THE DATE: January 13, 2018
My blockmates and I were invited to our friend’s wedding in Laoag, Ilocos Norte last January 12, 2018. We were supposed to ride a bus but went on a road trip instead. We left Makati at 1:30 AM and arrived at Playa Tropical in Currimao, Ilocos Norte at 10:30 AM. We went to Laoag on our last day and explored the capital of Ilocos Norte.
We decided to stay in Playa Tropical even if it was 45 minutes away from Laoag since it was the venue for the wedding preparations and reception. I’ll write a separate post for my review but for now I’ll give them a 2 out of 5 rating. Accommodation: Php 3,800.00.
THE RESEARCH
Nothing to research since we will be with our Ilocano friends.
THE ITINERARY
January 11 – Travel from Metro Manila to Ilocos Norte. Check in at Playa Tropical. Rested for a bit then went to the church in Laoag for a wedding rehearsal. The future spouses treated us to a welcome dinner at the groom’s house, also in Laoag.
January 12 – Wedding
January 13 – Check out at Playa Tropical then went to Laoag for lunch, pasalubong, sand dunes, and ilocos empanada.
SARAMSAM. For lunch, we were treated to Ilocano dishes in Saramsam.
LAOAG CITY PUBLIC MARKET. We went to the public market for pasalubong. I bought chichacorn (Php 75.00 for a regular pack) and bagnet (Php 450.00 for 1 kilo). For the chichacorn, the pasalubong stalls were along the road. However, you have to go inside the wet market for the bagnet.
LA PAZ SAND DUNES. We couldn’t go back to Manila without trying the famous activity in Laoag.
HELEN’S EMPANADA. Ilocos empanada is a famous deep-fried snack. The couple brought us in a compound in Laoag called Dap-ayan, along Rizal Avenue wherein two major stalls sell empanada. I’m not a fan of empanada, so for me, the taste is just okay.
THE MONEY
I brought around PHP5,000.00 in cash for the whole trip. It was enough considering that the couple paid for our meals and they took care of our transpo in Laoag.
ACCOMMODATION REVIEW
Playa Tropical – Accommodation in Currimao, Ilocos Norte
RESTAURANT REVIEW
Saramsam – Ylocano Restaurant in Laoag City
THINGS TO DO
La Paz Sand Dunes – 4×4 Ride and Sand Boarding
THE DISCLAIMER
Again, I am not an expert in DIY travel. Just want to share my experience and remind myself of the trips I had.