If you are searching for a tourist spot in the Ilocos region that will provide you an adrenaline rush, then head to Masintoc Paoay Sand Dunes and try the 4×4 Off Road and sand boarding adventure. On our recent trip in the Ilocandia region, part of the itinerary was to visit Masintoc 4×4 Off Road to experience the off road adventure and the sand boarding, which we were very eager to try since these sand dunes can only be found in (La Paz) Laoag Sand Dunes and the other in (Masintoc) Paoay both found in Ilocose Norte.
Paoay Sand Dunes Rates (2019)
This dessert like environment is so unique and can only be found in the Northen part of the Philippines. So if you ever come by for a visit, this activity must not be missed. We arrived at Masintoc 4×4 Off Road and Sand Boarding Adventure in Masintoc Paoay Ilocos Norte, we registered and paid an amount of Php 2500.00 per vehicle for up to a maximum of 6 pax. It wasn’t that bad if you think of it. So after the registration, we hopped on the 4×4 and up to the dunes. We were so excited and we could feel the adrenaline rush about to burst the moment our driver started that powerful engine.
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Along with some of his colleagues, our driver immediately accelerated and gave us that boost of speed we wanted. We first stopped in the middle of the sand dunes for a photo opportunity and a few seconds after, off we went for a bumpy, hilly, and exhilarating ride of our life.
Just some safety advice: make sure to hold on tight on the railings at the back specially when going over hills and the bumpy sands along the way. It was like a work out specially when your whole body is swaying all over the place. In the end, you learn how to balance yourself. And if you want to take a video of the whole experience, make sure you have a tight grip on that camera or selfie-stick that you are holding. It’s nice to have one taking a video of the whole experience!
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After a few minutes on the off-road, we climbed up and as they say, what goes up must go down, and that’s what just happened. It was one of my loudest screams during the trip when the driver went at a speed down the hill. That was something else!
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Things got more exciting when we saw some tourists doing the sand boarding. It looked really fun and it pretty safe to me. It was also so cute to find some of the children doing it and having a ball. There are two ways of doing it, if you are feeling a little scared, you can try and sit on the board. It’s actually more stable if you do that and most of the tourists normally sit on the board. But in my case, whether I stumbled or not, I was going to stand on that board and slide perfectly like a professional snowboarder. Well I guess, all I could do was just to imagine that!
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From the landing area, you needed to walk around 50 steps up to the top of the hill, stand in line and wait for your turn. That process could be a little exhausting specially the climbing up but the experience was something else. On my first try, instead of sitting down, I told myself I wanted to stand up like a real surfer guy. I stood up on the board and off I went to my first stumble. LAfter that, I was so eager to do it again and made some adjustments. On my second try, it was a successful, though short ride but I was able to stand from start all the way down to end. I was ecstatic and I felt like I wanted to do it over and over again! Unfortunately with the limited time, we had to cut it short but I was so happy I was able to experience this adventure!
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The Masintoc Sand Dunes is a type of activity that will never disappoint anyone who is seeking a thrilling ride adventure in the Ilocandia Region. And if you happen to be working on an itinerary when visiting Ilocos Norte, this adventure must not skip the list.
MASINTOC 4X4 OFF ROAD and
SAND BOARDING ADVENTURE
Contact Numbers
0910-749-2672 (Smart)
09055642422 (Globe)
