pagudpud
i remember going on a roadtrip with my friends in summer last year. (i don’t remember blogging anything about it, so here’s my more-than-a-year belated post). we went all the way to the northernmost part of luzon, which is most famous for its pristine beaches, killer waves, and untouched landscapes. pagudpud is actually just a small town in ilocos norte and is 561 kilometers away from manila, one way. it can be reached via air where you land in laoag, ilocos sur, then take a 2-hour bus ride to the town.
i still have the itinerary i compiled from a lot of resources on the web, but this one was the most helpful. with just this in hand, a couple of printouts on probable acommodations along the way, my friends and i set out on an adventure.
we left early morning on a thursday and got as far as laoag by nightfall. amazing, because the road all the way to pagudpud was cemented and we had no problems at all (all that investment of imelda marcos paid off). we just had a lot of stopovers kasi, that’s why it took us that long. we stayed there overnight and set out again in the morning. by around 10am, this awesome sight greeted us:
if you have the cash to burn you can stay in one of the beach’s prime hotels, Saud Beach Resort, which hosted the Bb. Pilipinas candidates a few years back. If not, there are several places to stay in that are really quite affordable and comfortable enough. we stayed at Arinaya Beach Resort. we had a great view of the beach and had the perfect spot to play cards and eat our own cooked meals!
my only regret is that we weren’t able to visit the tourist spots of pagudpud like the patapat viaduct, the lighthouse, the mairaira beach (or the blue lagoon, and i can only imagine how breathtaking the place is), kabigan falls, and the bantay abot caves. we just contented ourselves lounging on the beach, eating whatchamacallit crabs (sarap ng fresh!), and getting henna tattoos. we visited the windfarm, though.
overall, these were good times. nothing beats going on a road trip with people who get your drift for adventure and who know how to have fun. so kahit saan ka pang paraiso pumunta, pero kung ang kasama mo naman puro killjoy, wala din diba?
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p.s. if ever you’re planning to go to pagudpud and you need an IT of sorts, email me at iris14@gmail 
cheers!
November 9th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
wow, looks fantastic. how much did u spend for a night in arinaya, family room?
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November 10th, 2007 at 11:22 am
hehe that’s the one i forgot! i think i threw away the brochure, pero i think it was not more than 500 pesos a night after splitting it between the 5 of us.
all the rest, i can help you with, pero yung accomodation rates…
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December 12th, 2007 at 10:57 am
Hello- I just finished reading your post and impressed with it. I am just curious as to whether you went through a travel agency or just went there by yourself. We are thinking of doing it ourselves but are just worried about the accommodation- will there be vacancies? Any suggestions? Thanks
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December 12th, 2007 at 11:06 am
hi vangie! thanks for that
me and my friends planned this trip out of internet stuff lang, not travel agencies. it’s cheaper and means more adventure!
i searched the web for available accomodation on the beach strip (which are quite few lang because it’s not as commercialized yet) and a detailed map on how to get there. as for accomodations, as long as it’s not peak season, there won’t be any problems getting a place. but it’s still not boracay, so it’s relatively easier to book even if you’re just walk-in. we went there march. you can try arinaya beach resort (that’s where we stayed, it was being renovated when we went there so it might be a lot nicer now) or saud beach resort (more expensive). contact info are easily found on the web.
i can email you our IT but that’s if you’re planning a road trip. if you want to cut the trip shorter, book cebpac to laoag, then bus and trike to pagudpud. that’s around 4-5 hours nalang probably. anyway, let me know!
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December 12th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Watch out for the opening of the most beautiful and most elegant cottage/hotel at Blue Lagoon sometime next year, probably by June, 2008. It is now under construction. One building is done but no furnitures yet. One complex is 3 bedrooms upstairs with colorfull bathtubs and one bedroom downstairs with bathtub, a living room, a kitchen and patio upstairs. There will be 4 of this kind and one bungalow.
More to come!!!
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February 2nd, 2008 at 9:34 am
memorable din sa akin yung trip namin to pagudpud kasi it was a road trip (not with my friends!) with my mom! hahaha! i have almost no pics to show kasi nung pumunta kami dun di pa uso digital cams, eh at that time naubusan kami ng film yata.
anyway, i’m happy to see na madami na palang amenities dun. kasi nung time namin, naki-kubo lang kami sa locals, hehe.
loved the pics, parang ang saya niyo.
Meeya’s last blog post..Tag Debt Servicing, First Installment
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February 2nd, 2008 at 8:13 pm
meeya - mukhang matagal na nga yun! haha. and yup, madami nang resorts ang nagbukas dun. at magaganda sila. kala nga namin dati we’d have to rough it out. ngayon talaga it’s becoming a tourist destination. thing is, hindi siya as populated as other beaches dahil sobrang layo nga. which is a good thing na din
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March 5th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Hi.. i found your site when i searched for pagudpud via google. Im planning to take a roadtrip too this coming holy week.. im from davao and ill appreciate it if you can give me some tips in going there.. thanks in advance iris
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no problem, i can email you the stuff i researched from the internet. check out your email nalang ha! im pretty sure you’ll have a great time.
hi heidi! thanks for checking out my entry
-ris
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June 28th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Hi!. I just came across with your blog. I found it very nice. Also, the pictures (especially the beaches) are sooo breathtaking. I just love beaches, though i don’t know how to swim. hehehe. Anyways, i saved the pics and used it as my screensaver. Thanks.
Crissy
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iris reply on June 30, 2008:
hi crissy! me too, love the beach, and pagudpud was just divine
di bale, there’s plenty of time to learn how to swim, so you should start already. hehe.
wow thanks for including my photos in your screensaver. have a great day!
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