La Union Pre-Pandemic

 Being the surf capital of Northern Luzon, La Union has become a favorite surf spot of surfers, both local and non-local. There are dozens of surf areas to choose from in San Juan, which has the fifth longest coastline on Earth. For surf starters, they can try Urbiztondo, which is the entry point of surf points in the Ilocos region , because it has short tides, which is just right for them. La Union has plenty of accommodations tourists can choose from, most being beachfronts. You can choose to stay in a pricey villa or in budget-friendly inns.

One of the places to dine in when you travel to La Union is Halo Halo de Iloko in San Fernando. The place is very homey, though a bit cluttered, giving one the ambiance of eating like a visitor in a friend's house. And as the name suggests, yes, they serve delicious halo-halo, a favorite summer dessert of Filipinos, both in kiddie and not-so-kiddie sizes. And among their menu, I love their Binagoongang Baboy. It has a sweet taste to it, which I really love, because I have a sweet tooth. I also enjoyed the Pinakbet with Bagnet. You may just have to wait in line because the place is really visited by a lot of tourists. Also, you can expect the service to be slow since there are many guests to cater to.

Visitors who enjoy a food trip of street food would want to wait for the night to come in San Fernando to experience a whole street with food stalls on both sides that serve the street food we all love: fish balls, squid balls, chicken balls, kikiam, pork liver, chicken instestines, etc. There are also different sorts of pastries such as maja blanca and yema cake.

Another place worth visiting in Brgy. Cadaclan, San Fernando, is the Botanical Garden, located atop this barangay's rolling hills. It is a perfect place to revel in nature and escape the busy city life. Here you can experience fresh air among an assortment of flowers, plants, and trees. There is also a mini zoo where you can find an aviary and monkeys. Housing twenty acres of land planted with different tropical, sub-tropical and desert-climate plants, this garden is utilized as a center for plant and laboratory research in Northern Luzon.

Finally, there's Ma-cho Temple located in Barangay II, San Fernando, which was built in 1975 and includes the Majestic Five Door Gate, Bamboo Garden, the Liang Thing Pagoda, 2 circular pools or ponds and the golden emblem of a dragon, the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. This edifice, which stands at an elevation of 70 feet above sea level, is also the home of Mazu (goddess)'s (Ma-zeun, the Queen of the Heavens, Dragon Girl, and the goddess of the Sea) small icon in the altar has a Catholic counterpart, Our Lady of Caysasay (St. Martin Basilica in Taal, Batangas).

La Union is rich not only in culture but also offers its visitors more fun ways to travel and bask in our country's natural beauty! Come and visit this jewel of Northern Luzon once the pandemic is over!


HOW TO GET TO LA UNION:

From Cubao, take an aircon bus (Partas or Viron) bound to San Fernando, La Union. Travel time is around 5-6 hours and fare is around P378.50 to P527.00. From there, jeepneys and tricycles are the cheapest mode of transportation to take you to places that you want to go.

For more info visit San Fernando, La Union's site:
http://www.sanfernandocity.gov.ph/services/tourist.php