Text by Paul Clapp

Once in a while, you wish to leave the harsh noise and pollution of the city behind. A safe place, where you can walk along the beach at night to enjoy a lazy dinner, sophisticated night clubs or just stargaze. During the day, how about SCUBA diving, snorkelling, Putt Putt, Lawn Bowls, horse shoes, darts, windsurfing, golf, pool, game fishing or going on Safari (P.T. Style see Bill Forgan at the Bali Hai for details and bring your drinking shoes...).

Three hours from Angeles City and five hours from Manila, you can take a Philippine Rabbit, Times Transit or Farinas Trans bus going north to San Fernando, La Union, Vigan or Laoag. When you get on the bus, tell the conductor you want to go to Bauang, La Union. Two hours past Angeles, you will see glimpses of the South China Sea along the highway which means you are only an hour from Bauang. The infrastructure in the area is very good. If you wish to go on a day trip to Baguio, Vigan or San Fabian, buses depart every 10 minutes throughout the day. Banca boats to 100 Islands and fishing trips are available during the day. Book through your resort.

Between Christmas and Easter, it is advisable to make reservations. Many of the resorts can be booked through Island Tours in Angeles or through Swagman Travel in Manila, Puerto Galera, Boracay or Angeles. During weekdays, some resort accommodations can be found by just walking along the beach. The main stretch of resorts is less than 600 metres long, starting from the south at Villa Estrella to China Sea, Coconut Grove, Cabana, Bali Hai, Fisherman's Wharf and Southern Palms. There are other resorts further north and south of this area. Surfers will want to check out the waves in San Fabian, north of San Fernando town. Most resorts offer happy hour prices below 20 pesos for San Miguel and local mixed drinks.

The sunsets rival Boracay and Palawan, though there are no sandflies and malaria is unheard of. Many guests stroll along the beach at sunset and stop in at other resorts for dinner or a drink.

Evening dining is a specialty at all the resorts here: seafood, steaks, Indonesian food, lamb and Aussie meals are just some of the types of fare you will find in dinner specials, together with a sumptuous array of Barbecues and mouth watering buffets.

Do the activities seem too much for you? Well, why not laze the days away and work on your tan on the beach or by one of the many fresh water pools, spas or jacuzzis at the resort of your choice.