Exploring ILOCOS: Pagudpud, Laoag and Vigan | Travel Blog 2018

Sunny days already ended two months ago and this is certainly a long overdue post! But yeah, I'm still sharing my unforgettable trip up north last April. It's gonna be quite long, but definitely worth reading, especially if you're planning a quick getaway filled with heart-racing adventures, gastronomic treats and historical encounters!

So let's go and explore ILOCOS!

PLACES

The itinerary given by the travel agency set my expectations for this 3-day tour. Of course what I'll be wearing for a day will depend on the places that we'll visit and the activities prepared for us. However, I was so sure that it won't be followed by our driver/tour guide.

Oh God, I was so right.

It's not a bad thing tho, because Sir Danny (our driver) knows Ilocos really well, he sure does know where to go first. So we went straight to Paoay, Ilocos Norte, off to try the highlight of our tour---first thing in the morning and on our first day! 

DAY 1: My first time to try sand boarding and scream my lungs out during the 4x4 ride! It was crazy yet surreal! I would love to do it again, if not for the fee..hehe! Not for the faint-hearted, because it is certainly a one wild ride!

Literally with sands on my hair, I battled the scorching heat of the sun, just to marvel at the nostalgic beauty of the Saint Augustine Church, popularly known as Paoay Church.

After an hour, we went to President Ferdinand Marcos' museum also dubbed as the "Malacañang of the North". What made the place stood out is the beautiful balcony overlooking the lake of Paoay. 

DAY 2: Visited the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse (Burgos, Ilocos Norte) early in the morning. The place is a bit scary yet so beautiful. Still standing strong after more than 100 years, while carrying a bunch of creepy stories on the side.

Of course I cannot miss the beach! But before that, we had  quick side trip at Timangtang Rock Formation and Bantay Abot Cave (Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte), also dubbed as the "Lover's Rock"

Actually, Bantay Abot Cave is a hill with a hole. It was wrecked by an earthquake, creating the 'hole' where the waves were free to flash inside its walls. 

Now I'm ready to splash! Woohoo!

Locals claim that Hannah's Beach Resort is the Boracay of the North. And yeah, very close! Though I would compare it to Baler instead, since the waves are really big---like you can actually surf :) 


It may look like I'm enjoying the sun so much, but to tell you the truth, it's burning like fire on my skin! The sun's heat felt like it's 12 noon, but actually, it's only 9 o'clock in the morning!

Time to shake off the salt and sand on my hair---of course with the help of the strong winds at Bangui Wind Farm. 

It was my first-time to see, feel and 'hug' (yeah, and they're HUGE!) true windmills! They stood tall and majestic, delivering great power in a very natural manner. And for a little trivia, did you know that this is the largest wind farm in Southeast Asia? Wow!

DAY 3: Jumped out of bed at 4 AM and hit the road at 5. We're on the last day of our tour *sniff* though with a heavy heart (because I would love to stay for a few more days..), I looked forward to cap off the trip with a handful of exciting places to visit for DAY 3!

The first side trip was at a Tobacco Plantation. Another first-time for me! I'm not a fan of the end-product, but I'm glad to see an actual tobacco plant and be surrounded by lots of them! Of course I won't miss this very "instagrammable" setting!

Our next stop was at a Pagburnayan Shop, a jar making place. Anything 'crafty' entices me, and I salute these jar makers that we met for possessing those very skillful hands---turning the clay soil into beautiful jars and pots. 

Tried making one, but I failed. So I just pretended to look cool on the picture instead! Nice background, huh :)

Another museum that we visited was the Crisologo Museum, wherein we were obliged to donate before we enter. The curator, who happens to be an old, sophisticated woman, was so strict and nosey. Well I always take my time whenever I visit places like this: I would read postings, take photos and inspect memorabilia very closely---and she doesn't like that. 

Good thing she gave up after a while...YES!

