Incredible Iloilo! A Roundup of My Iloilo Trip (2014)
"Ms., where is your smoking area?" I asked the receptionist of the hotel that we were staying at as soon as we checked in.
"Mam, we don't have a smoking area here in the hotel." She replied.
"Really?, Ok, so where can I possibly smoke?" I asked.
"Mam, bawal pong mag smoke dito sa Iloilo" She said.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
It left me wondering how I can possibly enjoy the rest of my vacation there? I have realized that my research prior to arrival was not sufficient enough since I never knew a city ordinance prohibiting smoking in Iloilo exists.
"You have to calm down. There must be some way you could smoke." I uttered to calm myself and thought from then on that it will be a very very uncomfortable vacation.
See, Iloilo is a fantastic place to visit. The city will charm you of it's unique and vibrant character. The outskirts will give you a glimpse of living in simplicity. The old churches will mesmerize you, and the food, oh the food will leave you wanting more.
I don't want to be selfish and profess how I hate Iloilo for not allowing smokers to smoke in the city since it has a lot to offer. It would probably be not a big deal for me if I wasn't a smoker. But I am, and it affected me the whole time I was there. As I told my Iloilo companion, Iloilo could have rated 4/5 for me. But since I have to go to a very secluded corner outside the hotel, in the middle of the night, just to sneak in a few puffs of a cigarette that I bought, with my own money, me thinking about my own health, not minding I'll have cancer in the near future, made me decide that Iloilo is just a 2.5/5 for me.
The food is Iloilo's only ace in the hole, of course, the friendly people too. Let me share with you some posts about Iloilo's fantastic cuisine through some of my blog posts here:
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| Delectable La Paz Batchoy of Iloilo! |
Iloilo's famous La Paz Batchoy should be tasted here. Located inside La Paz Public Market, Netong's serves authentic La Paz Batchoy at a very affordable price. Best for breakfast, or lunch, or merienda. Heck, this is best any time of the day!
Breakthrough Restaurant
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| Fresh Imbao Soup at Breakthrough Restaurant |
A must visit restaurant in Iloilo City. This place serves the freshest sea foods in town! Don't forget to ask the fresh catch of the day. Oysters and scallops get's scarce so you might want to be there before lunch time.
Bourbon Street
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| Best ribs in town? |
They claim to serve the best ribs in town and some said their famous ribs gets to be shipped from Iloilo to different parts of the country. Is their ribs that good? Find out here.
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| Punot's Corned Beef Kansi |
Perhaps the best meal I had in Iloilo would be in Punot. Food is fantastic and service is splendid. Great place to hang out too and have a quiet dinner with friends and family.
Tatoy's Manokan and Seafoods
I had a terrible experience at Tatoy's Manokan. Service is very poor and food is mediocre. But, people say they serve the best native chicken barbeque in town. How would I know? They asked me to wait for almost two hours for it and I don't really have the luxury of time to wait so I skipped it. :(
Maridel's
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| Sweet Endings at Maridel's |
We have ended our foodscapade with wonderful cakes from Maridel's in Plazuella de Iloilo. People say they have the best cakes in town and I agree!
Circle Inn Iloilo
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| Standard Twin Room at Circle Inn |
Our home away from home in Iloilo City. Circle Inn is conveniently located one block away from Ortiz Wharf. Perfect for vacationers who are also planning to visit Guimaras.
Other Photos of Iloilo
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| Miag-ao Church |
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| Miag-ao Church |
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| Iloilo Public Market |
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| Jaro Belfry |
Oooppss, I thought I had a lot of photos. These are again a time when I regret not taking a lots of it.
Iloilo is a fantastic city. I would totally recommend it to especially to my foodie friends for they have one of the best local cuisines here in the Philippines. My smoking friends already knows its not the best place for a vacation. I ranted so much that we all crossed out Iloilo in our list of to-go places. I totally enjoyed my stay there more specifically the food. Would totally go back only for that. Of course if ever I would quit smoking. :P
Comments
In Iloilo there is a complete Total ban ... there are no designated spaces anywhere .
People say that you have to smoke secretly during the night , hiding somewhere dark , hoping that nobody see you .
If you are tourist and a smoker think twice before come here .
For me was a mistake ...
I-m not a heavy smoker but I need to smoke at least 3 or 4 stick a day .
Not being able to smoke ruined my vacation .
I will never returned again .