HOW TO GET IN PAGUDPUD
Some
bus companies will take you straight from Manila to Pagudpud.
The trip is long and you’ll be traveling about 350 miles,
mor or less equal to the distance between San Francisco
and Los Angeles.
Ordinary buses often stops to unload passengers
or pick up new ones. If you leave Manila at 7:30 p.m., expect
to arrive in Pagudpud anywhere around 5 a.m. and 7 a.m.
getting a Deluxe, air-conditioned bus makes things a lot
more manageable — and a lot speedier because of fewer stops.
A night trip isn’t a bad idea; just fall
asleep, and when you wake up, you’re there. If you must
get-off in Laoag, you can continue the trip to Pagudpud
by taking a mini-bus, renting a car or hiring a private
vehicle.
Commuter buses depart from Laoag every
half hour, sometimes more or less frequently, depending
on how quickly they fill up. The fare is reasonable, and
the trip takes about an hour. If using this route, just
take a tricycle to the Pagudpud bus station.
Flight schedules to and from Laoag, the
provincial capital of Ilocos Norte, are not that easy to
get. Things keep changing. Philippine Airlines formerly
have connecting flights to and from Manila. Air Philippines
used to fly there, too. Laoag International Airlines has
or used to have operations there. There are some carriers
that fly directly from Taiwan. The province has long talked
about upgrading its airport to increase tourism, but so
far it’s just that.
