Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
permission to open within the old town. The music is
an eclectic mix of R&B, cha-cha, Latin and boogie. P100
entrance fee on Sat (includes one beer).
Mon-Thurs
8pm-2am, Fri & Sat 8pm-4am.
SHOPPING
Cristy's Loom Weaving
Camangaan, 3km southeast of
the city centre
T
0916 491 9320.
Here you can watch
women weaving at old rickety looms (Mon-Sat 5am-5pm),
and buy the finished products, including sheets, pillowcases,
tablemats and runners, in the small nearby shop. To get here
catch a tricycle from town (15min; P40)
Daily 6am-9pm.
Rowilda's Handloom Weaving
Crisologo St at
General Luna St
T
0927 422 4127.
This souvenir shop,
with a workshop in nearby Camangaan, offers a selection
of handwoven fabrics including place mats, table runners,
napkins and blankets.
Daily 8am-7pm.
Ruby Pottery
65 Liberation Blvd
T
077 674 0476.
The
massive wood-fired kilns here produce
burnay
- huge jars
used by northerners for storing everything from vinegar
to fish paste. Broken jars, called
gibak
, are used as a bed to
dry salt. Carabao pound the wet clay under hoof, although
you'll need to arrive between 8 and 11am to see them in
action.
Daily 8am-6pm.
DIRECTORY
Banks and exchange
There are many banks with ATMs
on Quezon Ave, including BDO and Metro Bank, a Landbank
on Florentino St by Quezon Ave, and a Maybank at the
corner of Plaridel and Florentino streets.
Hospital
Gabriela Silang General Hospital (
T
077 722
2772), south of the centre on Quirino Blvd.
Internet
3
8.30am-11pm; P20/hr;
T
077 632 0031); SNP Cyberzone,
Bonifacio St (Sun-Fri 9am-7pm; P20/hr;
T
0926 141
1155).
Police station
Rivero St, Brgy 8, south of town (24hr;
T
0917 860 7316).
Post o
ce
Governor A. Reyes St at Bonifacio St (Mon-Fri
8am-5pm).
access
Quickline,
Bonifacio
St
(daily
Santa Maria Church and around
38km south of Vigan • From Vigan, take any Manila-bound bus (1hr), or catch a van to Santa Maria (leave when full; 45min; P50); tricycles
to Pinsal Falls leave from Santa Maria town (45min; P160 return)
The UNESCO World Heritage-listed
Santa Maria Church
, dating from 1769, is a solid
structure with a brick facade, set on a hill and reached via 83 steps; unsurprisingly it
was used as a fortress during the Philippine Revolution. The interior is quite plain
with the exception of its geometric floor tiles, and it's inhabited by birds and bats.
While in the area it's worth travelling 8km to
Pinsal Falls
, a spectacular set of waterfalls
with two large emerald green pools. Make sure to bring snacks and refreshments, as
there are no shops.
Badoc
The coastal road north of Vigan to Laoag is sealed all the way and the journey time is
only two hours. If you do want to break the journey then you could stop at
BADOC
,
the birthplace of the Filipino painter Juan Luna. His reconstructed house, known as
the
Juan Luna Shrine
(Tues-Sun 8am-5pm; free;
T
0927 356 9370,
W
nhcp.gov.ph),
stands in a side street close to the seventeenth-century Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc
church. About 1km off the coast,
Badoc Island
is gaining a reputation for good surfing
(late Oct to early March & late June to early Sept) - get there by renting a bangka from
the little wharf in Badoc town.
Laoag
The congested streets of the Ilocos Norte provincial capital,
LAOAG
, can't compete with
Vigan's historical core when it comes to aesthetic appeal, but there are a handful of
things to do and see, and the city boasts one of the country's best museums. Laoag also
makes an excellent base for exploring the beautiful coast at nearby
Suba
or touring
sights associated with former dictator
Ferdinand Marcos
.
