Vigan Heritage Homestay

This summer we spent one weekend driving further north.  We are all excited to experience Ilocos and so our day 1 of this summer joy ride started with Vigan as our first stop.  We drove from Malolos to Ilocos through the LEX's with Betsy, our Kia Sportage.  From the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), we went straight and entered the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) until we reached connection to Tarlac Pangasinan La Union Expressway (TPLEX).  TPLEX is still under construction, during that time the last toll exit on service is the Paniqui exit in Tarlac.  This highway stretch is supposed to reach La Union and will surely make our next north escapade faster. 

Believe it or not we relied on the directions from DistancesFrom.com in our navigation. It was later in our Ilocos Sur to Ilocos Norte leg that I discovered Waze is actually a better navigator.  Nevertheless with the distance and Betsy's odometer we safely reached Vigan, Villa Angela Heritage Home our destination. 

I read a lot of good reviews on Villa Angela from TripAdvisor.  Considering the location, price, experience and review, I decided to book one of the few rooms of this villa.  Originally, I booked Cuarto delos Hijos but was later on given the Cuarto delas Hijas as it has its own bathroom.  For Php 2800 a night (off peak rate), our stay at Villa Angela was worth every centavo.  

The room is so big.  The 6 of us (4 adults and 2 kids) easily fit in the bed and we got so much space to move around.  The room is equipped with air-condition, TV and bathroom with hot water.  It's everyone's first time to sleep in vintage canopy beds.  Surprising the bed is sturdy and not as fragile as i thought it would be.  I was afraid it would make that creaking sound whenever the kids are throwing themselves on the bed.

The room comes with a free breakfast for four.  It was a treat to get a taste of original Vigan longganisa in the grand dining table of Villa Angela.  With the fried rice, egg and Vigan vinegar the longganisa was perfect for breakfast.  What makes it more special is the warm Ilocano service.

Villa Angela is strategically located, the back entrance of the house is a short cut to the famous Calle Crisologo.  The Villa allows guests to use this entrance.  Calle Crisologo is a perfect destination to experience Vigan.  Souvenir shops, traditional Ilocano delicacies and restaurants are lined up on this street. 

Despite all these stores we ended up buying our longganisa and basi (Ilocano wine) from Villa Angela. Their prices were quite competitive, it was likewise convenient for us to pick up the goodies the following day on our way back to Malolos.  True to the reviews from TripAdvisor, Villa Angela stay is truly a memorable experience not just for the heritage house but for the warm service that their staff provide.