Baluarte in Vigan, Ilocos Sur

With all the time I have because it's my kids' summer vacation, I should have blogged all month long but I still didn't. I may be a lousy blogger but there's one thing about me that's kind of helping me post better things here. I'm not a lousy vacationer, that is. I have this insatiable hunger for checking out new places and trying out new cuisines.

This year, we spent more than a month in the Philippines. A month and three days, to be exact. First on our travel itinerary was the Northern Philippine provinces getaway. That's because we received a birthday invitation from friends who live in Pangasinan and a get-together/house visit invitation from another friend who lives in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur. These are the times I appreciate our OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) life. We get to meet people from all over the Philippines and get invited to visit them when our vacation coincide with theirs.

After attending a birthday celebration on Day 1, we left for Ilocos Sur in the afternoon. Our Day 2 was jam-packed with places we haven't visited yet. Let me start with the Baluarte in Vigan.

Baluarte is 80 hectares of gently rolling terrains, hills and mountain sides, the structures of facilities and amenities, its phases of construction is in its best possible realistic and natural habitat for good and sound animal care.

Located along the western seaboard of Northern Luzon 408 kilometers north of Manila and bounded in the South by South China Sea, Baluarte has a breathtaking view of Vigan City. It is open to the public and admission is free. It is Governor Chavit's gift to the people of Vigan where residents are accorded free use of spaces for their livelihood programs. - source and more info here

I won't write too much about Baluarte because almost everything about it is written in its website. So please just enjoy looking at the pictures as I enjoyed looking at these animals and strolling along Baluarte's meandering pathways.

Pupae of butterflies on the Butterfly Garden

Fee for posing with this tiger: P250 for four persons

For those who are planning to visit Baluarte, try doing so during cooler months when the animals aren't so stressed out and dehydrated. Though we were a little sunburned but that's because we got there past 10AM, Baluarte is such a good start for an Ilocos provinces tour. As much as we want to linger, we had to move on to our next destination.

BALUARTE
Opens from 6AM - 6PM (that's what the sign at the entrance says)
Monday - Sunday

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