Photo blog and a camera test. Enjoy. :)

Tips:
*It is located near Pier 1 og Cebu Port Authority.
*Entrance fee of 30Php upon entering the Fort.
​*Open until 8pm.

El Nido <3

Small Lagoon

Big Lagoon

You see that heart-shaped cement near the base of Mama Mary? That's the shape of Matinloc Island. Try to look at google earth if you don't believe me! Haha. This Shrine of Mama Mary is believed to be miraculous and is a healing Mary. Up to now, Palawenos flock to this island to celebrate mass. It's me in the picture reading about the shrine and said a little prayer.

Towering karsts everywhere.

This view and a cup of coffee. How sweet is that? 

I would recommend Bacuit Bay Sands Inn (formerly El Nido Sands Inn) if you are looking for a no-fuss room in El Nido. For only 1,500Php, you and 3 of your friends can split the bill for a night stay in their air-conditioned room. Though the cr and bathroom are common they are fairly maintained and they have a GREAT viewof their veranda. Perfect location indeed. You can just click on this link to contact them.

Let's talk about private cruisin' babeh! Contact and negotiate with Servant Tours just like we did and you would definitely save hundred of bucks! Ours was Tour A&C combined for 1,800 Php each including lunch, water, goggles and snorkel, towel (yes, huge beach towel!), and the 200 Php Environmental fee. With 3 guides on board! Sweet deal. You can contact them at 09154157245. E-mail @ servant_tours@yahoo.com!

We recommend K' na Boyet sa Baywok Grill in PPS Baywalk ​ their food are sumptuos especially the sinabawang isda! Yum!

In Puerto Princesa, it's nice to try Baker's Kitchen especially if it's just about lunch time when you visit. Prices are reasonable and very nice interiors and music too!

Most recommended Resto along Bacuit Bay goes to Pukka Bar! Very lively feels with a live band playing reggae music, large-serving food that's good, art in every corner with techno lights. I think this place is a must-go-to for night out at El Nido. ;)

So, how did my Php 6,500 sufficed for a 4D/3N Puerto and El Nido Tour? Here's the exact itinerary and corresponding expenses of our trip.​
ITINERARY
Day 1
10:00 am - Check-in at Mactan-Cebu International Airport
11:30 am - Depart CEB for PPS
12:30 pm - Arrival at Puerto princesa Airport
01:00 pm - Lunch at Robinson's PPS
03:00 pm - Plaza Cuartel chillin' while waiting for anticipated mass
05:30 pm - Holy Mass at Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral
07:00 pm - Dinner at Puerto Princesa Baywalk 
08:30 pm - Head to bus terminal 
09:00 pm - Depart Puerto for El Nido via RORO Bus

Day 2
04:00 am - Arrive in El Nido
​05:00 am - Arrive in our accommodation at Bacuit Bay Sands InN (formerly El Nido Sands Inn)
07:00 am - Breakfast
08:00 am - Start of private combination tour A&C by Servant Tours
                *Seven Commandos Beach, Small Lagoon, Big Lagoon, lunch at Simizu Island
                *Matinloc Shrine, Secret Beach, Hidden Beach, Helicopter Island
05:00 pm - End of tour
07:00 pm -  Dinner along Bacuit Bay preferrably at Pukka Bar, good food, nice vibes

Day 3
09:00 am - Breakfast
10:00 am - Start Tour E (Inland Tour)
11:00 am - Bulalacao Falls
02:00 pm - Lunch at Nacpan & Calitang Twin Beach until sunset
07:00 pm - Depart twin beach (yeah, we enjoyed swimming at Nacpan)
08:00 pm - Arrive in El Nido town, Dinner

Day 4
03:00 am - Wake-up call, get ready and head to bus terminal
04:00 am - Depart El Nido for Puerto via RORO bus
11:00 am - Arrive in Puerto and head to Baker's Hill
11:30 am - Baker's Hill exploring and lunch
02:00 pm - Pasalubong shopping 
02:30pm - Check-in at Puerto Princesa Airport
03:20 pm - Depart PPS for CEB
04:30 pm - Arrive in Cebu
 

