Family Travel Archives - Page 7 of 18

Our Vigan Trip Experience

It’s a long weekend, and we’re not going to content ourselves with just a day trip. Long drive na ito!!!

Coincidentally, a hotel in Vigan is on sale at Deal Grocer (that’s my favorite deal site, bonggey ang mga featured hotels). And the hotel on sale looks very promising.. tagged as the first and only museum hotel in the Philippines, Hotel Luna seems to be a fair choice if travelling to Vigan. Yup, when we say long drive, long drive it is.

The deal is valid for travel from August 10, 2014 to December 15, 2014 except on declared holidays and long weekends….with our travel date that falls on long weekend, I am not quite sure if the hotel can accommodate us. To make sure, I emailed the hotel with my dilemma and they said they can accommodate us on my preferred dates. Purchased 2 voucher through bank deposit, emailed the scanned deposit slip to Deal Grocer and before the day ends, we were booked! Easy peasy booking!

I spent the next few days searching for things to do in Vigan and a day before our travel, our Vigan itinerary was complete:

Day 1: Friday >>>travel Friday noon and spent a night in San Juan, La Union (SJLU has a soft spot in our heart, we just can’t miss spending some hours here)

Day 2: Saturday

early morning travel to Vigan
Breakfast somewhere along the road
Visit Baluarte
Lunch at Hidden Garden/ Lilong and Lilang’s Restaurant
Check in at Hotel Luna
Afternoon walk at Calle Crisologo and Plaza Burgos
Dinner at Cafe Leona

Day 3: Sunday

early morning drive to Ilocos Norte
Breakfast at Bangui Mills/ Kang- Kang Coffee Shop
Pagudpud until afternoon
Visit a friend in Laoag
Head back to Vigan/ dinner at Hotel

Day 4: Monday

Breakfast at Hotel Luna
Visit Bell Tower, Visit Abel Weaving, Buy Pasalubong at Calle Crisologo
Lunch at Hotel then check out
Manila bound by 1 PM

Well planned itinerary no? that’s what I thought!

Day 1, we’re on the road by 1 PM, arrive in La Union around 8 PM (dami stop over eh).. slept like we never slept for ages.. pagoda coldwave lotion!

Day 2, my early morning drive to Vigan plan didn’t pushed through.. well, the kids can’t resist the beach and the pool!

We stayed at Costa Villa of course.

Vigan bound by 10 AM (we had breakfast at San Fernando, La Union). By 1 PM and still on the road, our tummies started to complain. We decided to stick to our “itinerary” and look for the Hidden Garden. I thought it was far from the centro where our hotel was located.. it’s actually not that far, maps can be deceiving! haha

It’s not that really hidden, but if you can’t find any Hidden Garden Vigan on your GPS, try searching for Lilong and Lilang Restaurant.

It’s a garden with a restaurant inside! It’s not the food that we enjoyed the most.. it’s the tour around the place. Tamarind Bonsai that’s already bearing fruits! Amazeball! And one year old Chico that’s only 3 feet tall and it’s already bearing fruits! WOW! Grafting! I know.. but seeing those plants still amazes me.. and another one: SARIMANOK! Yup the symbolic colorful manok that ABSCBN once featured.. it’s real! And sooo enchanting!

The staff are friendly but lacks hospitality.. though the place makes you feel at home, sadly their staff were not trained on that aspect or they may be really that busy granted that Hidden Garden is already considered as a “must visit” in Vigan.

Checked in at Hotel Luna at around 4 PM.

First impression: WOW! It’s better than how I imagined it!

Hotel Luna exceeds my expectation. We were booked at a corner room so it was huge! The staff, the food, the pool, the place, overall experience is superb! Hotel Luna deserves a separate post.

We stayed in the pool until our tummies started complaining again… as planned, we strolled at Calle Crisologo and Padre Burgos Plaza, we end up eating Ilocos Empanada for dinner and watched the dancing fountain at the plaza. This is a must do if you’re in Vigan, the dancing fountain is fun to watch!

Evelyn’s Empanada is located at the side of Padre Burgos Plaza (almost in front of Mcdo)

Day 3 and we realized our Ilocos Norte plan is not possible.

I read from somewhere that the best time to “stroll” at Calle Crisologo is at dawn..when everyone else is still sleeping. Indeed it was! The street was almost empty.

