Yodis Phere: pagudpud beach resort

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Jun and Carol Beach Resort Review » Affordable Pagudpud Beach Front Accommodation

Jun and Carol Resort

If you are on a tight budget or your backpacker group is looking for a cheap Pagudpud beach resort to stay while touring the beautiful town of Pagudpud in the province of Ilocos Norte, or you just want to enjoy the famous Pagudpud beaches, you might want to consider Jun and Carol Beach Resort. Although you can find lots of front beach resorts along Saud beach, most of them are not so affordable (based on our group's inquiry.)

One of our major weekend getaways this year is our two-day trip to Ilocandia and of course, the tour will not be complete without a refreshing side trip to Pagudpud. We decided to stay at Jun and Carol Beach Resort because it is the only resort that fits our very limited budget.

I decided to include this note on my series of Ilocos Tour posts so that you'll have an idea what to expect at Jun and Carol Resort or you can at least compare it to other resorts in Saud. Base on my experiences, most official websites of any resorts are mainly for their marketing strategies thus it will only tell you the best part of the deal.

Awesome view of the beach from Jun and Carol Resort Veranda

Here's a few photos and notes about our experience at Jun and Carol Resort which might help you decide if you are now scouting for a resort or a cheap accommodation in Pagudpud.

Resort Facilities:

Jun and Carol Resort has a nice open air restaurant at the beach front with meat and sea-foods on their menu mostly local cuisine. There are very few restaurants in the area and the foods are a bit pricey so we checked out the town for dinner.

Their air-conditioned rooms are large enough for four guests. You can also request for additional bed if you have extra companions for a very minimal price. The bed has comfortable mattresses and pillows but don't expect it to be like those at the hotels. They also provide the standard cabinet for your travel stuff.

According to the Resort's official website, wi-fi is provided in rooms but I think on selected rooms only. Also, they will charge you a very high rate of 25 Pesos per hour for using wi-fi.

It's always important for a resort to have a clean and wide-enough comfort rooms just like in Jun and Carol Resort. The resort offers an extra wide shower area with cold and hot water and a clean toilet. However, water pressure is a little bit low so you might spend extra minutes in the shower. As an alternative you can use the dipper and pail especially if your friends are lined up outside waiting their turn.

Observations:

Their official website is not updated so you better checked out latest guest reviews.
You should be extra careful with your belongings because one can easily open the windows even if its locked.
You cannot swim in the beach front. If you want to enjoy the waves you have to go to the nearby resort (just a few meters from the Jun and Carol)
Beachfront is not suitable for lazy swimming because of the dangerous waves and rocky seabed.
Sand in the beachfront is not as white and fine as they usually describes it.
No water sports/activities are available within the area

Good Points

You can immediately enjoy the awesome view in front of the resort
Resort staff are courteous and very much willing to help you.
Basic resort amenities for a comfortable short stay are available
The area is generally clean and well-maintained

Jun and Carol Resort Information

Location:

Jun and Carol Beach Cottages

Burayoc Point, Pagudpud Ilocos Norte, Philippines
Contact Numbers:

Marvin: +639175471270, +639196405630
Jun: +639205740136, +639175486331
Arnel: +09214847746, (077)-676-0183

Online Contact Form: http://juncarolbeachresort.com/contact.html

Website: http://juncarolbeachresort.com/

Room Rates: Their room rates ranges from 1,200 to 3,500 but they are willing to give discounts if it is not yet peak season. Please contact them directly to negotiate the price.

_______________________
Related Posts:
HERE ARE THE DETAILED POSTS ABOUT OUR Ilocandia Time Travel

_________________

Monday, May 23, 2011

Pagudpud Beach in Saud, Ilocos Norte » Detecting Your Average Summer Happiness Level

“This time it was going to be different,” I thought to myself. However, when we arrived at Pagudpud beach in Saud Ilocos Norte, I instantly got the feeling, from the looks of it, that this is just another beach; maybe this is what you got when you’ve been to a number of beaches around the Philippines, or maybe I’m just tired. I’ve been to the overrated Boracay, pristine Tingloy, Bolinao, Panglao and Bantayan Island – and I can safely conclude that, basically Pagudpud is your typical bummer-swim-and-go beach. It is exciting when you first see it but becomes boring on the second day.

Because travelling are essentially dependent upon particular types of experience, does traveling a lot make our happiness level a little higher and sophisticated? Making us more critical and comparative, thus reducing fun?

Boracay of the North

With no sign of remorse whatsoever, I go out and explore what the Pagudpud beach can offer. To enjoy the place, I prefer to be more into the present and become more “there” and available. Setting aside my bias, I then saw that Pagudpud is quite unique with its outstanding views and the absence of noisy tourists.

The warm tropical sunshine and deep blue sky of Ilocos Norte make the Pagudpud waters turquoise blue and sparkling against the white sands. Above the deep blue waters are rows of bursting white waves, marching onto the Saud shores like the proud and loud Greek warriors sure of their victory. However, Saud faces the open sea and the strong current is quite treacherous so we just play with the waves.

Is Pagudpud beach the Boracay of the North? People who keep on comparing Pagudpud to Boracay are insane because if you compare these two beaches, with Boracay as more superior, you are mocking the beauty of Pagudpud.

Levels of happiness is a myth

The unique beauty of Pagudpud beach, its playful waves and Saud’s verdant mountains are the things I remembered and I later realized that to enjoy each travel experience, we should not compare. Each place has stories with which we build pictures of our travel experiences. A collage, which we are lucky to have experienced and pieced together. Attached to each piece are simple luxuries as that walking in the beach, conversation with friends, amazing sunsets, rhum-coke or vodka.

Is there any ways of detecting your average summer happiness level? For me, there’s none. That question is just a metaphor, a fantasy, a hallucination perhaps, because of course there aren't any levels at all and the experiences that travel gave us, all is equal.

_____________________

HERE ARE THE DETAILED POSTS ABOUT OUR Ilocandia Time Travel

__________________