Explore.Dream.Discover: December 2024

Exploring North Luzon in a Loop on a Van

December 28 - 29, 2024

"Traveling in the company of those we love is home in motion.

To travel with family is to embark on a journey of discovery—of the world, of each other, and of ourselves".

— Leigh Hunt.

It has always been our favorite bonding activity to travel together, go out, forget the toil and demands of work, explore the world, have fun, relax, laugh, eat and enjoy the company of each other.

Before the holiday break, we've been planning to go somewhere and finally decided later to explore Malico.

Malico is a Barangay located within the Municipality of Sta. Fe in Nueva Vizcaya Province Region 2. The site is located atop the Cordillera Mountain range and famous for its cold weather, lush green and peaceful environment. Many visitors said the place is similar to the City of Baguio in terms of the weather, less the crowd. Malico is also within the Provincial boundary between Nueva Vizcaya Region 2 and Pangasinan Region 1.

Malico is approximately 152 kilometers and a 4-hour private vehicle drive from home in Isabela. We left home towards Malico onboard a van on the 28th at nine in the morning. We were eight - full of excitement and fun. With the company was Hyun.

Route from Isabela to Malico Nueva Vizcaya

It was foggy, drizzling and very cold Saturday. We reached Malico viewpoint at 2:30 PM, had a cup of hot coffee and lunch. After having lunch, we tried some local delicacies and picked souvenir items and then checked for accommodation within the area. We were told by the local tourist assistance center that all inns were currently fully booked. We had then decided to travel to Ilocos via Pangasinan, La Union route and then back home to Isabela via Cagayan route. After all, it's been more than a decade since our last get together with close relatives and our visit will be very timely.

Our final road trip loop from home in Isabela will then cover a distance near to a thousand kilometers onboard a Van.

Full Route - Isabela - Nueva Vizcaya - Pangasinan - La Union - Ilocos Sur - Ilocos Norte - Cagayan - Isabela

From Malico, we crossed to Pangasinan and headed towards Agoo in La Union to see the Marinas Family. We reached Agoo at 6:47 PM and had lunch together with the family. It has to be noted that Northeast Luzon usually is cold and wet in the last quarter of the year while Northwest Luzon is mostly clear, dry and hot. It was dry and hot in Agoo at that time. Stars were out which means, there was a clearing.

From Agoo, we proceeded further north to Laoag City. Along the way, we were looking for somewhere to stay in Laoag. Luckily, we got confirmation from AA Travelers Pad located near the center of the City. At this time of the year, most accommodations are fully booked especially in tourist spots like the Ilocos provinces.

We reached the Travelers Pad at 1:26 AM on the 29th, checked in and rested.

At 9:00 AM on the 29th, we checked out of Travelers Pad and proceeded to Auntie Ellie\s place to see the Family. We were so happy and grateful to see everyone happy and in good health. As usual, we had a warm welcome at Auntie Ellie's place with the whole family.

From Auntie Ellie's place, we proceeded to Lolo Ross and reached his place at 9:46 AM. At the gate, I saw Lolo Ross smiling at us and later on Lola Med met us with a warm hug. It was a very meaningful visit. The place has changed from the last time I saw more than two decades ago.

From Laoag City, we proceeded further north and reached Bacarra at 10:56 AM. We decided to side trip at Bacarra Church and Bell Tower to see the heritage structure.

We proceeded to Pagudpud from Bacarra and passed by Cape Bojeador Military Park called "Bannuar iti Amianan" translated as "Heroes of the North". This is a new attraction in the area. It was windy, clear and dry at that time. We spent a while at the Park and took turns with other guests taking photos at the Military facilities on display.

We had lunch at Pagudpud around 1:30 PM, stopped over at Patapat viaduct and then finally proceeded to Cagayan towards home in Isabela.

At 8:41 PM, we reached Tuguegarao City and had dinner. We reached home at 12:36 AM on the 30th.

All in all, our road trip covered more than 949 kilometers of road distance in more than 29 hours exploring so many places together, having so much fun together, laughing together, tasting many food flavors together, enjoying each other company and visiting very special and close relatives we had not seen for decades.

This road trip was one of the bests, very meaningful and memorable travel we had so far. Looking forward to having this kind of activities as soon as time permits.

We thank God for the opportunity to travel together as one family, explore so many places, experience nature, and see and bond with very close relatives.

Day 1: Northwest Route

December 28 : Travel to Malico Nieva Vizcaya | Pangasinan | La Union | Ilocos Norte

Preparing for the road trip at home.