Nowadays, it can be very hard to find a place that is both relatively isolated, yet containing all the amenities of modern life. In beautiful Pagudpud, at the tip of Ilocos Norte, one resort offers just that.
Kapuluan Vista Resort is a charming resort that merges small town hospitality with modern convenience, throw in a breathtaking beachfront and you have a little world that you would be hard-pressed to leave.
The resort differs from others in the area in terms of location, ambiance, and service. Located at the edge of Barangay Baloi in Pagudpud, fronting a scenic beach, the resort gives travelers a feeling of being able to escape from everyday life. Its tropical modern design, with warm wooden furniture and creative use of cheesecloth as curtains and drapes ground it in Ilocos Norte, as does its restaurant’s offerings of local specialties like Ilocos longganisa, bagnet, and kilawin. The service is superb, with staff members familiar with guests’ names and, over time, their culinary preferences as well.
And while it is easy to while away time doing nothing at the resort, there are many activities for guests to enjoy as well. The swimming pool in the central area, for example, constantly beckons guests to take a dip. Across the resort, the beach is a popular spot for strollers, and even more popular with the surfing crowd, as well as with swimmers, snorkelers, and windsurfers. The resort offers surf lessons and board rentals, and can arrange for boat rentals to nearby waterfalls, springs, and beaches. Land tours to tourist attractions within Pagudpud as well as places such as Laoag, and even Vigan in Ilocos Sur are also available, but have to be booked in advance.
Accommodations vary from dorm-type rooms to deluxe hotel ones, all of them comfortable, reasonably priced, and include your choice of Filipino breakfast. There are two types of Dorm Rooms, one that sleeps two and one that sleeps six. Both are fan rooms and share communal bathrooms. The Standard Hotel Room sleeps two and has a Queen-sized bed, air conditioning, a ceiling fan, and hot and cold shower. The Deluxe Hotel Rooms with Loft sleeps anywhere from four to six and contains a king-sized bed on the ground floor and a queen-sized mattress in the loft. It is air conditioned, has hot and cold shower, satellite television, front and back verandas, and a private hut that fronts the beach. The Deluxe Hotel Room has a king-sized bed and sleeps two to three. It is air-conditioned and has a hot and cold shower with a bathtub, satellite television, front and back verandas, and a private hut that fronts the beach.
Meals are taken at the restaurant, which serves a variety of dishes that range from burgers to pasta to seafood, using herbs and vegetables grown in the resort’s organic gardens. The frozen Margarita is a must-try!
Getting to Kapuluan Vista Resort may be a bit of a challenge, but once you’ve experience its brand of relaxation and hospitality, you won’t want to leave.
How to get there:
By Land:
Bus lines like Florida Bus and RCJ Trans make regular trips to Pagudpud Town and to Cagayan, respectively, while Partas, Farinas Trans, Maria de Leon and Autobus make regular trips to Laoag.
By Air:
Several airlines ply the route between Laoag and manila. From the Laoag airport, take a tricycle to the bus station. Take either Florida Bus, which will drop you off at Pagudpud Proper. From here, you can take a 30-minute tricycle ride to the resort for about Php300. You can also take GMW Trans, which will drop you off along the highway in Gaoa, right next to a sari-sari store called Bing Bong. From here, you can take a tricycle to the resort for about Php60.
