Pagudpud (Boracay of the North)

I intentionally didn't include Pagudpud from the Ilocos Norte page coz being the highlight of the whole trip i wanted to give it its own page it deserves.

the Pagudpud welcome arch is quite unique in the sense that it's the first welcome arch i've seen located just after a bridge and right before approaching a mountain road. Sad thing with Pagudpud's arch is some people who doesn't give a damn put a streamer of some sort on the arch almost covering the name of the town. couldn't they just place it on the side or even make a place where announcements should be properly posted.



that's why i took another shot at its alternative welcome marker, which is this pearl. it is where you will turn left to go to Saud Beach and the town proper.



from the marker, it will take you around 10 minutes before reaching the rows of resort lining up Saud Beach. Some of the notable resorts would be Terra Rika, Apo Indon and of course the upscale Saud Beach Resort.

if you prefer to be surrounded by other tourists, the first two are the preferred resorts. this is the view in front of the two resorts.



but if you want your beach experience to be a little more private and doesn't mind shelving out a little more pesos, Saud Beach Resort is the way to go. view from Saud Beach Resort.



There were henna tattoo, beads, seashell stalls along the shores. i had my henna tattoo on my arms, choosing a tribal dragon design. it costed me P300 for its relatively bigger size. but instead of being tattooed in their stalls, i opted to be done by the shore to enjoy the scenery and help out with being yaya to my son, Jaden.



here are some of my favorite shots in Pagudpud:

me, marie, papa, mama, jaden, my sister lei, my sis mei and her hubby richie



my family, four of us, the fourth is coming out this July 2008 :)



nature's colors blending well with each other.





my fave shot of Pagudpud, it's currently the desktop background for my computer



i took this picture of tourists taking their poses for their camera. i thought if they noticed they were going to get mad. good thing these tourists were my cousins. hehehe



i thought these pics looked like they were intended for some music album cover. if the sky would have been a little bluer it would have been perfect. chua family boys and yes i'm the eldest of them all. they even call me uncle for being the most senior.





this guy had it good. finding a bathtub formation along the rocky portion of the beach. all that's missing is a four season's drink on his hand. he never relinquished his post until we left.



the chua family vacationers, some 30 of us. one of my uncles just arrived from abroad, fetched in the airport, dropped his luggage at home, then went on the roadtrip to Pagudpud immediately. he won't be denied this year's family summer outing.

the family summer outing has been a family tradition for quite some years now so it's something everybody looks forward to every summer.





even local kids can't help but still get awed by nature's beauty.



father, son and God's art.



the 15 windmills supplying 1/3 of Ilocos Norte's energy supply can be seen from the beach. the windmills are located in Bangui town about 15 minutes away from Pagudpud.



due to the influx of tourists during the holy week, all resort accomodations were fully booked. walk-in tourists trying their luck were offered tents for their accomodation. and it's funny that i noticed some 5 of these tents lining up the shore. only in the philippines i guess!