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Province in Ilocos Region, Philippines
Photo: Obra19-Jojo Deladia, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Ilocos Norte is a province in the Ilocos Region, north of the Philippines.
By bus
Take a scenic bus trip from the capital Manila to Ilocos Norte, lasting about eight hours.
By car
Ilocos Norte is the terminus of two major numbered highways, Route 2 from the south and Route 1 from the north. Both roads are also known jointly as Manila North Road.
By ship
Cruise ships occasionally dock in Currimao, ideal for those wanting to go on an excursion to the neighboring towns of Paoay, Batac and Laoag to the north.
Ilocos Norte is best explored on foot or riding the calesa, the traditional horse-drawn carriage that promises a unique experience in itself. Tricycles also abound for traveling short distances.
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The provincial capital and main city. Famous as a gambling city, and blessed with an International airport, so it occasionally gets overrun by tourists from Korea, Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong. It is also served by a flight from Manila on Cebu Pacific -- flight time is about an hour.
A city of over 55,000 people, it is better known as the hometown of the Marcos political family, and some historical figures like Artemio Ricarte, a general in the Philippine Revolution, and Gregorio Aglipay, the founder of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, a breakaway denomination of the Roman Catholic Church.
For other places by the name, see Adams. Adams is a town in Ilocos Norte.
Home to the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse and the Kapurpurawan White Rock Formation on the beach below.
Up on the north coast of the Philippines, it probably isn't the best place to go in winter, although if you're after deserted beaches, then it's a great relief from the hordes at Boracay. It's about a 90-minute bus ride from Laoag.
Home to an extensive beachside wind farm.
Contains a UNESCO-listed World Heritage church from the Spanish era, extensive sand dunes and president Marcos' favorite summer palace overlooking Paoay Lake. Also the birthplace of pinakbet pizza.
Satellite town of Laoag with beaches and a massive leaning belltower
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