Getting here in Pagudpod
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.
