I recently journeyed with the best of the young travel bloggers and travel writers in the country on a 7-day North Philippines familiarization tour. I’ve been to most of them, but there were a few little secrets that I learned during that trip. Here are the top 10 secrets of North Luzon in 2010… 🙂
1. The Latest Attraction Travelers are Raving About: Sandboarding in Laoag Sand Dunes!
Out of all the places we visited in North Luzon, I found Sandboarding in Laoag the most AWESOME! It is just like surfing — but on sand. You also have to conquer your fear before you can really go down the steep slope of the sand dunes. Sandboarding here is still in its infancy, and all they do is slide down the slopes — no jumps and no complicated moves yet. The adventure starts with a 4×4 drive across the sand dunes and then you will stop at one of the dunes with the steepest slope — this is where the fun activity begins. 🙂
(BTW, there are two areas of sand dunes in Ilocos Norte — the one in Paoay and the one in La Paz. We tried sandboarding in the Paoay area.)
2. The Popular San Juan Surf Resort.
I’m not yet a surfer — I’ve tried twice and I still can’t stand on the board. But I always heard a lot of raves about San Juan Surf Resort, and now I know why. It is popular for three things: (1) the cool music heard all around the resort; (2) because of Luke — the #1 surfer in La Union; and (3) half-moon sightings. 🙂
(You don’t wear briefs pala when you wear board shorts. 🙂 )
3. Kayaking is the #1 adventure sport in the North.
I just realized, everywhere we go, there is kayaking — from the whitewater kayaking in the Pinakanawan River in Tuguegarao, to the whitewater kayaking in Ambuklao Dam, to the island-to-island kayaking in Hundred Islands. It is good to know how to use the kayak (from picking the right kayak for you to knowing how to navigate forward and backward with it). It would be a good investment also to buy your own life jacket because it would be worth it, especially if you are an adventure junkie. 🙂
4. The Wisdom of Chef Billy King.
It was in The Manor at Camp John Hay that I was able to taste the best-ever meal in our North Luzon Trip, which was prepared by Chef Billy King. Yes, I finally met the elusive chef. 🙂
Apparently, he does spend most of his time in The Manor in Baguio. I had a great time talking to him as our conversation covered various topics — like how the Filipino palate degraded from the ’80s to the ’90s, and how being a Chef as a noble profession has become bastardized due to the phenomenon of “celebrity chefs” and the “factory-type manufacturing” of chefs by culinary schools. Chef Billy King is really sharp and passionate about what he does.
5. Wonder Boy is the best tour guide in the Callao Cave.
I’ve been to Callao Cave three times already, and this was the first time I really appreciated it. Thanks to Wonder Boy, Gerald Taguinod, who is no doubt the best tour guide of Callao Cave. He started when he was 8 years old and has been guiding tours for 9 years already. He shared a lot of stories and, in fact, he was the one who named most of the rock formations in the cave. Don’t ever go to Callao Cave on your own — hire him as your guide.
You can contact him through Leslie Taguinod +63905 6075450.
6. The Blue Lagoon — The Last Pristine Beach in the North.
We discovered Blue Lagoon back in December 2006, so I was sad to see that one of the resorts there was “tampering” with the place’s natural beauty. Hannah, one of the biggest resorts in the area, removed all the trees and started to build mini-“Camella-type” homes and paved the entire resort with concrete. They just bought the adjacent lot and created a convention area. The development is built very close to the beach and, sad to say, this would ruin the allure of Blue Lagoon.
If you still want to see the beauty of the Last Pristine Beach in the North, check out Blue Lagoon this year. In 10 years, I can imagine the entire place will be ruined by the uncontrolled development of resorts. It broke my heart when I saw more concrete than trees.
7. Ate Gemma is the best caterer in Hundred Islands 🙂
I’ve been looking for the best caterer in Hundred Islands ever since we visited the area in May 2008. Finally, I found Ate Gemma of the KKK cooperative, who provides the best Pangasinan food catering in Quezon Island. She can reserve the best table for you in Quezon Island and prepare ribs, grilled bangus, fresh shrimps, and salad with Pangasinan’s mangga and bagoong.
Contact Ate Gemma at +63919 652 0570.
8. An Ilocos Food Trip is not complete without Saramsam Cafe.
Saramsam Cafe in Laoag City is the home of Poqui Poqui and Dinuguan Pizza. It is the sister restaurant of Herencia Cafe, where Pinakbet Pizza was invented as well. Aside from the pizza, they have a Bilo-Bilo Fondue worth checking out for dessert. The best part about Saramsam is you can reserve an adjacent room and you can karaoke the night away with your friends!