Time to grab some refreshments and cool down a bit, so we stop at the Hidden Garden in Vigan. Picture-perfect place for plant lovers! Refreshing in the eyes and also for the lungs! Breathed so much fresh air in this place that it made me sleepy. 

Now off to Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson's Baluarte! This zoological park also known as the fortress of Vigan is where you'll find Chavit's very own Safari Gallery (houses taxidermed rare animals from his hunting quests), the Baluarte Zoo, and his golden mansion. 

We explored its vast area by foot, though you can opt to ride a shuttle (for 100 PHP). Animal encounters were offered too, like touch the tiger, kiss the seal, etc. (with corresponding fees of course). But the good thing here was the fact that entrance is absolutely FREE. 

But the place I really look forward to in this trip was Calle Crisologo. I cannot miss this heritage site for real! However, I was a little disappointed because the place was too crowded when we arrived (since Vigan City was the host for the National Games that time). Worried that I won't be able to take decent photos *sniff*

Still, the history embedded within the preserved walls and along the unpaved street was something that is more than the pictures that will ever be taken here. 

And that's it! The end my Ilocos adventure! Oh hello there, Bantay Church Bell Tower :)

FOOD

I guess the highlight of my 3 days and 2 nights stay in Ilocos were my gastronomic encounters! Ilocano dishes were one of the best Filipino dishes I've ever had--I swear!

Now here are some of the authentic dishes I've tried (excluding the street foods, and quick snacks we had; too hungry to even take photos of them). Serve yourself!

Ilocos Bagner with KBS (Kamatis, Bagoong and Sibuyas)

Igadu

Bagoong Rice 

Dinuguan

Poqui-Poqui

Ilocos Pakbet

Seafood Platter 

WRAP-UP

We booked the trip under NorthMaster Travel and Tours. It was a joined tour, I was with my boyfriend and a friend. Reservation costs 500.00 PHP, but it was deducted from the total cost. 

We had a comfortable road travel, together with the other 12 joiners. Our driver/tour guide, Sir Danilo Talampas or Sir Danny, is really funny and very accommodating. He's actually the best in his team! If you are interested to arrange a special/exclusive tour bound to Ilocos with him (which I would totally recommend), don't be shy to shoot me a message. 

Here's the breakdown of my expenses for this trip:

Transportation / Lodging / Entrance Fees: 

P 2,300.00

Sand dunes & 4X4: 

P 500.00

Food / Water: 

P 1,000.00

Pasalubong / Others: 

P 2,000.00

More or less, just prepare 5K-6K, and you're good to go! I bought a lot of 'pasalubong' for really good deals, like bawang and sibuyas na tagalog (native garlic and onions), Sukang Ilocos (Ilocos Vinegar), Honey, Vigan longganisa, Ilocos Bagnet, etc. The food here was really cheap, so you can definitely spoil your tummy without breaking the bank. 

Hope you enjoyed this post, as much as I did! I guess there's a need to share my skincare tips which helped me survived the heat of ILOCOS! 

Share your experiences with me as well, comment down below! I'll be happy to hear your Ilocos stories too---may it be bad or good :) 

Going places with a happy heart...

Score the ‘drunk blush and ‘beach glow’ with these Dewy Multi-Stains

Have you noticed that girls nowadays are slowly moving away from bold lip colors and 'made up' look, to fresh and barely-there makeup?

Just a few months ago, beauty junkies went 'gaga' when Colourette  Cosmetics, a local makeup brand, released their collection of creamy, colour stains, sealed in rectangular tins. Of course I must try them too! So I got myself two shades from their eight-shade collection and tested if the rave is for real. 

I was never a huge fan of full makeup, though I occasionally do it for work or whenever I feel like playing with my palettes and kits. But for my everyday look, I just rely on my tints and stains.

And these stains are really good! The consistency is not greasy, yet adheres to the skin well. Both gives that dewy (moist) effect which makes them the perfect blushers. As for the lip staining power, both can give a fair amount of color (natural-looking), but don't expect that they'll be long-lasting.

