’s nice to hear your story. I thought you may want to know that there’s this site (www.justgo.ph) that gives out free itineraries for driving tourists who want to discover Ilocos. It uses a common tourism route that passes through myriad attractions in La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte. You can even select the itinerary that matches your available no. of days and the theme that you’re interested in. check it out at http://www.justgo.ph/northwestern-luzon. it’s run by AAP (Automobile Association Philippines), a non-profit organization for motoring public.Thanks and happy road trip!
jontue on April 17th, 2010 at 7:29 pm

thanks, your blog is better than the Department of Tourism website

Department of Tourism you suck!!!
katsuya nakahodo on April 28th, 2010 at 7:26 pm

Hi, my name is Katsuya from Japan, I will go to Manila and Boracay and then I want to go to Vigan, what places do you recommend me to visit, I have only 3 day to go to Vigan and near, thanks very much (excuse me my english)
elmo on April 28th, 2010 at 8:49 pm

hi.. thanks to your detailed info. and tips going to vigan,laog-pagudpud. me and my family are about to go there this last week of april.. now we can do our itinerary and hope that we can explore ilocos the way you did.. thanks and god bless
jiel on May 13th, 2010 at 4:32 pm

hi fitz,
me and my friends are planning to go to ilocos too. it looks we’ll have a lot of fun!! thanks for the info.
tintin on May 25th, 2010 at 4:43 am

Hi there, you think Kuya Tony will still be there if we ask for him? Tour packages are reasonable but they are requiring min of 4 pax and we only have 2 pax to date. We’re coming from Pangasinan and we’re planning on just hiring a van with a driver and that was we could take more people with us.

Great info btw.

Thanks.
erwin on May 28th, 2010 at 10:41 am

Ilocos is really a great place to visit! If your in need of a tour guide and transportation at a reasonable price just pm me at erwinesquivel@yahoo.com
baktin on July 22nd, 2010 at 12:19 am

I’m pretty sure that the Ilocos roadtrip was worth every peso of the Php5700 you spent. It is a charming region that has so much to offer.

If you should come back, you must try sandboarding at the Paoay dunes. There’s nothing like it in the Philippines.
crissa on July 29th, 2010 at 3:23 pm

hi everyone we’re planning to go there in ilocos this november since my friend is coming home in manila on oct or nov, is it ok to go there by that month? or if it is raining will we still enjoy our tour? Thanks a lot! hope someone will reply =)
Cel on August 17th, 2010 at 3:34 pm

There are lots of affordable resorts/hotels that are only 5-10 minutes drive from vigan city and can be found in Bantay or Caoayan, Ilocos Sur which cannot be seen in the net. Also in Pagudpud, there are lots of houses there that are being rented out in daily basis specially if you want to cook your own foods..