9. Baguio’s Ambuklao Dam — Even Baguio is getting into Adventure Tourism 🙂
Baguio is joining the bandwagon and is marketing itself as a jump-off point for the Ambuklao Dam adventure. 🙂 This is the highest dam in Luzon, located in Benguet. You can kayak in the dam itself or in the Rated 1 white waters of Agno River.
Clint Taynan of Baguio Adventure (the official adventure tourism agency for Baguio) can arrange go-karting, kayaking and rappelling around the Ambuklao Dam area. We had a lot of misadventures during our trip here because they couldn’t handle big groups yet.
10. Subic’s the #1 Tourist Destination in 2009 with approximately 4.1 Million Visitors
Subic was the #1 Tourist Destination in 2009 because of the SCTEX (which cut down travel time to 2+ hours) and because of conventions like the Ad Congress, Couples for Christ, among others. It also helped that Subic offers three fun adventures: Zoobic, Ocean Adventure and Tree Top Adventure. We tried the mini-superman zip line in Tree Top, and it was cool, especially at night. Recently, a plan to build the longest Zip Line (1 km) in Subic was approved. Once it is built, its length will beat that of the Dahilayan Zip Line in Bukidnon.
—
That’s it! Let me know if you have questions, comments, and (especially) reactions to the info I shared above. 🙂
Have an Awesome Trip in North Luzon!
Anton Diaz
Founder and Digital Publisher
www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph
Be a Fan of Awesome Philippines on Facebook
Follow Me 
Facebook
Twitter
Flickr
Youtube
P.S. I’m launching the Awesome ILOCOS™ and Awesome BAGUIO™ Tours during the travel fair this coming weekend. Please come and visit! 🙂
Wow that food is making my mouth water… how I wish I could travel around like that =)
do you have contact details of Clint Taynan of baguio adventure? how much is the go kart n rapelling? thanks! this article made me want to visit the north again instead of flying to visayas… for a change 🙂
Great post. My travel dream list needs a revise
10 years ago the Blue Lagoon was known only through word of mouth. Down its shores were little fishing villages. Fishermen would offer a ride in their bangka to visit the Dos Hermanos islands further down the beach. During those times there were no accomodations. Campers would frequently spend the night there though. I’d like to remember the place as it was……
Yes, like you, I too am saddened by the rapid growth of development in the area.
Wow, you've been there 10 years ago and I bet it is wildly beautiful back then. Thanks for sharing!
Live an Awesome Life,
Anton Diaz
Founder, http://www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Call or Text Me: +63917 5683-627 (LOVE-OAP)
Follow Me FacebookTwitterFlickrYoutube
Latest Blog Post on Our Awesome Planet: Secrets of North Luzon Travel in 2010
Yes, I'll email you directly, Peachy
Live an Awesome Life,
Anton Diaz
Founder, http://www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Call or Text Me: +63917 5683-627 (LOVE-OAP)
Follow Me FacebookTwitterFlickrYoutube
Latest Blog Post on Our Awesome Planet: Secrets of North Luzon Travel in 2010
Good post, Anton!
Yup, the surfers in La Union really (un)dress like that and the girls go gagaaaa hehehe 😉
We are organizing our 2nd run of FLOW Surf Yoga Samba weekend retreat on April 9-11 long weekend. I hope you can blog about it too! Have a good day!
sige, send me some details! send me pictures na from the first event 🙂
Live an Awesome Life,
Anton Diaz
Founder, http://www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Call or Text Me: +63917 5683-627 (LOVE-OAP)
Follow Me FacebookTwitterFlickrYoutube
Latest Blog Post on Our Awesome Planet: Secrets of North Luzon Travel in 2010
Anton, you’re going to participate in the Philippine Travel Tour Expo this weekend at SMX Convention Center? What’s your booth number? I’d like to attend that Expo also. See you!
Yes, I will announce it soon 🙂 Just finishing all the details for the expo 🙂
Live an Awesome Life,
Anton Diaz
Founder, http://www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Call or Text Me: +63917 5683-627 (LOVE-OAP)
Follow Me FacebookTwitterFlickrYoutube
Latest Blog Post on Our Awesome Planet: Secrets of North Luzon Travel in 2010
Hi Anton! I just viewed your post on Blue Lagoon from years back & I saw that it was only Aidan that you had then! How time flies! Congrats for Rafa, he’s such a cute baby! 🙂 Btw, can you e-mail me also about the baguio adventure (go kart & rapelling) prices? Also, if you know of any affordable tour packages to Ilocos? Thanks and more power 🙂
Yes, for years my cousins and I used to go there every school break (October, December, and April-May). I’ll send you a picture I took of the place from way back then.