Oh! I've noticed that the scent is actually close to the smell of a popular brand of gum during my childhood years. Are you familiar with 'Bazooka'? It actually smells good! Yup, these multi-stains are like food when your eyes are close!

Going back, I picked these two shades because they are the most versatile and fit for everyday use. Kween is perfect for creating the ‘drunk-blush’ look, especially on days when you're in a hurry and the last thing you wanted is to look pale. Beachy, on the other hand, is for the sunny days—gotta have that natural sun-kissed glow!

More so, I love the fact that these stains contain shea butter making them excellent lip moisturisers too. You will never have to worry about dry and chapped lips again.

However, of all the good things about Coloursnaps, one thing I’m quite uncomfortable with is the container. It is flimsy and can be easily opened. I have experienced it a couple of times already, which makes it a little frustrating since there’s a tendency for it to cause a ‘mess’ inside your vanity kit, or worse, your entire bag. 

(Oh that’s me, wearing ‘Kween’!)

Still, they are good steals for only 249 pesos each; would certainly last for a couple of months—and that’s so ‘sulit’! So better grab one and ‘snap’ it for yourself ! It’ll be worth it :)

If you have tried one (or all of of them), comment your experience below! Don’t forget to subscribe here and follow me on my social media accounts for updates! 

Add some color and slay the day!

Achieve the “glow” for less than 199 pesos! | Ever Bilena Strobe Highlighter

Launched in 2017, there has been a lot of buzz already on how awesome the new highlighters of this local brand are. Assuming that they are worth the hype, can they serve as perfect dupes for an expensive brand? Or are they just another 'fit-for-daily-use' kind of make up only? 

There are actually two shades for Ever Bilena's Glow Out Highlighter: Candlelight and Strobe. The former has a deeper golden hue, while the latter is more like champagne. I only purchased Strobe, since it fits my skin tone better.

(I just noticed that the product somehow improved since its release last year. See  the spaces? Well the pans seem to be smaller than their plastic cases.)

 credits to Project Vanity

There's nothing special about the packaging---white and clear breakable plastic. However, you'll get a lot of the product since the pan is full, plus, the shade is indeed beautiful. It pretty much remind me of Becca Champagne Pop!

This costs 199.00 PHP, but I got it for 149.00 PHP only because it's on SALE!

Swatched it on my arm, I noticed that it is super pigmented yet  a bit dry. You'll get the most out of it, since one swipe can go a long way. It gives a nice glow in an instant, but won't stay long for sure. In that case, reapplication would be necessary. This is perfect for those with oily skin, but will definitely wear off easily for those with dry. Plus, you have to be careful not to drop it since the product look so fragile.

But overall, I am very surprised that a cheap (very affordable) highlighter can be as effective as this! You can definitely achieve the 'million dollar glow' without breaking the bank! 

So now you can make "highlighting" a part of your daily makeup routine. Chin up and slay the day---glowing!



Let the glow be from within,

Skincare products from a local brand which you MUST TRY now!

I have recently included new products in my skincare routine, and I’m very excited to share how awesome they are! Got these products from a local beauty brand, SkinPotions, for less than one thousand pesos—all three of them! They are really affordable, yet at par with the imported brands that I’ve used before. Sounds too good to be true? Well let me discuss further…

I’ve already featured Tomato Serum here in the blog, and I ultimately swear by it! The hype is real, and it deserves all the great feed backs it's getting. Did you know that this product helped me achieve supple and tighter skin, which made me use it consistently?---I’m on my fourth bottle already! 

SkinPotions Tomato Serum contains interesting active ingredients like tomato extract (lycopene), Witch Hazel extract, Collagen and Vitamin C. It’s transparent and has gel-like consistency that turns into liquid as it touches the skin. I love that it smells like berries and has a cooling effect. 

On the other hand, SkinPotions Aloe Witch Toner is quite new, but definitely promising. Because unlike regular toners, this product also moisturizes the skin, and lightens blemishes too! It contains Rose water, Witch Hazel Water, Rosehip oil and Aloe Vera gel. It has an amber color, gel-like and and smells like vanilla and lavender. It actually makes my pores appear less visible—wow!

