GO WILD AND FEEL FREE WITH SAND DUNES IN ILOCOS!!!

When you go to Ilocandia, DO NOT EVER MISS THIS ADVENTURE!!! Yes, all caps para intense. LOL!

We had a very fun and exciting roadtrip to Ilocos region on the last weekend of October. Well, we all fell in love with Ilocos! We love the food, the people, the environment... but experiencing sand dunes is one of a kind!!!

If you go to Ilocos, you MUST try this. If you did not, make a promise to go back to Ilocos and try it this time. We are not kidding. Every penny is worth the money!

We agreed to try the Sand Dunes Adventure in Paoay, Ilocos Norte during our third day in this awesome province. And yeah, we ALL agreed we made the right decision!

Before we go there, we sent them a message first on their Facebook page. Their official FB Page is Paoay Sand Dunes Adventures. They are very accommodating. We advise for you to contact them first especially if you're like us, you're on a DIY trip and not part of a tour. Why? It's because if you go there early, and you did not contact anyone, there's a big chance that there's no one there to assist you.

So we asked them how much is the whole activity and what time do they open.

We found out that you'd only have to pay 2,500 pesos for the whole vehicle good for 5 persons. It includes 4x4 ride with uphill downhill trails, dune bashing, sand dune tour, pictorials, beach stroll, unlimited sand boarding, and side trip to sculptures of FPJ, Nora Aunor, and cast of Temptation Island. 

They are open from 6 am to 6:30 pm daily. 

We decided to come early so that it's not too hot and being exposed to the sun is still healthy at this time. And we would be traveling to Pagudpud after this adventure so might as well start early. 

By the way, in Paoay, there are 3 different managements. We chose Suba Paoay Sand Dunes. It is the only government owned sand dunes in that area and also the largest among the 3. 

You turn right about 300 meters after Plaza del Norte Hotel and travel 2.6 kilometers from the main road to reach the sand dunes.

When we arrived at past 6 am, lo and behold, we are the first customers! Yey! And there's Kuya Benjie, our driver, who's already waiting for us. There's just one 4x4 truck there and one driver. Even the people in the registration area are not yet there. When Kuya Benjie saw the 3 of us, he immediately told us to hop on the truck and start the adventure immediately. 

And there we go! The kalas buto moment is priceless! It was like that our bones are one by one being thrown away in the sand. And we cannot resist ourselves but to really scream our lungs out! It's like a roller coaster ride, both literally (up and down adventure) and emotionally (combination of fear, thrill, and awe to the beautiful view that we are seeing). LOL. 

And then after that satisfying ride, we stopped. Why? Because it's time for pictorials!!! On that spot, we met another guide. And boy, he's very good in taking pictures! We are so speechless on the results of our pictures. It's like he's a professional photographer. He instructs us on what to do, where to pose, what to pose, even the panorama shots with trick shots are waaaayyy toooo impressive for us! 

Here are some of the pictures he took and you be the judge!

Too bad, I can't upload the panorama shots here. I'm still trying to figure it out. Haha. 

After the photoshoot, we then proceeded to the unlimited sand boarding adventure! Yes, you can try as many as you want! And yeah, still Manong Guide is still the one taking your pictures and videos of your adventure. Awesome, isnt it?

You can try both standing and sitting on the sand board. There are different levels. As they say, there's Kinder, Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3. We tried Kinder. Hahaha!

After sand boarding, off we go to another thrilling ride with the 4x4 truck! We thought we are about to leave and end the adventure since we are already satisfied with what we experienced. But hey, there's more! We never thought that the ride would be going to the beach. It was a really nice view!

And of course, pictures again and again and again! Haha!

And after the picture taking along the shore, off we go for another kalas buto moments! And yeah, there's another stop! We went to the sculptures of FPJ, Nora Aunor and cast of Temptation Island. 

And after the unlimited pictorial that we experienced, off we go to another thrilling ride until we arrived at the starting point. 

TIPS!

- Make sure to have a nice camera phone with full battery so that every moment will be captured. 

- Wear long sleeves because the heat of the sun is no joke. Or wear sunscreen. Do not forget your shades as well.

- Arrive early. No waiting time. Sand dunes all for yourself. 

When we arrived back at the starting point, there are about 5 or 6 4x4 trucks waiting and there are a lot of people in the registration area. Good thing we arrived early because we did not experience waiting in the registration area, waiting for a vacant 4x4 truck, and waiting for our turn in sand boarding. We are there for about 2 hours or so but we have maximized the whole 2 hours because the adventure is all just for the 3 of us. Early bird catches the worm, huh?  

Thanks to the two guides who are very accommodating and friendly. Don't forget to give them tips if you are happy with their service!

We had a very memorable and exciting adventure! And to summarize it all, we made a video showing how happy and satisfied we were during the sand dunes activity! Don't forget to watch it so that you will have an idea on what to expect! 

'Till our next adventure,

The Sestras