Yeah, we brought Aidan everywhere we go back then. Ngayon I want to bring all my boys one of these days…
Contact Clint for the Baguio Adventures…
Live an Awesome Life,
Anton Diaz
Founder, http://www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Call or Text Me: +63917 5683-627 (LOVE-OAP)
Follow Me FacebookTwitterFlickrYoutube
Latest Blog Post on Our Awesome Planet: OAP Team Manila Shirt!
Sandboarding looks like loads of fun!!!!!
Hi Anton! I share your sentiments about that Hannah resort in Blue Lagoon… we went there back in 2007 and we were raving soooo much about how we’ve found our secret hideaway (we stayed in Kapuluan)… it was really charming complete with the dirt road and all…then when we went back again last year we were soooo disappointed to see that resort… complete with their banana boat rides and boats that take their visitors to the dos hermanos… soooo frustrating to see so much people in that area… its not much of a hideaway anymore… 🙁 very very sad…..
Oh…nakita nga namin yang camella homes resort during our trip last december. it was just yuck.
Hey anton!
Maybe you could also check out Bolina beaches in Pangasinan! I stayed there at Puerto del Sol and had a blast! There were also undergoud caves with freshwater pools nearby.
erwin
“started to build mini-“Camella-type” homes and paved the entire resort with concrete”
Hahaha! Najologs ba. Baka si c5 developer.
Haay, nakakalungkot talaga.
Live an Awesome Life,
Anton Diaz
Founder, http://www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Call or Text Me: +63917 5683-627 (LOVE-OAP)
Follow Me FacebookTwitterFlickrYoutube
Latest Blog Post on Our Awesome Planet: Romeo and Bernadette
Yes I wrote about it here: https://awesome.blog/awesome/2008/05/bolinao-pangasi.html
Live an Awesome Life,
Anton Diaz
Founder, http://www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Call or Text Me: +63917 5683-627 (LOVE-OAP)
Follow Me FacebookTwitterFlickrYoutube
Latest Blog Post on Our Awesome Planet: Romeo and Bernadette
just got back from a 7-day northern luzon trip yesterday (got sunburns to prove it :D), and well, we hate that it has to end :)) wish we could re live those days again and experience the activities and places that we missed 😀 newbie itinerary to the following places: hundred islands(1N) -> agoo -> vigan(2N) -> pagudpud(2N) (we stayed in one of those mini-“Camella-type” homes haha) -> laoag(1N). asking the locals, and commuting added the thrill and adventure that we were looking for! food tripping’s the BEST part, of course! everyday halo halo and empanada yum yumm… maxine by the sea, cafe leona, saramsam cafe, i could go on and on and on…
oh, and the budget? all for less that 10K!! how cool is that! (^____^)
For less than P10,000 all-in, that is indeed awesome 🙂 What's your favorite in your northern trip?
Live an Awesome Life,
Anton Diaz
Founder, http://www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Call or Text Me: +63917 5683-627 (LOVE-OAP)
Follow Me FacebookTwitterFlickrYoutube
Latest Blog Post on Our Awesome Planet: The 10 Biggest Foodie Trends in Manila 2010!
my friends and i talked about this one, and we can’t decide what leg is our favorite! walang “tulak kabigin” 😀
that’s a good thing right? 😉
Sand boarding, this I got to try.
Hope you also included Palaui Island, Anguib Beach and Cape Engaño in Sta. Ana, Cagayan.
Hi Anton, I like your articles and read recently the secrets of north luzon. I am interested to contact Clint Taynan of Baguio Adventure. Hope to get the contact details.
More power to Our Awesome Planet. 🙂
Here is Clint Taynan's number: (0920) 407 0000
got heartbroken then whe i saw hanna’s resort. they should have made the resort like in kapuluan vista.
marami pa kong dapat mapuntahan sa North Luzon…sharing with you my edited travel video during my 5 days stay in North Luzon – http://saggi-space.blogspot.com/2011/04/north-luzon-travel-video.html
Whwere is the best , cheapest beach to just chill, no adventures, do this do that, just chill on the beach and do nothing, my experience in the PI so far is that the people always want you to do something but all I want is to chill on the beach is this not acceptable in the Philippines?x
The best place is Malapascua in Cebu. In Pagudpud, the Saud beach near Saud Resort is the perfect place to chill 🙂
Anton
Hi Anton,
My whole family is planning a trip ni Northern Luzon. We are looking at Ilocos, Hundred Island and Baguio. How many days do you think is best to enjoy all three locations?
1 week would be the minimum, 1-2 days in Hundred Island 3 days in Baguio, and 3-4 days in Ilocos