Vigan + Laoag

Somewhere in time

Vigan

Walking down the cobblestone Calle Crisologo in Vigan is like walking back to the past. The houses you pass by are bahay-na-bato (stone houses) built during the Spanish colonial era. No, you did not wander into a movie set. These houses are for real. And people live in them even now.

No wonder UNESCO has named the city a World Heritage Site. It has also been named as one of the New7Wonders Cities of the world.

Colonial-era stone houses are two-story affairs where the ground floor serves as garage, store and warehouse, and where the upper floor is the family’s living quarters. Sometimes, the kitchen and the toilet are separate structures connected to the upper floor.

The houses, which, for some reason no one can really put their finger on, have withstood the test of time, seem to remind us that the wisdom of vernacular architecture may even beat the vagaries of global warming. Go to Vigan and find out why.

Laoag: Northern Philippines Hub

Laoag City is the northernmost urban hub of the Philippines, complete with an international airport. Lapped by the West Philippine Sea and locked in by the foothills of the Cordillera highlands, this Spanish-era heritage city boasts a bountiful harvest from the sea and the mountains — which the locals celebrate in their kitchens and on their dining tables. The richness of this socio-economic and cultural dynamic is explored mindfully at the Museo Ilocos Norte housed at what once was a tabacalera, or tobacco-processing factory.

Where to go: Museo Ilocos Norte. St. Williams Cathedral and the Sinking Bell Tower, built by Augustinian friars in 1612. Other baroque churches and Spanish colonial buildings in the nearby vicinity, particularly Paoay Church. Malacañang of the North, a lakeside museum celebrating the Marcos presence in Philippine politics. La Paz Sand Dunes, 85 sq. km. of sandy coastal desert and beach. Fort Ilocandia Hotel and Resort. Side trips: White-sand beaches in Pagudpud. Bangui Windmills. Patapat Viaduct. Cape Bojeador Lighthouse.

Airport: Laoag International Airport.

See Sample Itinerary

From Manila, you can travel by air to Laoag International Airport which is about an hour away from Vigan
You can also take a 12-hour bus ride from Manila directly to Vigan. A van rental is also a more comfortable option
In Vigan, go local on tricycles and the kalesa, or horse-drawn carriage.
Paying guests can spend the night in some of the stone houses.

Visit the Pagburnayan, or pottery house, where you can make your own burnay (pottery).
Try the famous empanadas — meaty or vegetarian, up to you, but with runny sunny-side-ups, please.Take the river cruise at the Mestizo River. Before the Spaniards came, this was a trading route for Chinese merchants and the indigenous communities. The cruise comes with a recorded narration and dioramas at pertinent landmarks, telling the story of the city from a riverine point of view.
Partake of local delicacies at Café Leona.

Calle Crisologo and the old district meandering from this street.
Plaza Burgos, named after one of the three martyr priests executed by the Spanish colonial government. Their deaths stoked the fires of the Philippine Revolution.
The house of Padre Burgos.
Syquia Mansion.

Go to the local souvenir stores for:

Handwoven fabrics, especially the abel cloth blanket
Basi, the local sugarcane wine
Vigan Longganisa, the city’s signature meat dish and Bagnet, crispy deep-fried chunks of pork belly
Royal bibingka
Chichacorn, crispy corn cracklings in different flavors.
Handcrafted bags

Have a bowlful (and more!) of the sinanglaw, the local beef broth teeming with beef innards and spices.
Longganisa, a local sausage with a very strong garlic presence.
Bagnet, a tasty crispy-fried chunk of pork seasoned with salt and spices.
Pinakbet, a stew of local vegetables.
Puqui-puqui, a deceptively simple treat of eggplant, tomatoes, and eggs.
Empanada, a mix of green papaya, crushed longganisa, and runny fried eggs wrapped in a crunchy orange-tinged ground-rice wrap.
Miki, rice noodles swimming in a most flavorful herb soup.

HOW TO GET THERE

Fly from the US (Nonstop from LAX, SFO, HNL, GUM, SPN) to Manila (MNL)

Fly from Canada (Nonstop from YVR and YYZ) to Manila (MNL)

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Profession:	Travel Professional
Destination:	Vigan
Where To Go:	Calle Crisologo, Syquia Mansion, Pagburnayan
Must Try Activity:	Pottery Making at Pagburnayan
Must Try Food/Drinks:	Bagnet , Vigan Longanisa and Empanada
Insider's Tips:	To get around Vigan is to hire a “Cochero” and ride the horse drawn carriage called “kalesa”. Walk along Calle Crisologo at night to capture and feel its nostalgic and romantic charm. Don’t miss the Dancing Lights Fountain Show at Plaza Salcedo.