lakbay norte 3 – soloflighted.com

Shooting Trees at Microtel Inn & Suites Luisita in Tarlac

After a fun afternoon of Go Kart racing in Tarlac’s Kart City, we spent the night in Microtel Inn & Suites Luisita. It was an adrenaline-packed day, like all the other days of our Lakbay Norte 3 familiarization tour. I immediately hit the sack which made me wake up early the next day.

Shooting Trees at Microtel Inn & Suites Luisita in Tarlac
January 28, 2012

trees outside Microtel

I’ve been to a Microtel property before. It was where we stayed when I won a blog contest about Boracay. True enough when I checked our room, the chiropractic “healthy for the back” beds were there and they’ve always been consistent about this feature.

Microtel Inn & Suites in Luisita, Tarlac | photo by Marcos of PuebloPhilippines.com

We arrived from a long bus ride from Nueva Ecija to Las Palmas Hotel and Resort in Tuguegarao. Travel time took about 9 hours so we spent the night inside the Lakbay Norte 3 shuttle to rest.

Afterwards, we headed to our assigned rooms so we could get ready for another adventure prepared for us. But first we had breakfast at 5 in the morning courtesy of Mcdonalds. The meal was what we needed to keep us full as we travel to Kalinga and experience white water rafting by Adventures and Expeditions Inc.

White Water Rafting at Chico River
Kalinga, Cordillera Administrative Region

listening to our raft guide

Toploading in Kalinga

It was a chilly morning and the sun was still rising. On our way to the starting point of the rafting adventure, we made a stopover to change seats. Those who wanted to ride on top of the jeep had transferred. This reminded me of my crazy topload from Banaue to Bontoc during our trip to Sagada. It also made me realize I haven’t finished writing about my Sagada series.

chilly morning topload

My eyes were squinting when the organizers woke us up to step off the bus. We just arrived in Nueva Ecija to try sport fishing at the Pantabangan Dam after a spelunking activity in Bulacan. It was a long bus ride, about 7 hours with a lunch stopover at Liquid Coffee Bar and Resto in Microtel Cabanatuan. I still wanted to sleep but we needed to go down to check the place out.

Sport Fishing at Pantambangan Dam
Nueva Ecija

Dandi of Lakbay Norte 3 in Pantabangan Lake

Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija

After checking out from the Widus Hotel Resort, we prepared for another adventure, this time an off-road 4×4 ride to Puning Hot Springs in Angeles, Pampanga.

The breakfast buffet at the resort was wonderful, if only we had more time. But it was a busy day as we had another set of activities lined up for us.

Puning Hot Springs & Sand Spa
Sitio Target, Sapang Bato
Angeles City, Pampanga

Off Road Adventure to the Puning Hot Springs

4×4 vehicles welcomed us and it was cool to see a row of them displayed as if we got to choose which one we could drive. Of course, it didn’t matter which color we rode as we were but passengers of these open-air wheels.

After a 4×4 off-road adventure from Puning Hot Springs, we proceeded to the next station where we were treated to a sand spa and mudpack therapy.

Sand Spa & Mudpack at Puning Hot Springs
Sitio Target, Sapang Bato
Angeles City, Pampanga

pouring sand over Krishmel and James | my turn
photo by Lakwatsero

Sand Spa

I first heard about a volcanic ash spa when I read an article by a fellow blogger. I didn’t really know what to expect except for being buried alive in sand and volcanic ash. There’s also an oven below where they place coals to maintain the warm temperature. We were advised that the sand spa experience helps improve blood circulation. This only lasts for 20-30 minutes to avoid dehydration.

JourneyingJames feeling the heat.

Aside from surfing, one of the activities I looked forward to doing was paddle boarding at Paoay Lake, Ilocos Norte. I wanted to try this because I’ve seen the sport in magazines and I wondered how sport was like compared to surfing.

Paddle boarding at Paoay Lake
Paoay, Ilocos Norte

Angel of Lakwatsero.com paddleboarding in Paoay Lake

I knew surfing was a tough one; heck it took me awhile before I learned to stand on the board yet I was only able to ride the wave for a couple of seconds. Then catching another wave would require more energy and a lot more strength to stay afloat. Paddleboarding, after my first attempt, turned out to be an easy one.

Mike teaching the basics

About 15 minutes away from Paoay Lake, we went to the sand dunes of Suba, Ilocos Norte for a quick stop. This was not supposed to be part of our itinerary but since we had a few minutes to spare, we were lucky to be given the time to check the place out.

Quick Stop at Suba Sand Dunes
Paoay, Ilocos Norte

view from the bus

“Guys, 10 minutes only!” Ivan of Ivan About Town said that we shouldn’t take long as we still had some activities lined up for the rest of the day.

I was happy to have the chance to step down the bus and not just stare at the place from afar that I hurriedly took my camera out and stepped foot on the sand.

Lakbay Norte 3 Victory Liner Bus in Paoay

Formerly known as Hotel Vida, the Widus Resort and Casino hotel in Clark, Pampanga was the last place we checked in during our Lakbay Norte 3 trip. This was a nice and relaxing place to cap off our eight-day adventure to different parts of North Luzon.

Widus Resort and Casino Hotel in Clark, Pampanga
January 28, 2012

Hotel Widus, Clark, Pampanga

To be honest, I didn’t expect a lot from this hotel. I was just happy to rest after a long day of pampering. But when I saw our King Bed and Single bed room, I was amazed.

our room in Hotel Widus

One of my most favorite hotels during our Lakbay Norte 3 trip was Hotel Manor in Baguio City. We arrived after our Airsoft game at the Baguio Country Club and it was nice to see the place all lit up.

