Sunday, April 07, 2013

Northern Experience

Traveling in the Northern part of Luzon Island in the Philippines can be distressing, I say so because of the availability of buses plying the Maharlika Highway in the North. But if you're seeking adventures in roadtrip, the Northern experience is more likely on your list.



Touring the Northern Luzon Island is tricky. For example, one can go to the town of Aparri in either the eastern road or the west. The western portion offers scenes of the Ilocos Region, the French Riviera of the North, Patapat Viaduct that is, and on the eastern part is the Magapit Bridge in Lal-lo, said to be the "oldest suspension bridge" in the Philippines.

 North experience isn't complete without the visit to the famous Callao Cave in Penablanca, about less than an hour from Tuguegarao. Tuguegarao can be reached by air or enduring the 12 hour bus journey on daylight and 10 hour on a night trip.The best period to travel on daytime is between 4:30AM - 6:00AM or 8:00PM and onwards at night. Florida Bus in Cubao and Sampaloc & Victory Liner in Pasay and Cubao have direct trip to Tuguegarao, Book your journey early for the buses with toilets.

About 2 hours bus ride from Tuguegarao City, you can reach Aparri, you can ride GV Florida bus or shuttle vans. Aparri is where "the river meets the sea", it is at the portal of the Cagayan River.

From Aparri, there are mini buses and shuttle vans going to Santa Ana. Travel time may be 2 hours more. Santa Ana is home to the Cagayan Freeport Zone and is also home to the Anguib beach. Cape Engano can also be reached by hiring an outrigger boat bound to Palaui Island. San Vicente Port in Santa Ana is also home to the jetty port going to Calayan Island.

Proceeding to the site of the church ruins in San Jacinto de Polonia in Camalaniugan, near the banks of the Cagayan River,one can get a ghastly story pertaining to the sentinel of the old church ruins. Near the ruins is the  erected house of worship and the belfry where the oldest bell in the Far East is placed. From Santa Ana, this is after the town of Buguey.

Before heading to the humble town of Claveria, you may want to visit the newly renovated " Asia's oldest suspension bridge", the Magapit Suspension Bridge in the town of Lal-lo. Here is the loading and unloading point for buses and shuttle vans going to Ballesteros, Pamplona, Sanchez Mira, Claveria, Sta. Praxedes, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, buses mostly came from Tuguegarao City.

 Claveria in Cagayan is one of my favorite place in the North because of its simplicity. People are nice, good location and everything seems uncomplicated. Plus it's near the less populated beach of Sentinela.

In about an hour from Claveria, you will be in Ilocos Norte's town of Pagudpud. This is where the Boracay of the North can be found. From Pagudpud, places to be explored nearby is at 30 minutes at most. You may want to visit Bangui, Kapurpurawan and Cape Bojeador. You may opt to ride GMW buses going Laoag or Vigan.  From Pagudpud, you may want to pursue with Laoag or visit the Calle Crisologo in Vigan at midnight and took as many pictures as you can while the town is asleep.

Going back to the Metro Manila is easy. Variety of buses like Partas,  Farinas Transit and GV Florida are available along the highways of Ilocos. Bus Terminals can be found mostly in Laoag City.


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For those wanting to try the Tuguegarao-Claveria-Ilocos Norte-Ilocos Sur long trip, I am also posting the Bus schedules for your  information. You may also try the Manila-Santa Ana-Claveria-Ilocos Norte-Ilocos Sur. This will take you 5 days in roadtrips (the least possible).

GV Florida Bus - Cubao Station
GV Florida Bus - Sampaloc Station
Victory Liner - Kamias Station
Victory Liner - Pasay Station
GMW Trans - Tuguegarao Station



Disclaimer: Information contained in this page is accurate at the time of this writing. However, no liability or responsibility is accepted arising from reliance upon the information contained in this page.


Click on thumbnails to view larger image.

17 comments:

  1. Uy that nice to know ha... we have the oldest suspension bridge in asia pala... haha... kamote lang kase hangang una lang tayo haha... but still maganda parin ang pinas... :)

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    1. yes Ian, based on philstar, it is said to be Asia's oldest, but other claims only in the far east.. according to the merchants near the bridge, it was built during the Marcos's years in the late 70s..

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  2. A lot of reasons to love the north! Great post Palos!

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    1. salamat edmar!
      kahit stagnant at the moment, madami pa ang dapat i-update.

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  3. hi! do you have any idea how we can travel from vigan to tuguegarao by bus? hoping for your response. thank you in advance! :)

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    1. Heya Liway, as for transportation bound Tuguegarao from Vigan, GMW buses offers direct course, am not familiar with the schedule though but I remember leaving Vigan for Claveria around 7am on a GMW Tuguegarao bound non airconditioned bus.

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  4. http://biyahengpalos.blogspot.com/search/label/Ilocos%20Sur

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  5. Is there a Partas bus bound for Aparri? Thanks.

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    1. For direct trip from Manila to Aparri, it's only Florida buses, as for my experience..

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    2. Hi po saan po ang terminal ng florida trip to aparri? Tnx po in advance

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    3. Hi po. Saan po ang terminal ng florida sa metro manila trip to aparrimanila?

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    4. GV Florida buses are stationed in Earnshaw in Sampaloc, and another in Cubao, along EDSA.

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  6. sir ask ko lng po magkano po ang fare tugegarao-laoag?

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    1. Hindi ko matandaan yung specific rate ng GMW,pero nasa 400+ din yun dahil lampas 6 hours ang biyahe..

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  7. How much po from aparri to Laoag and Vigan?

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  8. Mag kano po pag galing sa Aparri going to Laoag and Vigan? thanks

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    1. More or less P400. Tentative lang ang mabibigay ko since hindi ko kabisado ang bagong fare rate. Aparri to Magapit kasi nasa P60 na, Magapit to Claveria is around P140.

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