Déjà vu's Gonna Follow Where I Go - Sidetrip to Ilocos Tour

On the last day of our tour in Cagayan, I was hoping we'd drop by the city proper just to buy some locally-made souvenirs but alas, we were outnumbered by the other tour members who wanted to have the sidetrip to Ilocos. Now if you've read my previous posts, you'd probably know that we've been to Ilocos 2 years prior and that this all seems like déjà vu, but it's not like we'd have any say in the matter so off to Ilocos we did go!

Does this look familiar to you? (2019)

It sure does... (2017)

I think it's safe to make this post more on reminiscing the places we've been to 2 years ago since not much has exactly changed since then, though I did notice there were more shop stalls near the Bangui Windmills.

2017

2019

We also had lunch at the same place we had eaten 2 years ago, and I finally got the name of the establishment! Turns out they already have a lemonade stand and resort built too.

After a few more hours on the road, we stopped at Paoay Church in the midst of the hot afternoon sun so we decided to try some dragonfruit ice cream, which I didn't get to try the first time we were here.

Our last stop before heading back to Manila was Vigan, though we opted to stay in the van and just take a few pictures from there while the other tour members decided to explore a bit.

Church pic on a Sunday

So we managed to leave the province of Ilocos at around 5PM and arrived in Manila at 2 in the morning. Although it's a good thing I didn't have much in terms of workload the following day, or I would have been so out of it.

Here's a compiled video of that day since I didn't exactly feel like filming every single stop we made in Ilocos during that time.

All in all Travel Tayo Tours did great in sticking with their original itinerary, and I didn't really blame them for this sudden change in schedule since Cagayan Valley seemed to somehow lack a wide array of tourist spots compared to Ilocos. With that said, I'm still willing to try some of the tour packages Travel Tayo has to offer in the near future. So until next time, ciao!

None of These Places is Just Like The Other - Sta. Ana Cagayan Island Hopping

Morning arrived and since the activity for the day mainly involved Island Hopping around Palaui Island, we had to be at San Vicente Port at around 6:30AM; though we left the said port an hour and a half later since we couldn't leave without reaching the maximum capacity of the boat and some of the tour members were a bit slow on the uptake.

In the end though, we still managed to reach our first stop of the day at a reasonable time and once we reached our destination, the 1st set of tourists who already left before us were mostly on their way to the next destination. Welcome to Cape Engaño!

Some rock formations along the way...

The lighthouse from a distance...

Will be going up thaaat...

There consists of 3 trails going up Cape Engaño Lighthouse, and we obviously chose the easiest one, which at least takes an hour worth of walking; also depending on how many photos you want to take of the place, which is quite a sight to behold.

Stopped to catch this sight somewhere near the top...

Out into the ocean...

Somewhere near the edge...

A glimpse at the island of Dos Hermanas 

Putting things into perspective

Upon reaching the lighthouse, it proved to be quite challenging to take decent pictures here and there, since the place was flowing with tourists, which means photobombers.

Also, some things just look better from afar...

But the foundations provide good spots for photoshoots though..

Seems like all shores lead back to Batanes...

We decided to head down once it started getting crowded and just wait for the other tour members of our group before getting ready to explore another part of Palaui Island.

Hopping to our 2nd island!

This side of the island is called Punta Verde where we started our trek to Baratubut Falls. Though there's not much in terms of water since it's super hot this summer compared to the previous years, therefore the flow is reduced to a trickle.

A heart on a tree, said to bring good luck...

Yep, this hanging bridge is included in the trek

The falls..???

Honestly wouldn't have noticed the falls if we hadn't gotten wet from the dip

My experience in Baratubut was akin to taking a dip in a puddle, though it did help lower the heat we all felt during the trek, still it was just well past noon so we were also a little hungry. Good this we had complimentary lunch on the island!

Just add a 100php/pax if your in a group for these fresh lobsters!

Obligatory group pic...

With our bellies full from the scrumptious lunch, we got ready for a more relaxing trip to another island. Lo and behold, The Boracay of the North, Anguib Beach!

Though I haven't been to Boracay just yet to make a comparison, Anguib Beach has the advantage of having less people along its fine, white sands giving its tourists a sense of peace and privacy; Perfect for a relaxing afternoon!

No trekking here folks, just some R&R...

Gazing out into the ocean...

White sands and clear waters...

The afternoon seemed to pass by fast while there, and we soon found ourselves getting ready to leave the Beach; but not before passing by Crocodile Island.

No crocodiles here, just a giant, crocodile-shaped one...

I bet people wouldn't get that close if it were a real crocodile..

