The Backpack Adventures

Located at Barangay Banaoang, Santa, in the province of Ilocos Sur, Quirino Bridge is a 456-meter arch bridge that connects the towns of Santa and Bantay.  Quirino Bridge Quirino Bridge History Also referred to as  Banaoang   Bridge , Quirino Bridge is named in honor of the late 6th president of the Philippines, Elpidio Quirino. The bridge is an iconic symbol of Ilocos Sur and has been shown as a backdrop to some local films particularly those of the late Filipino movie icon, Fernando Poe Jr. Update Quirino Bridge was heavily damaged by floods caused by Typhoon Egan last July 2023.  Quirino Bridge - Santa, Ilocos Sur As seen from the northern end of Quirino Bridge Crossing the Quirino Bridge The bridge was heavily damaged by Super Typhoon Feria back in 2001 and caused great traffic as it is the only bridge that connects Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur then. Although it was fixed and restored, a new bridge was built in 2007 and opened in 2009. The new bridge is located mo

Vigan City is located in the province of Ilocos Sur. It is some 405.3 kilometers north of Manila. Despite its distance to Manila, it is actually possible to have a 2N 1D tour of it without needing to check in a hotel. Here's how you can have a DIY: Vigan in a Day . DIY: Vigan in a Day Your adventure begins in Manila. Head to one of the bus terminals* below and board the "midnight"/ sleeper buses to Vigan City . Partas Bus Cubao Terminal : 816 Aurora Boulevard, Cubao Quezon City ☎ +63 (2) 7278278 Pasay Terminal : Aurora Boulevard (Tramo) Corner Edang St. San Roque, Pasay City ☎ +63 (2) 8528194 Dominion Bus Lines Dapitan, Sampaloc, Manila ☎  +63 (2) 7414146 *You should book for a reservation during the Holidays/ Weekends because these terminals usually get crowded during these times. Vigan City Arch The trip to Vigan City takes about 8-9 hours depending on traffic. I highly recommend that you bring a packed breakfast and lunch to cut the cost of food

Located in front of Saint Paul's Cathedral in Vigan City in the province of Ilocos Sur, Plaza Salcedo is a very important and historical part of the Heritage City of Vigan. Plaza Salcedo Plaza Salcedo Details Plaza Salcedo is named in honor of the Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo . He was the one who subdued the natives residing in the territory now known as Vigan City . Afterward, he established a colony named Villa Fernandina in the location in 1572. Plaza Salcedo - Vigan City , Ilocos Sur That's Dr. Jose Rizal, not Juan Salcedo Plaza Salcedo is specifically designed to show the typical Spanish urban design. In the center of the plaza, you'd find the Salcedo Obelisk . A lagoon was added in the seventies not only for aesthetic purposes but for protection. As you can see, because most of the houses are made from wood, fire brings plenty of destruction to Vigan throughout history.   Vigan Cathedral is just in front of Plaza Salcedo The plaza served plenty

The goal of this road trip is to travel to Sta. Ana, Cagayan from Manila. From there the group would tour the island of Palaui before heading back to Manila. Sounds pretty easy huh? However, I promised my readers that I'd make basic travels into adventures. then again, this road trip's challenging adventure is not by choice but due to unexpected circumstances.  Northern Luzon 360° Road Trip Adventure Frequent travelers to Sta. Ana, Cagayan would attest that the straightforward back-and-forth trip from Manila to Sta. Ana would be 24-28 hours long. This Northern Luzon 360° Road Trip Adventure however took me and my friends almost four days to accomplish. Overall we spent a total of 50+ hours on the road and only more than half a day to explore. The root of all this if you'd ask -is the suspension of two of the biggest bus companies plying the route to Cagayan. So how did our adventure go? Day 1 Saturday Calle Crisologo , Vigan City Vigan Cathedral Upon