Ilocos Norte travel guide

Say “Wen” for Yes; “Haan” for No/Not; “Awan” for Nothing/None; “Adu” for Plenty; “Apay?” for Why?; “Innu?” For Where?

Try the city tour at night in Laoag, onboard a calesa (horse-drawn carriage)

Always regard older men as “manong” and elder women as “manang” when conversing with them—this is the local equivalent of “kuya/ate.” If they are much older/respectable/established/of higher stature, call them “apo”—it is the local equivalent of calling someone “sir/ma’am.” When talking to someone younger and of lesser stature, you may call them “ading.”

The common mode of public transportation is via tricycle. In Laoag, you can also take the calesa/horse-drawn carriage. There are taxi cabs available in the city too, but not a lot of them. When traveling from one town to another, you can take the jeep, local minibus, or hire a tricycle.

Products made of inabel (local handloomed textile from towns of Paoay or Pinili); Ilocos longganisa; bagnet; native garlic from Pinili; Nana Rosa’s/Namnama’s chichacorn; tupig from Irene’s delicacies in Currimao; sukang iloco/sugarcane vinegar; bugnay wine from Adams; gamet (dried seaweeds, like nori but thicker)

Pinakbet, longganisa, empanada (try one from Laoag, San Nicolas, & Batac—and compare), dinakdakan, poqui-poqui, cornick/chichacorn, tupig (the best one is made by Irene’s Delicacies in Currimao), inabraw, pokpoklo, ar-arusip, salad nga nateng (vegetable salad), miki, bagnet, baranay iced tea, kilawen, crispy dinuguan & tinuno (@ Dawang’s Place eatery)