Tags: Hotels and Resorts, Vacation
By Lawrence Casiraya
PAGUDPUD, ILOCOS NORTE - You don’t get a great view of the beach but you get to have peace and quiet. That’s exactly what Bong Lansi, Jr. had in mind when he designed and built this resort enclave.
Sarabo is located along the main road leading to Saud Beach but you’ll probably recognize it because of the souvenir store. That’s because the resort itself is behind it, likewise hidden from view by a wooden gate.
Once inside, it’s not surprising to find out that its owner is actually an architect. Design-wise, it’s a mix of traditional Spanish and Ilocano architecture, the latter evident in the anahaw roofing.
“It’s my own adaptation of Spanish architecture,” says Bong, a native of Bangui (the mother town of Pagudpud) who came back to his hometown after pursuing a career in Manila. “I just incorporated materials and design elements that have been inherent to Ilocanos since the 1500s.”
The same approach applies to food, so you naturally have to try their pinakbet and dinengdeng. While pinakbet, for example, is a quintessential Ilocano dish, Bong says it varies depending on where you are in Ilocos.
There are six rooms available (each with twin beds) and one single-detached house that has its own kitchen, ideal for families or big groups. The resort is fairly new (its started barely four years ago, says Bong) and conspicuously spacious. Since there are only a few rooms, Bong sometimes allows more visitors willing to pitch their tents.
Bong tells me his plans to put up a swimming pool and spa and massage services. Despite its relative distance from the beach, Sarabo has received good reviews from Pagudpud visitors.
Blogger Jennifer Morente-Lao says the food in Sarabo is good and affordable. The blog iluvblueberrycheesecake also recommends staying the night in Sarabo while renting out cottages either in Saud or Blue Lagoon Beach during the day.
Bong admits tourists would naturally flock to resorts near the beach but is content at accomodating the “overflow”.
“My selling point is you spend the whole day in the beach and then come back here to end your day with a good dinner and some peace and quiet.”
Sarabo is located at Poblacion 2, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. Look for the huge white seashell on top of a sign that says “BURAYOC”. For reservations and other inquiries, contact (0915)4329227.
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