BUDGET BREAKDOWN
Here's a list of expenses that we encountered during our El Nido trip.
Transportation : *Airfare Cebu-PPS-Cebu promofare from CebPac @1300Php/pax
                      *Tricycle from airport to Robinson's 30Php/pax 
                      *Tricycle from Robinson's to Plaza Cuartel 15Php/pax
                      *Cathedral to Baywalk 10Php/pax
                      *Baywalk to Bus Terminal 35Php/pax
                      *RORO Aircon bus to El Nido 380/pax
                      *Tricycle from El Nido terminal to accommodation 20Php/pax
                      *Kayak rental in Small Lagoon @150Php/pax double kayak
                      *Tricycle from accommodation to El Nido terminal (going home) 20Php/pax
                      *RORO Non-aircon Bus to Puerto Princesa 295Php/pax
                      *PPS Terminal to Baker's Hill 25Php/pax
                      *Tricycle to pasalubong center and airport (waiting) 50Php/pax
                      *200Php/pax Terminal fee at PPS Airport
Tours : *Private combined Tour A&V via Servant Tours @ 1800Php/pax
          *Tour E (Inland Tour) 1200Php/Tricycle divide by 4pax
Entrances : *Bulalacao Falls entrance 75Php/pax
Meals : PPS Robinson's lunch 100Php/pax
          Baywalk Dinner 300Php/pax
          Carenderia food near El Nido Church 60 Php per meal*4meals
          Free Lunch during Island Hopping
          Dinner at Pukka Bar 300Php/pax (FREE! Thank you Maam Lalaine! :))
          Lunch at Karla's Kitchen in Nacpan Beach 260Php/pax
          Lunch at Baker's Hill 150Php/pax
(Yea. I think we splurged a lil bit on food! xD)
Accommodation : 700Php/pax for 2 nights on an aircon room @1,500 per night Bacuit Bay Sands Inn
Miscellaneous : Pasalubongs 400Php

Summing it up, it would total to Php 6,455!!
So, friends, wala na po ako utang ha! Eto na pasalubong ko sa inyo! xD
It's really more fun in the Phillipnes! 'Til then lovies <3              
​

For any questions, violent reactions, queries, just feel free to send me a message through the comment box below. :)

     When we did this tour last February 2015 we did it the DIY+Packaged Tour kind of way. DIY in a way that we did not ask our travel agency to fetch us from the NAIA airport (we are Cebu-based) and we commuted our way from Pasay to Laoag via Fariñas Bus. Why? Because most, if not all, of the travel agencies offering Ilocos Tours are requiring customers to arrive in Manila by Thursday night and it is of conflict to our flight schedule. Fortunately, I browsed into an agency on Facebook that offers affordable EXCLUSIVE Ilocos Tours.  
     For now, I will be sharing our 3D/2N Itinerary and expenses for the said trip.

Day 0
1800-0400 Manila to Laoag by Fariñas Bus (next day arrival w/ stopovers)
Day 1
0400-0600 Pick-up at Laoag terminal by travel agency travel to Pagudpud
0600-0700 Sunrise at Patapat Viaduct, Paraiso ni Anton
0700-0800 Travel to Hannah's Beach Resort Blue Lagoon
0800-1100 Breakfast and swimming @ Hannah's Resort
1100-1200 Bantay Abot Cave, Timangtang Rock
1200-1300 Bangui Windmills
1300-1400 Lunch @ restaurant near Windmills
1400-1500 Kapurpurawan Rock Formation
1500-1600 Cape Bojeador Lighthouse
1600-1700 Bacarra Church and Ruins
1700-1800 Check-in at La Elliana Hotel
1800-1900 Dinner at a restaurant across our hotel
Day 2
0700-0800 Free breakfast and pick-up @ Hotel and travel to Laoag Sand Dunes
0800-0900 4x4 ride and sandboarding (own pax account)
0900-1000 Malacanan of the North
1000-1100 Paoay Church
1100-1200 Marcos Mausoleum
1200-1300 Travel to Vigan
1300-1400 Lunch @ Mang Inasal Vigan
1400-1700 Pagburnayan, Hidden Garden, Baluarte Zoo, Bantay Church & Bantay Bell Tower
1700-1900 Calle Crisologo night stroll
1900-2030 Back at Hotel in Laoag (end of tour)
2030-2100 Dinner at McDonald's Laoag
2100-2200 DIY tour at Laoag town
Day 3
0700-0800 Free breakfast at hotel
Free time until check-out at hotel (12noon)
EXPENSES
Day 0 - 700Php Bus ride
           - 100Php Food fixed at 100per meal
Day 2 - 2860Php Exclusive tour for 4pax c/o Tour Ylocos
           - 625Php 4x4 Ride and sand boardig
           - 200Php Food
Day 3 - 700Php Bus ride
           - 200Php Food
           - 300Php Miscellaneous (Pasalubongs and snacks)
Total----- 5685 Php for a group of 4.
TIPS

• Bring food and water with you to avoid hefty prices at stopovers.
• Horse rides are available at Kapurpurawan rock formation @100 per trip to&fro
• La Elliana hotel has good restaurants right across its location. It's in the heart of the the city. Walking distance to Ilocos Norte Capitol, banks and other establishments. Nice room and good wifi connection at the lobby. Very small elevator though. But, delicious food and great staff. 
• We asked our driver/tour guide from Tour Ylocos if he could bring some cable for charging our phones while on trip, and, if can we request a wifi onboard, and, YES. Wishes granted! For FREE! I really recommend this travel agency for your Ilocos Tour. Just visit their website and check their rates.
• We haven't had the chance to see Vigan Museums for some reasons. I advice you to visit one or two if you're into those things ya know. :) 
• Vigan empanada, Dragon fruit, Bagnet and Vigan Longganisa are must-tries!

