In Case You Missed It: Travel + Leisure Names Saud Beach, Ilocos Norte Among The World’s Most Beautiful - Travel

Located in the coastal resort town of Pagudpud, the beach is included with 24 others on a list published by the US title.

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Describing it as “super-mellow,” New York-based magazine Travel + Leisure recently included Saud Beach in a coastal resort town in Ilocos Norte as one of its 25 most beautiful beaches in the world in a story released on Monday.

“Its white sand pitches gradually into the clear-as-glass water, like a real-world example of a zero-entry swimming pool,” writes the article’s author Anne Olivia Bauso. “Swim in the peaceful waves, lunch under a thatch-roof cabana under the palms, or hire an outrigger for excursions on the water.”

Long trip

An almost nine-hour drive from Metro Manila, Saud Beach is located in the municipality of Pagudpud, which is about 74 kilometers from the provincial capital Laoag. Of course, from Laoag International Airport, it is a much shorter trip. After taking an hour and a half flight, you need to go on a land trip for around two hours.

Saud is the only Philippine beach on the list. Some of our Asian neighbors included are the Railay West beach in Krabi, Thailand; Bai Dam Trau in Con Dao Islands, Vietnam; and Radhanagar Beach in Havelock Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

In a statement posted on its website, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is happy for the recognition from the magazine of the beach, which has been dubbed “Boracay of the North.”

“The DOT salutes the sole Philippine entry to the list, joining the ranks of other globally-recognized beaches such as the Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Hanelei Bay in Kauai, Hawaii;  Cape Le Grand National Park in Western Australia and others.

Not for now

Unfortunately, with cases continuing to surge in NCR Plus, and our current classification of Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine, travelers from here won’t be able to enjoy the beauty of Saud any time soon.

Ilocos Norte has recorded more than 14,000 COVID cases and more than 300 deaths. The province is currently under Modified General Community Quarantine, which will be in effect until April 30, 2021. On March 23, 2021, it temporarily banned tourists coming in from high risk areas such as Metro Manila.

For those who are fortunate enough to move about, Travel + Leisure strongly recommends for you “to check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID-19 and take personal comfort levels and health conditions into consideration before departure.”

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