Destination: La Union

The Philippine destination of La Union province is located on the north east of Luzon Island. Long a popular destination for vacationers for its easy travel and central location, it has easy access routes to the north, south and west, and a long coastline and clean water that provide a haven for diving, swimming and a host of other water activities,

La Union is probably best known for its long coastline, with many resorts dotted all along the coastal highway. However, the majority of La Union resorts, certainly those that most attract western tourists, are concentrated on the stretch of coast between Bauang and San Fernando. Around Bauang, there are a number of well appointed, foreign-managed resorts, notably Coconut Grove, Oasis Country Resort, Villa Estrella, and Southern Palms, but there are also a number of smaller resorts available and, as with all other tourist destinations, La Union has new resorts opening every year.

Close to Bauang, the superior sandy beaches of Canaoay also boast a number of resorts. The best of these (IMHO) and the place I stay at most often is the Sunset Bay Beach Resort.

I find the excellent choice of Filipino and western food, along with the company of the always congenial English host, Spider, make it probably the most popular place in La Union for vacationers and local expats alike. An added bonus is that Spider has utilized his considerable, if quirky, artistic talent to provide a delightful mix of décor, a fusion of comfort, ethnic and modern art , to create an idyllic spot to sip a drink as the sun paints the sky red as it slowly sinks below the far off western horizon.

For nightlife in La Union, outside of the resort bars there are really only two main entertainment areas, with a few other small bars dotted along the highway. Poro Junction (at the junction of Pennsylvania Avenue and Airport Road) has a number of mainly Filipino KTV and Go-Go bars, along with a number of nighttime eateries; while the nightclubs of Bauang; such as, Stiletto’s, Footlights and Tramps are a little more up market in facilities and décor as they cater mainly to foreigners.

La Union has some popular venues for surfing ‘dudes,’ with Urbiztondo Beach, Rubbens Point, and San Juan becoming most popular in recent years. Although La Union’s waves are not the pacific swells of the eastern coast, the waves here are ideal for beginners and intermediate level surfers, with the best waves crashing in from July to February. Urbiztondo is also the site of the annual Surfing Festival in mid November. This community based tourist event attracts competitors from all over the country as well as other parts of the world – especially Australia (wonder if it's because of the copious amount of cheap beer available?).

Divers to the area claim that while there are some worthwhile dive spots close to the shoreline, the best dives require a 14-mile bout trip out from La Unions capital, San Fernando, and the aptly named ‘14 Mile Reef’ is reputed to be one of best dive sites off Luzon’s west coast. Beginners can enjoy many other local dive sites as there are a number of resorts that provide dive training, equipment for hire and also organize dive boats as required.

A popular way for many to enjoy La Union is to use it as a two or three day stopover when traveling to or from the mountain provinces, and especially Baguio. There are three routes that lead from La Union to Bagiuo: Kennon Road begins just on the La Union / Pangasinan border. Often called the Zig-Zag Road because of its winding route up the mountains, the Kennon Road is probably the most popular as it not only provides wonderful scenery, but as heavy trucks are not permitted, it tends to have speedier traffic flow. The central route from La Union to Baguio is from Agoo via the José de Aspiras Highway. Formally known as the Marcos Highway, this route is popular and well traveled; although the first few kilometers through highly populated areas can be quite congested. The most northerly route from La Union to Baguio is via the Naguillan Road from Bauang. Again, this route provides some excellent scenery, although visitors must drive quite a distance north before heading for Baguio, so this is not as popular as the more southerly routes.