So, I hope that this little blog of mine helped you with your next Ilocos Trip! 'til then lovies! :)
     







  

It's our second day touring Ilocos. And for our buena mano activity, the 4x4 ride of the infamous Laoag Sand Dunes. 💁🏻

We then headed to Malacanan of the North. It was Marcos' property then but was turned over to the Phil govt.

Then to another UNESCO Heritage Site, the Baroque Church of St. Augustine also known as Paoay Church.

We also visited the Mausoleum of the former President Ferdinand Marcos. Picture-taking is not allowed inside. That explains our pictures ⬇️

Refreshments and pasalubongs are for sale outside too.

Annnnnnddddd off tooooo

36. The number of hours that I lacked sleep prior to our trip.
        6.  Estimated number of hours sleep at the 10.5 hour-bus ride from Manila-Laoag.
                Undefined. What we felt upon witnessing the wonders and beauty of Ilocos.

It was 4:30am when we arrived in Laoag Bus Terminal last Feb.21, 2015. Kuya Rodel of Tour Ylocos fetched us and drove us up to Pagudpud to start our 1st Day of Ilocos Tour. After an hour and half drive, we caught a lovely WELCOME TO PAGUDPUD! sunrise at the Patapat Viaduct.

Next stop is Paraiso ni Anton. Honestly, we were somewhat disappointed with it. For me, it was just some sort of a small falls. Or, falls? Ha! Ha! Knowing that we all came from Cebu, the province has LOTS of beautiful falls and maybe our standards were just that high. And for me to justify my opinion, i would just have to post a photo of this -thing. (I really don't get it also why they call it PARAISO, BTW.)

And now its time for us to refresh and see the Beach! The so-called Boracay of the North, the Blue Lagoon! Fingers-crossed that hopefully it deserves its name. 'Cause unfortunately, US here have high standards. Ha! Ha! Me myself is a true-blooded Boholana. I grew up with the whitesand beaches of Panglao. Let's see if their version is comparable to ours. Ha!

Now, Come on! Nagtago ang yabang ko ng nakita ko 'to! The beach was just, W O W! I've never seen such big waves for a beach! And, the shore was sooo clean! And the sand, yeah, its not as white as those of Panglao's but good enough. It's just the waves that made me yelp for excitement! Thought I was being time-machined for a couple of seconds in my childhood days! So, 'nuf of the talking and camwhoring, time to ride the waves and be splashed by it! ;)

Swimming is not a thing if you happen to be at the Blue Lagoon. Why so? You just can't swim with the big waves teasing you and smashing you one after another, and another, and another! Ha! Ha!
Next on the list is Bantay Abot Cave. It is a cave that is amazingly formed by the waved of the beach attached to it. Gladly we found kids who offers to be camerakids. But in all fairness, the little girl captures pictures like  semi-pro! Lookie!!

And, oh! What comes into your mind if you say Pagud[ud?? Eh, di, WINDMILLS! Eto 'yun oh!

After all the poses and pasalubong buying along the windmill area, we had our lunch at a resaturant near Kapurpurawan Rock Formation. And yeah, that's our next desti.

We opted to rent a horse in approaching the rock formation. Wala lang, drama2x lang namin na nakasakai sa kabayo. Hahaha. There's no need for a reason to everything ikanga nila. It was nice, though. 100 pesos for a RT and you may also walk your way to the rock. Whichever you prefer.

Last stop of our trp is to Cape Bojeador Lighthouse. Our tourguide/driver said that noong unang panahon, bawat sulok daw ng Philippines ay nilalagyan ng mga lighthouses para hindi sumayad ang mga bangka sa dalampasigan. So, yun! This day was amazing talaga. Many expectations were met big time! And there were also some that nothing was expected but then, slapped us with something so AMAZING!!!! Thank you so much, Pagudpud!

Part of our Ilocos Trip was visiting this very historic place. From Marcos' Mausoleum in Batac, we then headed to one of the World's UNESCO Heritage Site.

Since it was in the afternoon when we arrived in Vigan, we decided to see other spots and come back for our awaited activity---Vigan @ Night 😁.

We then head back to Heritage Village and then. . .

And that ends our Vigan Tour! 😁