One of the highlights of joining a week-long digital nomad event in La Union is the tourism side of it. I was looking forward to it every single day until finally it happened but my tooth was aching so bad. I sadly chose to stay in Baybayin Hub Bacnotan while seeing all the attendees, including my sister and Juliet getting ready to seize the day!
La Union is part of Ilocos Region of the Philippines known for many diverse range of tourist attractions particularly beach. Only 5 hours from Manila, it is very ideal to city dwellers who would like to escape the urban jungle whenever they want.
What to see in La Union?
1. Immuki Island
2. Occalong Falls
3. Bahay na Bato
These are three of La Union's main tourist spots that can be done in one day only. I have asked fellow attendees of how the day tour of La Union went, check these out one by one below:
Mark
"For Immuki Island, I enjoyed Mangroove planting, at the same time riding on the raft and roaming around the Islands where there are lagoons that you can enjoy swimming and even cliff jumping. The tour guides will also tell you a short story about how the 3 small Islands got its name..Like for the first Island, when you look it at top view you can see a resemblance of Male Genital, same with the 2nd resemblance of Female Genital and for the third is Anus as they said. you just have to be careful because the Island is made up of Dead Coral Reefs so Aqua shoes or foot protection is a must when you visit Immuki Island.(but dont also forget to ware sunscreen lol)
After the Immuki Island we go straight to the Majestic falls of Occalong where you can dip in fresh water in the falls, even jumping over the clip will be enjoyed by kids and even kids at heart.(but you must learn to swim).
Eating (boodle fight) will be an amazing experience on the place.. Quite peaceful and relaxing sound of flowing water will surround you... after relaxing with the falls.. we go around Bahay na Bato where stone sculpture will be found, you can also do sunset viewing on the pebble beach for a while.. if you want a free souvenir you can choose any stone you like and bring it with you...
All in all the adventure was a great experience specially when you had it with different type of people or should I say strangers that after the adventure you became friends with them (even youre an introvert) fun trivia games along the way and exciting local prizes sponsored by the local tourist guide provided by Baybayin Hub. Roaming outside San Juan and discovering the hidden gems of La Union will leave you awesome experience and surely will tell you to go back try it again one more time."
April
"We went Mangrove planting, speciale xperience bec you plant it yourself, first baby namen ni Jamie mangrove.Immuki lagoon rode a balsa going there, linaw ng tubig and masarap magswim lalo na pag barkada kasi maglalakad ka sa matatalim na corals dapat proper footwear maganda na may ksama sa struggle hehee lagoons named nga gentials yung tutut, yung pwet, yung pepe parang ganun nakalimutan ko na😝 sarap magmuni muni.
Yung falls nakalimutan ko name balikan kita😁 Fun eto ksi may konti lakad with the group, while walking maririnig m na water falls and bird sounds (heaven! ) most enjoyed part kasi first time ko makkakita ng falls hehehe and para akong nag ice bath hehe gggggrrrr sa lamig! May mga tumalon sa falls si James, si Banana chief and si Jamie na tuwang tuwa rin. Nagboodle fight ulit, kwentuhan, kulitan! After few hours nagpunta na kmi sa Bahay na Bato Nakakamaze yung craftmanship gawa sa bato, napagod na ako dito sa part na eto hehehe sightseeing na lang ako while the group nagmeditate..(missed that!) then uwi na (sunset time)🌅
Told Orly ganda nga ng package tour na inorganize niya with the locals Unforgetabble experience namen ung sumakay kami sa top ng jeep! adrenaline rush! Enjoy kmi lahat dun sa taas!"
Romeo
"Mga ginawa namin dun is, nag mangoove planting kami, then we rode a bamboo balsa around 15-20mins na tinutulak at hinihila ng tao ung balsa, once nasa rocky area na sa Immuki Island you can take lots of photos, relax and visit the different lagoons within the area, aroun 4 mini lagoons ata na puntahan namin, delikado sya at kelangan mag ingat dahil matutulis ung mga dead corrals/rock formations. around an hour lang kami tumambay dun. Then sa ma tindahan ng di kalayuan, may snack and shower area 10 pesos ung bayad.
Tapos galing Immuki, pumunta kaming Occalong Falls, cementado and road, then from jump off mag lalakad ka pa around 15-20 mins to the falls, hindi sya fully developed pero may mga tables and chairs nmn, simple falls lang sya, malamig ang tubig, tapos madulas ang mga rocky area. After that we went to Bahay na Bato na kung saan marami kang makikita na mga crafts, stone works, hand crafted items etc. malaki ang area, may mga ibat ibat rooms if you decide to do staycation. Gilid nga pala ito ng dagat so relaxing ang feeling pag gising mo. The area is good for meditation and retreats. They also have a mini shop if you're looking to buy some souvenir items, snacks and cold drinks, the entrance is P50.00. Yun lang ata mga stops namin for the whole day."
What digital nomad/freelancer friendly accommodation I can recommend?
Of course, Baybayin Hub Baroro. I know it is a bit farther from the main touristy area of San Juan but you get more peaceful ambiance which means less distractions because after all, you freaking need to earn money so you can afford staying in La Union the longer you want. It is also way cheaper when you book here than getting an accommodation in San Juan, La Union.
Baybayin Hub has a coworking space in San Juan so if you think boredom is starting to crack you up, you can just go straight here where you get to meet other fellow remote workers whom you can share iced coffee and view of the beach with.
Where to party in La Union?
Flotsam and Jetsam Hostel. The one and only. If you want younger crowd that is majority locals, go check this out. They have accommodation as well but not sure if it has strong wifi that can cater to freelancers who need to work with their laptops.
Where to eat in La Union?
I admit being biased here because since I am on plantbased diet, I only recommend restaurants that serve vegan, vegetarian and plantbased food in La Union. Omnivores can eat these if they want too definitely :) Click HERE to read my list of 35 restaurants in La Union serving vegan, vegetarian and plantbased options.
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