After taking pictures on top of a crocodile-shaped "rock", we headed back to San Vicente Port where our van was waiting to take us back to our accommodations; but not before buying some souvenirs of Palaui Island and also some additional refreshments.

Like a fish out of water...

Since it was well past sundown by the time we hit the road, we all just decided to have dinner before dropping out cold at the Balai. Although I was a bit wary due to the previous night's incompetence, JNJ proved to have fast service and very attentive staff.

Finally satisfied my calamari craving ever since I got here!

With dinner done and needing to be up early the next morning at around 5AM, we all headed back to the Balai to get some much needed sleep.

Despite the delays, all in all our tour still managed to stick to schedule for the day, so kudos to Travel Tayo Tours! Although who would have known we'd have an entirely different schedule the next day???

Where are we going???!!!

There's A Lot of Cool Tours Out There - Exploring Callao Cave

So it's been 2 months since our last adventure in Batanes and guess what? We're off to another adventure!

I've been searching the internet for other tour agencies who provide packages to this certain destination since our previous travel group, AWNW Travels, has failed us yet again in providing such a tour. Here is where I've found Travel Tayo, or what we'd internationally say as, Let's Travel!

They're more active with their FB Page though...

Now you're probably wondering where in the world we're off to that made it hard for me to find a travel group that provides tours there, well it's in Cagayan Valley, mainly known for its Callao Cave and having beaches that get nicknamed as "The Boracay of the North". Now who wouldn't get their curiosity tickled?

First off, negotiating with Travel Tayo Tours was fast enough and they were also accommodating. Once you've chosen you're desired pick up point and made the full payment for the tour, they give you a travel voucher containing your vehicle and driver details as well as accommodation details and tour itinerary.

I love a good old fashioned itinerary..

Like our previous travels via land, we got ourselves ready for another 12-hour overnight trip on the road with various stopovers here and there. We later managed to freshen up and change into new sets of clothes once we stopped for breakfast at a quaint diner.

We arrived at Tuguegarao City at around 10AM, where our tour of Cagayan officially starts!

Churches are quite common in communities here in the Philippines, and they're usually surrounded by basic facilities needed in a bustling city, like a hospital right across and a supermarket beside said establishment. So after buying several bottles of water, we were off to our next stop. (Tip: Bring plenty of water for hydration since it's super hot here up north)

At least an hour later, we found ourselves at the bottom of Callao Cave where we were given a few safety guidelines before having to climb up a hundred and eighty four steps to the cave entrance.

No bats near the cave entrance... hmmm...

No worries about having to pack flashlights and such since the cave is well illuminated by natural sunlight from the cave's numerous holes on the ceiling, where certain shapes have formed when photographed at a certain angle.

The light at the top of the cave...

Queue Circle of Life music...

Even caves have hearts too, you know...

Green life has even managed to grow inside the cave since the place gets to have a healthy dose of sunlight; they've also set up an area for mass to be held every once in a while.

Green on the inside..

Chapel area

It was nearing noon, and since it was becoming too hot for any outdoor activities, we decided to stop over for lunch.

Some local Pancit Batil (order the Special to get the small eggs..)

Our last stop before driving further up north was the Calvary Hills of the town of Iguig, a place of solemn reflection as long as you didn't mind staying under the scorching heat of the afternoon sun.

The ancient St. James the Apostle Church just in front of the Calvary

Off to the side of the hills was a set of ancient looking stairs which led to the Cagayan River, which is mostly dry out due to the intense heat during this summer season.

The brick staircase ruins with what's left of the Cagayan River in the distance...

Back inside the comfort of the airconditioned van, we settled down for a 4-hour drive to the coastal town of Sta. Ana, where our accommodation was waiting.

The villas nearby (perfect for family outings of 7 people)

The "container" rooms..

Clean room and some air condition!

Our room was comfortable enough with an AC unit that made you just want to lie down and sleep till morning, but just as I was contemplating to try out the heated shower, the electricity went out. So rather than wait around for the lights to come back on, we were told to get ready for dinner. (Note: Food establishments are a good 20-minute walk away from the resort if you don't mind the dim highway, also tricycles are far in between.)

I later realized that Waiting for dinner while feeling tired and grimy from the day's activities was no easy feat, especially if said dinner was taking an hour and so to prepare. So we walked out and decided to just order take-out from the establishment we saw a few steps back while the other tour members were already finishing off their plates. The nerve! (P.S. DON'T eat at Jaja's Resto Grill if you want fast service)

We ate our take-out back at our room, (good thing the electricity was back on), and I finally had the luxury of taking a much needed shower. That night, I felt that our first day in Cagayan didn't end on a high note, but I hope the next morning will prove to be better. Up next, island hopping to Palaui Island!

The Boracay of the North???