Another new product is the SkinPotions Snow Potion Oil. This is actually a Vitamin C Oil, as it contains 20 percent Vitamin C. Though there was a part in the label which states that it’s made from highest rated Vitamin C derivative (Is that even real Vit. C?).

Anyway, its texture and smell is basically like most facial oils, but when applied on the skin, it’s not that greasy (which is good). If you have marks and annoying discolorations on the face, this should be part of your bedtime routine—say bye bye to wrinkles too!

After washing my face, I never miss using these three products, together with my favorite eye cream. I have observed a strict skincare routine with them and the result was amazing! I totally recommend these items for those who are a bit lazy when it comes to skincare, and also to all our budget beauties. Who wouldn't want to stick with potent beauty potions at a very economical price tag?

A MUST-TRY indeed! If you have used them already, comment your experiences below! Would love to hear your thoughts! Don't forget to subscribe and follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates :)

Support local, Love local!

****DISCLAIMER: This is not a sponsored post*****

You don’t have to be what the world expects you to be

When you look at the mirror, what do you see? Is it the same person you aspire to be, three to five years ago---or someone different?

I once had this conversation with a good friend, which bothers me up until now. Her partner, who happens to be a good friend as well, is really pushing her too hard to do this and that. To put it simple, he wants her to be just as successful as him. Well there’s nothing wrong with that, I mean who doesn’t want to be successful? However, they would often end up fighting over it. She wants success though, but at her own pace and through her preferred means. We ended our discussion with me telling her that she must go for what she wants, always, for it’s her life to live after all. 

It has its roots. As a child, we were told to be obedient and respectful, and that’s certainly right. While as a student, we were expected to get good grades, obviously, so we can have a better future   (but hopefully not the main reason why we studied). And now, the world is expecting us to use our degree to be able work in a 9-5 job, which will eventually give us a successful professional career. They want us to date, fall in love and marry at the right age. They require us to meet the standards of a good child, a perfect partner and a decent citizen. Not bad though, but what if you are ‘different’? What if that’s not who you are, and certainly not the mess you want to have in your life?

Living with expectations. I had lived 25 years of my life meeting others’ expectations: as a daughter, sister, student, colleague and friend. It was never easy, especially if there’s something in you which is being suppressed. But there was nothing to complain about, for it led me to where I am today; it affected my values, character and beliefs in a good way.  Yet little that I know, I was deviating from what I truly yearn for. And after more than two decades of doing things just to earn other people’s nods and praises, I took the risk, walked a strange path and chased my dreams. The road is unfamiliar to my feet, yet I still found the beauty in the uncertainty of my journey.

Taking chances. Did I have regrets? Partly yes, because I think I should’ve done it earlier. Yup, we are often beaten by the bugs in our head, which delays the opportunity to start anew. We are so afraid to diverge from the ideals of the society, that’s why most of us grow old, stuck in a life that had pleased others, but not ourselves. Until now, even I’m slowly taking a firm stand with who I want to be, I’m still being looked at as someone who have wasted her education and professional experience over a passion and a long-shot dream. Yet through it all, I still continue to take chances; with no expectations, only a purpose. 

The best advice. It is important to be exactly the person YOU want to be, and not someone others would love to see. Most people end up unhappy when they try to fit into a life opposite to what they actually aspire to have. Sometimes, it’s “what others may think” that influences us to swerve from the path of self-exploration, for often than not, we prefer to be accepted based on the society’s standards, rather than be judged for taking the unknown trail which our heart truly seeks. 

As I end this, I hope you’ll reassess who you are, what you are and where you are right now. The world puts pressure on us, which affects our decisions, changing who we are supposed to be. If you think you are different from the rest, so be it. Embrace your uniqueness; go for what sets your soul on fire. Make no one else proud, other than yourself. Do it FOR YOU. 

Always BE YOU.