A bronze sculpture of a saddled Spanish conquistador brandishing a pointed spear stared at us as we alighted from our bus. We’ve just evaded the usual 10-hour land trip from Manila to Ilocos Norte, thanks to SEAIR’s newest flight route to Laoag City. But still, the weather outside was a real scorcher and we wanted a roof over our head. According to the books, Fort Ilocandia is the only five-star accommodation this side of the Philippines and I’m more than glad to accept their offered hospitality.

Recently SEAIR (South East Asian Airlines) announced that they would be opening a new route to the north of the Philippines. The said route would ply the Manila to Laoag airways and would finally open up the Ilocos Region to an alternative travel schedule.

Together with a couple of travelers, I was invited by the airline to participate in the inaugural flight to Laoag City. I was still reeling from a hectic three-day trip to Japan the previous day, but I just couldn’t say no to this. Jetlagged, I repacked my backpack and headed towards Terminal 4 of NAIA where the SEAIR terminal is.