Northern Luzon - The Rough Guide to the Philippines - page 148

ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION PAGUDPUD AND AROUND

By bus Buses arrive on the main road in Pagudpud town.
There are services from Manila (12hr), with local buses
connecting the town to Laoag (every 15min; 2hr).
Tourist information In the town hall (Mon-Fri 8am-
5pm; T 0939 936 7809, W [e-mail]).

Services There are no banks, and just one ATM at Aziar
I-Mart that only accepts local cards, so make sure to bring
enough pesos.
Tricycle tours Tricycles offer tours, taking in the area's
major sights for P600/day.

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Resorts around Pagudpud are a little pricier than similar establishments elsewhere, and many of them double their prices
during high season (April & May, Holy Week & Christmas). It's always worth asking for a discount at other times. Budget
travellers should consider a homestay . The tourist of ce has accredited more than thirty, with fixed prices of P250 or
P350/person for fan or a/c, and there are at least another forty uno cial homestays in the area. Contact the tourist o ce
for details, or just wander along the road behind the main resorts on Saud Beach.

family-run place offers nine a/c rooms with private bath.
There's a pleasant restaurant in an open-fronted nipa and
bamboo hut, and staff are often s een barb ecuing fresh fish
in the back yard with their guests. P2000
★

SAUD BEACH AND AROUND
Apo Idon T 077 676 0483 or T 0917 510 0671,
W apoidon.com. Saud Beach's most upmarket resort
offers a selection of comfortable rooms with dark wooden
furniture. The more spacious suites (P6000) have private
balconies with sea views; there's also a small pool, and a
restaurant giving onto a beautiful stretch of beach. The
downside is the deafenin gly lou d hum of the generator
around the reception area. P4800
★

3

Kapuluan Vista Sitio Banarian, Brgy Balaoi T 0920
952 2528, W kapuluanvistaresortandrestaurant.com.
A gem of a place with a pleasant pool area and a great
restaurant serving organic produce from the backyard,
where free-range chickens also roam. Rooms are tastefully
decorated with minimalist decor. Larger deluxe rooms
sleeping four (P4750) have a loft and veranda, and there
are also excellent-value rooms with shared bathroom
sleeping two to six (P650/person). The bar and lounge with
cushioned seating and beanbag is right on the beach is
the perfect spot for a sundowner. P2700
Wally's World Homestay Sitio Banarian, Brgy Balaoi
T 0938 615 8791. This friendly place is run by a family
of keen surfers who also rent out boards (P200) and offer
lessons (P200) at the surf break just outside the front
door. There are three colourfully painted tiled a/c rooms, a
pleasant cottage with kitchenette sleepin g four (P2800)
and a wobbly makeshift hut (P800). P2000

BergBlick Brgy Burayoc T 0939 458 1642,
W bergblick-pagudpud.com. Halfway between Saud
Beach and Blue Lagoon, this is an unusual find along the
highway - a German-owned restaurant with waitresses in
traditional Bavarian dress, offering excellent international
and local dishes including home-made ravioli (P270) and
pinakbet lasagne (P295). Try the BergBlick Pan (P460,
serving 2-3), a platter with pork chop, pork roast, pan-fried
potatoes, cabbage roll and fresh mixed salad, followed by
the home-made crème brûlée (P150). Daily 9am-10pm.
★

Evangeline Beach Resort Brgy Burayoc T 077 655
5862 or T 0927 411 6284, W evangelinebeachresort
.net. An excellent option comprising six comfortable
rooms in a freshly painted thatched building with beautiful
wooden interiors; there's also a spacious cottage with two
double rooms, lounge area and fully equipped kitchenette.
The beachside restaurant offer s an ex tensive menu of
Filipino and international dishes. P2600

KINGFISHER BEACH
Kingfisher Resort T 0927 525 8111, W kingfisher
beach.com. Popular with kite surfers, this is a very
comfortable option with tastefully decorated casitas with
modern amenities, some with lofts. Travellers on a budget
can sleep in little tiki huts (P2000) with shared bath. The
restaurant offers a n exte nsive menu of Filipino and
international dishes. P2500

BLUE LAGOON
Agua Seda T 0920 243 1832, W aguaseda.com. Close
to the hard-to-miss Hannah's Beach Resort , this laidback

The northeast
he northeast of Luzon, comprising the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora,
Isabela and Cagayan, is one of the archipelago's least explored regions, with kilometres
of beautiful coastline and enormous tracts of tropical rainforest. Following the National
Highway from Ilocos as it curves south brings you to the biggest city in the region,
FROM TOP SURFING, SAN JUAN P.140 ; VIGAN P.142 >