Michi Photostory

Last June, we had our North Luzon Road Trip, and before heading home, we made a quick stop at Thunderbird Resort for lunch. My husband checked if we could do a day trip and mentioned that the entrance fee was supposedly PHP 300. But when I searched, I saw it was PHP 500. We relied solely on Google and didn’t bother calling the resort to confirm. So when we arrived, we were all shocked to find out that the entrance fee was actually PHP 1,000. Toink! 

We were already there and hungry, so backing out wasn’t really an option — “ginusto namin 'to,” hehehe! The guard gave us a parking ticket, which we had to present at the reception. The PHP 1,000 entrance fee was consumable, and since there are only a few restaurants inside the resort, we decided to eat at Olives Restaurant. 

We were a group of four, and at first, I wondered how we could possibly spend PHP 4,000 just for lunch. But when I saw the menu, I couldn’t help but laugh — the meals were quite pricey, so there was really nothing to worry about after all.

Here’s what we ordered: 

Grilled Pork Loin with Caramelized Apples – PHP 750 

Catch of the Day with Mango Pineapple Salsa – PHP 750 

Margherita Pizza – PHP 800 

Chicken Biryani – PHP 1,000 

Banoffee Pie – PHP 450 

While we were waiting, they served complimentary bread. 

The meals were pricey, but they all tasted great, so we had no complaints. However, the portions were too large for our appetites, so it took us a while to finish our food. We ended up sharing everything as a family, and in the end, take out na lang yung pizza.

After our hearty meal, we started exploring the resort. It was cloudy and windy, and it looked like it was about to rain, so we didn’t stay long. 

We still had some of our PHP 4,000 consumable credit left, so I bought some bread from the Pianosa Deli Shop. After that, we headed home. We only stayed at the resort for about two hours. 

Poro Point Freeport Zone, 

San Fernando, La Union, 2500, Philippines

I checked the Klook website for possible options: 

Hotel Luna also offers a Vigan City Tour for PHP 5,500 (minimum of 1 person, maximum of 5). But since we were only three people, I felt like we could save more with a DIY tour—so we went to Vigan without a fixed itinerary. 

If I had booked the Hotel Luna Vigan City Tour, here are the places we would’ve visited: 

Vigan Cathedral 

Padre Jose Burgos Museum 

Syquia Mansion (with entrance fees) 

Crisologo Museum 

Burnayan (Jar Making) 

Baluarte (Mini Zoo) 

Hidden Garden (Lunch) 

Camangaan Loom Weaving 

Bantay Bell Tower 

Calle Crisologo 

Hotel Museum Tour at Hotel Luna 

After reading the list, I realized there were three tourist spots we hadn’t visited during our first trip: Padre Jose Burgos Museum, Hidden Garden, and the Hotel Luna Museum.

We started our tour a little past 8 AM. Our first stop was Calle Crisologo. We walked around, took pictures, and checked if any stores were open. After going around, we found ourselves back at Hotel Luna. I asked the guard how much the fare for the tricycle to Bantay Bell Tower was. What a coincidence, a tricycle arrived, and the driver offered us a Vigan City Tour for PHP 800. 

I think it was a good deal—better than hopping from one tricycle to another. We also let the driver decide the order of the destinations. 

Our first stop was the Parish of Saint Augustine of Hippo and the Bantay Bell Tower. The tower once served as a watchtower during the Spanish Colonial Era. 

Thirteen years ago, we were lucky to go inside the bell tower, and this was the view. But during our latest visit, we couldn’t get near it anymore. Part of the structure crumbled on July 27, 2022, due to a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Abra and nearby provinces. 

There’s no entrance fee, but you’ll need to register. The staff will gently remind you about the donation box. One staff member followed us and offered to take our pictures—so we ended up with tons of fun shots, like we were at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. He was really good at taking photos!

After that, we made a quick stop at the church. 

Crisologo Museum is the ancestral home of the late Congressman Floro S. Crisologo. The museum provides insight into his life and tragic death. 

Opening Hours: 9 AM to 5 PM, Mondays to Saturdays 

Entrance Fee: None (Donations only) 

Syquia Mansion was under renovation, so we went straight to Baluarte Zoo. We were hesitant at first because I found out na meron ng entrance fee—it used to be free. We’ve visited a few zoos abroad, and I knew this one was relatively small, but since we were already in Vigan, we decided to go. 

PHP 100 – Entrance fee only 

PHP 150 – Package A with shuttle service 

PHP 300 – Package B with shuttle service 

We just paid the basic entrance fee. Like last time, we didn’t explore the whole zoo. We just checked out a few birds while waiting for the live show, then left afterward. 

It was our first time visiting Hidden Garden. The area is quite big, with lots of items to buy and places to eat. I originally planned to have lunch here, but we weren’t hungry yet when we arrived. So, we explored, bought some plants, and picked up souvenirs. 

Lilong and Lilang Restaurant 

Plant Collection 

Grotto Area 

Bamboo Groves 

Lovers’ Corner 

Coffee Shop 

Bonsai Garden 

Plant Souvenirs

Clean Restrooms (with a small fee) 

Thirteen years ago, we only watched how they made pots. Now, visitors can try making a clay jar themselves! My son gave it a try since he didn’t get the chance to do pottery in Sagada. I didn’t join because we were in a bit of a hurry to finish the tour. 

We were the only guests at the time, so it felt like a private demo. No entrance fee; donations are appreciated. 

The driver asked if we wanted to visit a longganisa factory. I thought we’d see how it was made, but it turned out to be just a shop selling bagnet and longganisa. Hehehe! Still, we bought some since we had a fridge in the hotel and a cooler in the car. 

