A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
Situated on the northeast tip of Luzon Island, the province of Cagayan is a paradise for nature lovers and history buffs. Cagayan was originally one of the earliest provinces established in the Spanish colonial period covering the whole northeastern part of the island of Luzon, so you can expect it to be rich in both heritage and natural attractions.
After days of rain and gloomy weather that hampered our activities in the mainland, the sky finally cleared on the last day of our trip. Just in time too, since our destination for the day was the beautiful island of Palaui, just off the coast of Sta. Ana in Cagayan.
The first time I set foot in Palaui was back in 2011. I remember the roller-coaster like waves that propelled our boats towards the island where the ruins of an abandoned lighthouse sat atop a hill. There were a few rumors from locals that the hit reality show Survivor was going to be filmed there. Fast forward six years later, when I found myself one again with the tempestuous waves heading towards the island.
Continue reading “Travel Guide: Palaui Island, Cagayan”Day 2: Island-hopping in Palaui and Cape Engano Lighthouse
On the second day of the Lakbay Norte tour, we headed off to the port of San Vicente in Cagayan where boats were waiting to take us on our island-hopping trip to Palaui.
After a 40- minute boat ride through relatively mild waves, we made it to our first stop at Siwangag Cove, a marine sanctuary in the northwestern part of Palaui island. The rough sandy beach was covered with tiny white corals and hermit crabs.
Then, we boarded the boats again towards another island where Cape Engano, a Spanish lighthouse completed in 1892 stood majestically on top of a hill. This time, the waves were much stronger and the swells made our boats drift almost like a roller-coaster. At times, we lost sight of the boats in front of us. Continue reading “Island-hopping in Palaui and Cape Engano Lighthouse”
As part of the second leg of Lakbay Norte 2 (around the provinces Cagayan and Ilocos), a media familiarization tour organized by the North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB), I was fortunate to get to see a number places in the North that I’ve never visited and try out some new activities. Here are a few travel firsts from the trip:
Exotic eats. I got to taste tukak (deep-fried frogs), bu-os (ant eggs) and palos (stewed eel) among other dishes during a native Ilocano lunch served by the river in Adams, Ilocos Norte. Though I was afraid to taste the frog because it really looked like a frog’s body despite being fried, the meat actually tasted good (sorry for the cliche – but it tasted just like chicken). The ant eggs were interesting and a little on the salty side. Unfortunately one journalist developed a bad allergy after eating it.
Continue reading “Travel Firsts: Lakbay Norte 2 (Cagayan and Ilocos)”
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