Lakbay Norte 3 Itinerary

Lakbay Norte 3, the 8-day media tour of the Northern Philippines was a blast! Gorgeous weather, great food, generous hosts, and a group that was willing to try all the crazy extreme activities thrown our way. It’s going to take a while to write about all the places, activities, food stops and hotels. Am currently sorting through close to 2,000 photos. In the meantime, here’s a quick look at the jam-packed itinerary we had.

Day 1: Bulacan

3:30 am Call Time at Victory Liner, Spelunking in Pinagrealan Cave, Norzagaray, Bulacan; Kakanin, Crispy Pata and other local delicacies for breakfast.

Day 1: Nueva Ecija

Travel to Cabanatuan; Lunch at Liquid Restaurant; Sea bass fishing in Pantabangan Dam; Dinner at Villa Reyes Lakeside Resort; Travel from Nueva Ecija to Tuguegarao (Sleep in bus)

Day 2: Kalinga

Toploading to Kalinga; whitewater rafting in the Chico River; Lunch at Tabuk; Check in and dinner at Las Palmas de San Jose Hotel in Tuguegarao, Cagayan.

Day 3: Ilocos Norte

Breakfast in Las Palmas; Travel from Tuguegarao-Pagudpud; Lunch at Kapuluan Vista Resort in Pagudpud; Surf Lessons at the Blue Lagoon; Travel Time from Pagudpud-Laoag; Dinner at Johnny Moon Cafe + visit to Samtoy Books in Laoag, Check in at Plaza del Norte/Rosewell Hotel

Day 4: Ilocos Norte/La Union

Breakfast at Malacanang Ti Amianan, Paddleboarding in Paoay Lake; Travel from Paoay to Batac; Lunch at Batac (Miki and Batac Empanada); Travel from Ilocos Norte to La Union; Dinner and Cocktails at Thunderbird Resort; Check in at Kahuna Beach Resort in San Juan

Day 5: La Union/Baguio

Breakfast at Kahuna Beach Resort; Travel from San to Bacnotan; Trek and Tree Planting at Holcim Ecotrail; Lunch at Provincial Capitol in San Fernando; Travel from La Union to Baguio; Snack at Te Quiero (Microtel Baguio)

Day 5: Baguio

Airsoft in Baguio Country Club; Check-in and dinner at The Manor at Camp John Hay

Day 6: Pangasinan

Breakfast at The Manor; Travel from Baguio to Pangasinan; Dawell Rivercruise, Bangus Harvest, Mangrove Planting; Travel from Dagupan to Urdaneta; Lunch at Matutina Seafood Restaurant

Day 6: Tarlac

Travel from Urdaneta to Tarlac; Go Karting, Dinner and videoke night at Kart City Tarlac; Check in at Microtel/La Maja Rica; Breakfast at Microtel

Day 7: Subic

Travel from Tarlac to Subic; Jungle Survival and Riverside lunch; Massage and Free Time at Ritz Thai Spa; Travel from Subic to Clark; Dinner at Mimosa Restaurant; Check in at Hotel Vida

Day 8: Clark/Pampanga

Breakfast at Hotel Vida; Off-Road 4×4 Ride to Puning’s Hot Springs; Lunch at Historic Camalig Restaurant; Travel from Clark to San Fernando; Snack and visit Prado Farm; Dinner and shopping at Robinsons Starmills.

Thank you North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB), Manila North Tollways Corporation(MNTC), Victory Liner and all the corporate sponsors for letting us rediscover the North. Stay tuned for more in-depth posts on each destination!

Boarding! 😉