Ilocos Norte | A Day in Laoag (Accommodation, City Day/Night Walking Tour, Etc.)

As I mentioned in several of my previous posts, I was able to visit Ilocos Norte (and Laoag) for the first time last year. The visit is a short one - less than two days and a night. The night was spent in the province's capital, Laoag City (also called the City of Lights) - a first class city, the province's center of politics and economy.

After spending the whole day touring the southern part of Ilocos Norte (Burgos Lighthouse, Bangui Windmills and Kapurpurawan Rock Formations) via tricyle and after more or less an hour of walking tour in the city, a clean room with a comfy bed is a welcome reprieve; that we have in Hotel Tiffany.

Hotel Tiffany is a budget hotel located in Laoag's central district, a few minutes walk from the city's tourist attractions like the sinking bell tower of St. William Cathedral, Ilocos Norte Museum and Aurora Park, the park fronting the provincial capitol.

Hotel Tiffany's standard room: air-conditioned, with double-size bed, TV set and private bathroom/CR with hot and cold shower and complimentary toiletries (shampoo/conditioner, soap) - 1,200Php/night. The room is clean, no traces of cigarette smell which I experiened in some budget hotels. With this, I'm quite thankful and so I slept soundly that night. Zzzzz... ;)

After a not-so-comfortable trip with Florida Bus' sleeper bus the previous night and a whole day spent on a tricycle tour, I was tempted to just stay in the hotel. But this is my first time in Laoag and besides, we haven't eaten our dinner yet. So after freshening up, we went out again. For our dinner, we went to La Preciosa where I got to try the best carrot cake I've tasted so far, my precious find at La Preciosa. :D

After dinner, we went on a short walking tour on the nearby city attractions. Here's how Laoag City looks like at night (and during the day, photos taken after attending the Sunday mass), enjoy the photo tour. ^_^

Centuries-old 45-meter tall bell tower, the Sinking Bell Tower of Laoag, was built by the Augustinian friars in 1612. It is one of the tallest and most massive bell tower of the Philippines. Tales has it that the said tower could be entered into by a person on horseback without stooping. Nowadays, however, a person of ordinary height has to stoop in order to enter the tower because it sunk considerably and evenly as the times go by; thus, its reputation as "The Sinking Bell Tower of Laoag". (source: tower marker)

~ oo00oo ~