Last summer the family drove up north from Manila to Ilocos. A ten-hour drive. We prepared the kids by saying the trip was as long as a plane ride to Hawaii, but easier since we could stop along the way. They were happy with that, brought a ton of books in the car with us, and behaved all throughout the trip! We stayed in Vigan, but also visited Laoag all the way up to Pagudpud stopping by all the little towns in between.
We didn't stay here at Sitio Remedios, but while driving up the narrow province of Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte, we made sure we stopped by this "heritage village", which is actually a resort. They rent out cottages/houses with 2 or 3 bedrooms, each with its own living room and dining area. The designs of the houses are old Filipino, and Spanish colonial.
It reminds me also a bit of California mission style. The doors are antique and weathered, and the furniture, all of solid Philippine hardwood. The type of furniture your grandmother would have had in her home in the province (if she were Filipino).
That's the uniform of the staff--made out of their native fabric called inabel. This is the patio of one of the houses. Each house has a front porch or patio.
The bedrooms are all similar to this, done in white and with a lot of gauzy material.
The front patio of some of the cottages also have these antique plantation type chairs. Windows are traditional sliding wooden windows with capiz shells. Design wise, I think it would look nicer if they had more cushy pillows and things to soften the furniture.
All meals are taken in an open common dining area which is facing the South China Sea. Old-fashioned crocheted tablecloths over woven Ilocos blankets cover the dining table.
They have a chapel right in the middle of the property that opens out into a wide courtyard that has a view of the sea. They told us that it's really beautiful when they set up dinner in the courtyard at night, all lit by candlelight.
Sitio Remedios is quite a drive from the other sites in Ilocos, so it's really a quiet relaxing place where you can chill out. We were doing the whole Ilocos tourist bit, so we stayed in more centrally-located places. My SIL stayed here with her friends the year before and they had a great time just hanging out by themselves there.
This is the view as you walk out of the rustic chapel--a view of the courtyard and the sea.
Tons of beautiful places in the Philippines. I'm glad we did this trip with the family!
by the South China Sea
Barangay Victoria, Currimao, Ilocos Norte
www.sitioremedios.com
2 comments:
I have been really thinking of taking a road trip up to Vigan. I really want to do it but Chris is very reluctant. If we cut it up into two days going up, where could we stay along the way that would be an interesting stop over?
Hmmm, I'm not too sure. We were actually texting Anton from Our Awesome Planet blog asking him where a good place to stop to eat on the way down, and we came up with Matutina's in Pangasinan. Definitely much better than a fastfood or chain restaurant. Loved their crispy shrimp. But to stay the night? I don't know of any place that might suit your standards. Will be on the lookout.
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