1 Kilo – PHP 560 

3/4 Kilo – PHP 420 

1/2 Kilo – PHP 280 

1/4 Kilo – PHP 140 

Vigan Longganisa 

PHP 160 – per dozen (large)

PHP 140 – per dozen (small) 

Actually, the bagnet my husband bought for his officemates at Calle Crisologo was cheaper. But maybe the driver earned commission from our orders—that’s probably why the price was higher. Still, both the bagnet and longganisa taste good, so no regrets! 

Our last stop was the National Museum. No entrance fee or donation needed. It’s an ancestral house built in 1788 and now houses three museums: 

Old Carcel Museum – Originally a jailhouse in 1657; President Elpidio Quirino was born here.

Magsingal Museum – Used to be a convent during the American period

Padre Burgos Museum – Previously served as a post office, Philippine Constabulary headquarters, and a branch of the Philippine National Bank

We completed our DIY Vigan City Tour in 4 hours and were back at the hotel before 1 PM.

After sunset, we returned to Calle Crisologo to take some night shots. We were planning to watch the Luneta Park Musical Dancing Fountain at Plaza Salcedo, but I wasn’t sure if the show would push through because it rained. So we just went back to the hotel to pack our stuff.

Read: 4 Days Trip in Laoag, Vigan, and Pagudpud 

We visited the majority of the tourist spots in Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, so I never thought that we would be back again. But last month, we had a chance to do a North Luzon Road Trip. We started in Alaminos, Pangasinan, and from there, we traveled to Vigan.

Traveling from Pangasinan to Vigan is not a problem, kasi smooth lang yung road. I checked our ETA and thought, “Maabutan pa namin yung Lightshow at Plaza Salcedo,” but I was wrong because 30 minutes before we reached the hotel, it started to rain. 

Wrong timing talaga kasi gabi na, ang lakas talaga ng ulan, hindi na visible yung daan at may baha and first time ni hubby magdrive sa Vigan so hindi niya kabisado yung road. I was so scared at that time, feeling ko nga final destination na. Sobrang dasal na lang talaga na makarating kami ng safe. 

We’ve made few stops kapag may nakitang gasoline station, kaso yung first gasoline station namin na pinuntahan, bigla nagbrownout kasi may pumutok na poste sa tapat. Toink, so scary at madilim. Thank God, after 1 hour and 30 minutes, we finally arrived at Hotel Luna.

Hotel Luna is our accommodation for two nights. It is one of the popular hotels in Vigan, so this deserves a separate post. And dahil nagustuhan na namin yung food dito, we ate breakfast, lunch, merienda, and dinner at the hotel. Hindi na nagtry sa iba, 

As I mentioned before, we already visited Vigan, so in my mind, there is no need to rent a van or book a tour. Makakapasyal pa rin kami kasi walking distance naman yung ibang tourist spots, and we can just ride a tricycle if we want to visit other places. But in the end, yung tricycle driver na nag-offer na itour na lang kami and we grabbed the chance na. 

On our last day, we ate an early breakfast so we could explore Calle Crisologo without the crowd. Ang hirap kasi magtake ng pictures kapag ang daming tao. Of course, we bought some native delicacies before going home. Good thing na maaga din magbukas yung ibang stores. 

We checked out early because we planned to eat our lunch at the Thunderbird Resort in La Union, Hindi ko na-feel na 3 days kami Sa Vigan kasi late check in and early check out. If I count the hours, 50 hours lang kami, but it is better compared sa first trip namin na day trip lang.

We were left with two choices which are Taiwan and Australia, but we took a risk with Australia even though we don’t have visas yet. My husband even called Mabuhay Miles while he was in Jakarta so we spent thousands on that international call because we had no idea about a toll-free number. But at the end of the day, we were still happy because even though we added the phone bill, mura pa rin yung airfare namin, kapresyo lang ito ng Davao trip ko.

After purchasing our plane ticket, I bought our travel insurance and started searching about “How to Apply for Australian Tourist Visa” in the Philippines. 

Two months before our flight, we booked our hotel and I chose Hyde Park Inn because of the good reviews, location and it has its own kitchen. 

When I applied for our visa, this is my submitted itinerary 

Day 1: Manila to Sydney Flight 

Day 2: Explore Chinatown 

Day 3: Sydney Tour 

Day 4: Bondi Tour 

Day 5: Blue Mountain 

Day 6: Taronga Zoo + Luna Park 

Day 7: Sydney to Manila 

But during our trip, there are a few changes. We did not go to Chinatown anymore because we discovered that there were few tourist spots that we could visit near our hotel. We no longer visited Luna Park because we were so tired already. 

On the day of our trip, our internet connection was fixed after one week of no connection so I was cramming. This was the only time that I purchased our tour tickets via Klook. I printed our vouchers and off we went to NAIA. We checked in, ate dinner, and waited for our flight. The flight is on time.

As of this writing, I couldn’t find the exact links of the activities I purchased and Klook is giving me these options. 

After 8 hours of traveling, we arrived at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport; we went to immigration, got our luggage, and went to customs. Then we went straight to the Airport Train Station and purchased our Opal Card here. 

We went to Hyde Park Inn to drop our luggage, ate lunch, and went back to the hotel for check-in. We took a rest and started to explore the tourist spots near the hotel or Museum Station like Hyde Park, Anzac Memorial, Australian Museum, St. Mary’s Cathedral, and from afar, we can see the Sydney Tower. 

I purchased a Big Bus Tour Sydney Hop On Hop Off ticket via Klook. This tour has 2 routes, Sydney Route and Bondi Route so I bought the 48-hour ticket to cover the two routes. 

For Day 3, we traveled to Circular Quay via train, and from the train station we just walked to the Big Bus. The duration of the Sydney Tour is 1 hour and forty-five minutes so we enjoyed the view while listening to the pre-recorded commentary. 

Australia is the third continent that I have visited.