The Sandy Crests and Troughs in Ilocos

March 26, 2011

Apart from the centuries-old churches and houses and the healthy and sinful dishes, one spot which has made this northern region famous is its sand dunes. It is not as imposing nor its sand as fine as that of the dunes in the Sahara Desert but it surely has won the nod of many filmmakers.

First, a vehicle brought us to a spot on the top of the sand dune where we would surf down, either on a  sitting or standing position. I opted to sit on the board because I wasn't confident enough that I'd maintain my balance. I felt like I was on a toboggan minus the snow. I was so happy that I had a very smooth ride downhill and a perfect landing.

Thank you Edward Arreza for these pictures.

While waiting for the others to conquer their fears and slide their way down, I started ascending the dune with the aid of a rope. The climb up was more difficult than the sand boarding. But the energy spent was all worth it when I saw the sun slowly descending in background of orange. Plus, the breezes felt so cool on my face. It was definitely a beautiful, magical feeling.

When everybody was done with the sand surfing, we divided ourselves into two groups for the ride of our lives up and down the sand dunes. I belonged to the second group and it was almost dusk by the time we got on the vehicle. It was one helluva ten-minute ride, maneuvering the crests and troughs in that wilderness and the sudden drops which made us scream with our voices  reverberating throughout the desert. I was amazed at how our driver was able to navigate through those huge sand dunes in the dark without getting lost. 

And thanks to my travel group for taking these photos on my cam 

when it was my turn for the ride of my life.

It was again another highlight of our trip, a must-do for those travelling to Ilocos. Definitely a natural high experience in the sand dunes!

Cost for an hour of sand boarding and drive around the sand dunes for the group: Php 2,500.00