The cool breeze of the morning in the sand dunes of Ilocos Norte a.k.a. Desert of the North greeted the Lakbay Norte Media participants. The stretch of sand dunes had become famous ever since it was used as a movie set for both local and international movies. Himala, Panday, Mad Max, and the Fourth of July were among them.

While waiting for the 4 x 4 vehicles to arrive, we took pictures of the inviting sunrise as its warm colors painted the sky. The sand dunes itself is a picturesque site. It has an area of 85 square kilometers and covers the Municipality of Currimao until the Municipality of Pasuquin.

Adventure began with an exhilarating ride in the 4 x 4 vehicles managed by the Paoay Off Roaders and Adventure Group. The vehicle can accommodate at least five passengers. Cha, Raine, Ida and I hopped on the red and white 4 x 4. Mang Noni, our driver, was not as daring as the other drivers who drove along the steep hills. Nonetheless, we screamed our lungs out in one of the downhill.

The Ilocos Norte Sand Dunes, recognized by the National Committee on Geological Sciences as one of the National Geological Monuments in the Philippines, gave birth to a new board sport called Sandboarding.

Inspired by the sandboarding in Dubai, the Laoag Eco-Adventure Development (LEAD) Movement, a group geared towards adventure and eco-tourism, introduced the sport in the country in August 2009.

Before trying out this sport, Mark Manahan, one of the members of LEAD, showed us how to do it. Click here to watch the video of SANDBOARDING.

For those who wanted to try this sport, it is advisable to wear rubber shoes for proper fit on the board straps.

Proper position is the key for a perfect slide. The weight should be put at the back foot. Too bad, I didn’t make that perfect slide. haha. This sport is not as dangerous as other board sports. So even if you tumble down the slope, it won’t hurt.

We tried sandboarding and the 4 x 4 ride during sunrise but Gilbert Santos of PAROG also encourages the activity to be done at sunset.

IF you want to have this kind of adventure, you may contact the following:

Paoay Off Roaders and Adventure Group
4 x 4 ride with sandboarding: P 1,000-1,500 per person
Contact Person: Gilbert Santos 0928-947-3518
Email: gds41@yahoo.com

LEAD Movement
4 x 4 ride with Sandboarding: P 2,500/hr
Contact Persons: Glenn Guerrero/Reny Tan 0908-885-3669
www.wentravelandtours.tripod.com