We had our breakfast at Hotel Luna. Our accommodation includes 2 buffet breakfast we just paid for the kids’ breakfast which is half the buffet breakfast price (650PhP). As I have mentioned the food was great and with more than 5 viands not including Vigan Longganisa and Bacon, the buffet breakfast is worth more than what we paid for.

Another must visit is Baluarte, a mini zoo just a few kilometers away from Vigan. Actually, when you’r in Vigan, everything seems very near, in fact, Melvin, the most accommodating staff from Hotel Luna, mentioned that one can go around the tourists spots in Vigan in 3 hours. He suggested we rent a caleza for 150 an hour and the kutsero will also serve as our tour guide.

But you know, the husband loves to drive….

After breakfast, we’re Baluarte bound. I suggest you visit this place early in the morning, the heat is not fun at all.

There is so much to do in Baluarte.. live encounter and picture taking with a tiger or snake and riding at the back of a small horse.

Day 4 and we’re Manila bound… but not without having our “date” at the pool side… and then the kids went looking for us… good thing, cereals is on the house, we had a few more “moments” while they much on their cereals!

Bid Vigan good bye around 1 PM and arrived home around 8 PM… we got the long drive that we wanted! hah!

Thank you Vigan and Hotel Luna for making it possible.

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of course we tried riding the callesa! Not just once but twice.. on our 2nd night, we we’re too tired to walk from mid Calle Crisologo to Cafe Leona.. we hailed a Callessa and the kutsero made our ride worth it by giving us a short tour around nearby streets..

another side note: If you’re going to Vigan, ditch the itineraries, go there empty handed, stay at Hotel Luna and trust a kutsero to take you to Vigan tourist spots.

last one! hahaha We’ll be back of course! I want to see the Bantay Bell Tower, Abel Weaving, go inside old houses, shop at Vigan palengke, stop at the beaches in Santa and see the grotto. There’s a small watch tower near Gabriela Silang park, I wanna see that too! Stop and marvel at the beaches along the road. I think I should plan for the Great North Luzon Getaway (Manila- La Union- Vigan- Ilocos Norte- Vigan- Baguio- Manila)… bonggey to!

Overdrive: Bataan-Pampanga

You know that song from 1995?

OVERDRIVE.

Magda-drive ako hanggang Baguio
Magda-drive ako hanggang Bicol
Magda-drive ako hanggang Batangas
Tapos magsu-swimming do’n sa beach

Yup, that one from Eraserheads. That and their recent “Sabado” and we scratch the word boring to our weekends.

We recently discovered that day trips are awesome! and cheaper… hence a new category is born: OVERDRIVE

Limited time.. unlimited destinations..

For our first overdrive: Pampanga- Bataan. I have never been to Bataan! Itinerary includes: Breakfast at Atching Lillian Borromeo in Mexico Pampanga or at Lapid’s Bakery in Gagua. Lunch in Bataan, then dinner in Everybody’s Cafe in San Fernando.

I do not know what happened, but we’re already travelling the road to Subic..this is not part of the plan! But I do love this part of the world. Not Subic but the road going there. It reminds me so much of the movie Cars. Go figure.

Where are we heading? Bataan still but via Subic.

We drove around Bataan, stopping from time to time.. OK 3 times only.

3 Things We Did In Bataan:

1. Pawikan Conservation Center

This is a good place to educate the kids about endangered species and care for animals.

They don’t have baby turtles when we arrived but the caretaker mentioned that by November some of the eggs will hatch.

TRIVIA:

Just a few minutes after an egg hatches, they release it to the ocean.
It takes 25 years before a Pawikan starts laying eggs.
It will take 3 years before it lays again.

Pawikan Conservation Center entrance fee is only P20.

2. Eat at Loleng’s Hu Tieu-an

This is a small food establishment that offers authentic Vietnamese cuisine (they say, I have no idea if it is true or not, that’s the first time I tried Vietnamese food).

How to go to Loleng’s Hu Tieu-an ?

This is near Morong Bataan Church,so just as around when you go to Morong Church.

3. Visit Dambana ng Kagitingin in Mt Samat

After so may winding.. as in a lot! I lost count already!!! We reached Bagac, where the famous Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is located. Hindi man lang kame nakapag ocular inspection! The Zero Km Death March Marker is also in Bagac.

