Soft Luxe Travels: Day 1 - The Journey to Vigan Part 2

Mom said that we'd be super close when we reached Narvacan, so I took a photo of their welcome arc.

A Nighttime Arrival in Vigan

The cities were a blur. I was tired from the full day drive.

After a long day on the road, we finally arrived in Vigan at night. The drive took longer than expected, with several stopovers, so by the time we reached the heritage city, I was already feeling haggard and very hungry.

First Things First

Our first stop was our hotel to check-in.

I was tired, haggard, and hungry!

After we checked into our rooms, I took a few minutes to quickly iron my clothes and freshen up for dinner.

Looking for Dinner

Our first choice was Leona’s, right at Calle Crisologo. But with no parking space available and the restaurant already full, we decided to head to Hotel Luna instead. And I’m so glad we did.

Hotel Luna’s Charm

The moment I walked inside, I was captivated. The hotel doubles as an art gallery, with paintings and sculptures that gave such an elegant, timeless feel. It felt like stepping into a museum that also welcomes you warmly for dinner.

I actually tried the phone! It wasn't connected. 😆 But look just how beautiful that piece is!

This is an original BenCab. We've been to his museum on our last trip to Baguio. I have several posts about it in the archive. Just type Baguio in the search bar if you'd like to read them.

This is a very special piece, a collaboration by different Filipino artists including BenCab. The waiter said it was painted just outside the dining room we were in, on the first anniversary of the hotel. I love this piece!

I love these two paintings as well. One shows present day Calle Crisologo with the tattered, but still beautiful building...

..and the other, a lively scene on Calle Crisologo from days gone by.

Dinner at Hotel Luna

This water is giving soft luxe vibes because of the bottle

Complimentary chocolate bread. The chocolate tastes like batirol. It isn't sweet at all. The bread was sweet and went perfectly together!

Oh, the Iloko placemat is ❤️

Here’s what we ordered:

When in Vigan, always order the bagnet!

Sinigang na Salmon

This bagnet rice is sooo good that we ordered another bowl

Gambas

The dishes were comforting and filling—exactly what I needed after the trip. Even my son, who has such refined taste buds, gave his approval.

Exploring the Hotel

After dinner, I took a few moments to explore the place. The staircase immediately caught my attention—it looked so grand and beautifully lit at night. Of course, I had to take some photos there! ✨

From travel-worn and haggard at Hotel Lapira to fresh, glowing, and ready for dinner at Hotel Luna — all in just 10 minutes! Sometimes all it takes is a quick wash, a change of clothes, and a dose of Lady E Glow to transform travel fatigue into travel fabulous. 💕

I also got a glimpse of the pool and the rooms. Everything was classy, old world, and well-designed, making me wish we had booked a stay instead of just dropping by for dinner.

First Impressions of Vigan at Night

Even though I was exhausted, the charm of Vigan at night was undeniable. The lights, the Spanish-era architecture, and the feeling of history surrounding you—it was worth the long trip.

This was just the beginning of our Vigan adventure. Stay tuned for more stories and snapshots in the next post!

Alone Time

My good friend Kitten and I were supposed to go out yesterday but she had some unexpected things come up. I needed to buy some stuff as I am packing for a trip and so I went alone. I actually enjoy going out alone as much as going out with girlfriends or MB. It gives me a chance to eat whatever I like to eat and explore new restos. It’s also nice to take my time when shopping. After paying my bills, I had a late lunch at Toast Box: I love Hainanese Chicken. I sometimes cook this dish but it’s too tedious so I settle for eating out. I’m so happy that there are now restaurants that serve proper Hainanese Chicken. Well, except that one above was sooooo bloody. It was swimming in blood when I pulled the meat apart so I had it changed. You know what Gordon Ramsay says, bloody chicken is poisonous. This is the second time I ate at Toast Box and in both times, the chicken was so bloody. After lunch, I started shopping. First stop was Beabi where I bought these: The Sakura thermos on...

Soft Luxe Travels: Day 1 - The Journey to Vigan Part 1

In this post, we will start our journey to Vigan! The Night Before After packing our things, I did a few things for myself to help me relax and decompress so that I can sleep. I'm a night owl and not used to waking up early nor sleeping early, so I have to be strategic. I painted my nails that night after all my chores, so that the nail polish wouldn't chip. However, I forgot that I needed to make pressed sandwiches for our breakfast the following day! Because really, what’s a road trip mom without freshly painted nails and a last-minute kitchen hustle? 😂 So, I had to do a lot of washing and hoped for the best that my nail polish will not chip! Luncheon meat, eggs, Kewpie Trust me, it tastes better than it sounds at 11 PM while trying not to chip your polish. That night, we also tried the Ube Halaya from Amira's. This was from our trip to Tagaytay . I'll try to make a review of this on my food blog . With everything prepped, I finally let myself drift off—half excit...

Holiday State of Mind

Sometimes, a quick escape is all it takes to reset the spirit. Tagaytay always gives me that holiday state of mind… Even a short drive can feel like a retreat when your heart is ready to embrace rest. My son successfully finished his recital last Sunday and as a reward, my sister treated us to Tagaytay yesterday. Getting Ready for the Trip I decided to use my BYS Golden Hour Palette for today's look. Makeup, for me, is part of the ritual—it sets the tone that today is special. Here are the swatches: From top to bottom: Polaroid, Candid, Aperture, In Focus, Portrait, Panoramic In Focus is slightly wet, like something between a liquid and cream eyeshadow. The color is gorgeous! I love Panoramic, too! Polaroid is a bit chalky and not as pigmented as the shadows in the Queen Bee Palette. Here are the face shades: Highlighter: Illumination Contour: Ambiance I haven't tried Illumination yet, only Ambiance. I used it on top of my BYS Bronzer. It's a buildable powder, a littl...

Glow by Lady E

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