The Manor Hotel
January 26, 2012

night scene in Hotel Manor

When we arrived at the lobby, chandeliers and a fireplace greeted us. There was also a band at the Piano Bar and I could see an old couple dancing to the song being played. It was a nice welcome after a tiring day of activities and it made me want to go directly to my room so I could change and then explore the other parts of the hotel.

lobby of Hotel Manor

After six hours of travel time from Tuguegarao, we arrived we arrived at the Kapuluan Vista Resort in Pagudpud to have lunch. The resort, hotel, and restaurant is owned by couple Mr. Mike and Alma Oida and they’ve been running the place since 2006.

Lunch at Kapuluan Vista Resort
Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

Kapuluan Vista Resort, Hotel and Restaurant

They gave us a preview of the food that they serve in the restaurant. What was striking about their menu is that the ingredients are taken from their garden. Their items are prepared fresh, with no preservatives added. Don’t panic they’re organic!

1. Flower Decoration, 2. Kapuluan Kinilaw (Polynesian Style), 3. Cabbage Parsley Soup, 4. Bagnet Ceviche

I love the water. Even as a kid, we would always go to the beach or pools during weekends. We’d normally take a swim, build sand castles, jump into the sea, and do just about any activity available. I’ve developed this fascination that even as a grownup, I’d be willing to try any physical exercise that involves water.

Lakbay Norte 3: Surfing at Blue Lagoon
Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

steady now
(photo by Marcos)

I prefer experimenting with watersports and it’s only a few that I’ve done so far – skimboarding in Argao, Cebu and kneeboarding in Camarines Sur. Both of which, I know I’m not good at but I’m happy to have at least tried them.

I remember the time when I rode my first (and only) wave in Siargao. One hour wasn’t enough but my body couldn’t take it anymore as I easily got tired. I also never had a picture of me standing on the board, until now.

cone-shaped islands

I was hoping to publish a couple of entries while travelling to different places in the North. But every time I checked in the hotels we were assigned to, I was more excited to hit the sack to get some much-needed rest. The Lakbay Norte 3 trip has ended but I’m still getting a hangover from all the activities we did.

Lakbay Norte is a media tour set up by the North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB) to introduce different media groups about travelling and the places to visit in North Luzon. With the banner “Rediscover the North”, NPVB and its partners (Manila North Tollways Corporation, Mcdonalds, Robinsons, Smart Communications, and Victory Liner) helped each other in showcasing that there’s still a lot of places that are undiscovered in the North.

Let me just say that the bus was really attractive!

Travelling on a Victory Liner bus for 8 days in North Luzon (Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Cagayan, Kalinga, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Baguio, Pangasinan, Tarlac Subic Bay, Clark, Pampanga).

Adventures

I’m so glad that the theme for this year was “Outdoor Adventures in North Philippines” which mean that I had time to try out different physical activities. Spelunking, sport fishing, white water rafting, surfing, paddle boarding, airsoft, kart racing, offroad adventure, jungle survival; not to mention the karaoke night and a day of pampering.

jam-packed adventures during the trip!

Spelunking at Pinagrealan Cave, Bass Fishing at Cabanatuan, White Water Rafting in Kalinga, Surfing in Pagudpud, Paddleboarding in Paoay, Trekking & Tree Planting in Holcim Ecotrail, Airsoft in Baguio, Dawell Reivercruise in Dagupan, Go Karting at Kart City in Tarlac, Jungle Survival at Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Spa and Massage at Ritz Spa, Offroad Adventure at Puning Hot Springs in Greater Clark

I was so overwhelmed by the responses I received from my previous blog entry that I don’t know if I can come up with another ‘share-worthy’ post. But based on the comments, a lot of people have but a slight idea of my plans after announcing that I was going to resign in order to start a location-independent lifestyle. In reality, I don’t really have a clear idea on what I’m going to do. All I know is that I have a few tickets booked and I’ll pursue a freelance career online. Slow travel is what I aim to do. But before going on that trip, here’s an event that also helped me decide to resign earlier than expected.

Lakbay Norte 3 Adventure

I was chosen by the North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB), along with five other travel bloggers, as part of a media group to tour Northern Luzon dubbed as Lakbay Norte 3: Outdoor Adventures in North Philippines!

Note: Photos were taken from the bloggers’ profiles without their permission. Peace guys! 😀

Shooting Trees at Microtel Inn & Suites Luisita in Tarlac

White Water Rafting at Chico River in Kalinga

Toploading in Kalinga

Sport Fishing at Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija

Off-Road 4×4 Adventure to Puning Hot Springs in Angeles, Pampanga

Sand Spa & Mudpack at Puning Hot Springs in Angeles, Pampanga

Sand Spa

Paddleboarding at Paoay Lake, Ilocos Norte

Suba Sand Dunes in Paoay, Ilocos Norte

Widus Resort and Casino Hotel in Clark, Pampanga

The Manor Hotel in Baguio City

Lunch at Kapuluan Vista Resort, Pagudpud

Surfing at Blue Lagoon in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

Lakbay Norte 3: Rediscover the North

Adventures

Lakbay Norte 3: Outdoor Adventures in North Philippines

Lakbay Norte 3 Adventure