Another countless winding road and we reached the road to Mt Samat.. which is another countless winding road. I cannot put into writing what I feel about the roads in this side of Bataan.. I don’t want to offend anyone, but most part of this trip, I am holding my breath.

But all that went away as soon as we reached Dambana ng Kagitingan.. pero hindi na kame umakya sa cross no.. mualan na eh.. excuses.excuses. hehehe

OK ladies and gentlemen.. let’s take this opportunity for an obligatory selfie with the cross on the background. bow.

Ay si Dora, kulang pa sa selfie!

After Bataan, our next mission is to look for the famous Lapid’s Bakery in Guagua public market. Mission failed. And we were lost. We drove around Guagua hoping to find the way to San Fernando. It was the most beautiful drive ever..well for me. I think of all the things we did that day, this is the most exciting part for me. We passed by a few old houses in Guagua and each is as charming as the other. My heart belongs to old house. I can spend days and days and days marveling at old houses. It’s one of the reason why I love our North Luzon trips.

I wish I took a photo of the most enchanting/ haunting old house I have seen.. since I did not..I did a few research and here’s what I got (photo and history source)

Built in the 1930’s. It was owned by Doña Juana and Don Alejandro Lopez. In the 1935 telephone directory the house was named as “The Pride of Guagua Pampanga.” When the Japanese invaded the Philippines in 1942, Doña Juana and Don Alejandro left for Manila. Almost all of the houses were burned but the house was spared. A Japanese (Colonel/General) saw the house and occupied it. (Sato/Makato) It was said that the dungeon below the house was used to imprison the filipinos and americans that japanese caught. It was said that some of these prisoners died there because of torture and were left there to die. It is also said that there were tunnels leading to various places in Guagua. It contained several jars(banga) and other artifacts. When the Japanese left the Philippines in 1945 Doña Juana and Don Alejandro went back to the house. And the rest is history. Since the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991 the dungeon was buried in mud.

Sobrang ganda ng bahay na yan sa personal, as in!!!

We had dinner at Everybody’s Cafe. I am actually looking forward to eating Kapampangan dishes.. ah no, Kapampangan cuisine.. the way they cook their meals.. oily and full of flavor. That kind of dish is nowhere to be found at Everybody’s Cafe. They do sell exotic though, like Frog and Kamaro, other than that, there is nothing special here..

side note: mas masarap pa ang luto ko

I’ll definitely be back in Pampanga, to look for that Bakery and to try Atching Lillian dishes.. and to marvel at old houses..

and though Bataan is winding up there, I’d still go back! Masarap daw cashew nuts doon eh.

Where will be our next overdrive? Suggest a place!

Going Home Like A Turista: Cabanatuan City Tour

Cabanatuan City has been our home for like 15+ years. Our clan was from Talavera.. but you know, you gotta move from time to time hehe

15 loong years..my family is living in the city and it was only recently that we discovered the beauty that lies in the city.

First stop. Microtel Inn and Suites.

My mom lives in an apartment in Cabanatuan… and of course, we usually stay with her when we visit. This time was different though, it was my ate’s wedding! And the heat (it happened end of May)..OMG! the heat! I cannot imagined doing my ate’s make up under that kind of heat. So, we decided to stay at Microtel to prevent the heat from damaging my ate’s make up.. of course to have some fun too! Swimming! Swimming!

Cabanatuan maybe a City but you won’t find a lot of hotels with swimming pool.. that’s actually the reason why we chose Microtel, for the pool.

I love our room because it’s big and can accommodate my big family! And Microtel is not strict with the number of kids that can stay with their parents.. plus plus points for Microtel for that!

Another thing that I love about them coffee and water is unlimited! and kids eat for FREE! For breakfast that is, if they would just eat cereals, you don’t have to pay. If kids would eat what is offered in the buffet area, well you have to pay 100+.. Now that’s what I don’t like with Microtel. THE FOOD! I wish they could offer more “probinsya” kind of food. It would have been better if they offer their guests traditional Novo Ecijano food.

Or maybe, one of the reason why they don’t offer authentic Novo Ecijano dishes is because there are already so many food establishments in Cabanatuan City. And most of them are really really good! I always expect that my diet will be ruined whenever we visit this city.

One restaurant that we haven’t tried before and wish we did is Hapag Vicenticos.. as I have mentioned, we have been living in this city for 15 years and it was only this year that we got to try Hapag Vicenticos! syeeet!! sayang ang mga taon!!