"Ilocos--my other hometown" Pagudpud by IamPam

My father is a native of Ilocos Sur. Despite the fact that we always visit every summer vacation we only managed to visit Pagudpod last 2010 mainly because Pagudpod is a really, really long drive from Olongapo City. Imagine driving 9-12 hours from Olongapo to our province in Ilocos Sur and then add four more hours to Pagudpod so that's a total of 16hrs if you are brave enough to drive it.

So if you're planning to go to Pagudpod, be sure to pack a lot of energy drink or atleast have someone to substitute for you when driving.

Wow...right?

There are a lot of hotels and resorts to choose from if you're in Pagudpod. I would suggest that you check out their part of the beach first before checking in because there are parts of the blue lagoon that are really rocky you might not enjoy swimming there. Also, the waves there could be pretty intense especially during the afternoon.

However, if you're not really into swimming and would rather lounge at the shore and watch the sea, it's pretty idylic to do it there because the view of the beach during the day is just breath taking!

Sigh.

You could still enjoy the tranquility of nature in Pagudpod because there are not much tourists who come here unlike with other premiere beaches in the Philippines, maybe because of its notoriously long distance from Manila or from anywhere else. But I'm sure...if you'll take the time to get here...it will be super worth it.

• Pros:Fantastic Beach! great for road trips
• Cons:Very long commute
• In a nutshell:Worth the long journey