La Union’s hippest party place - Flotsam & Jetsam
Flotsam & Jetsam stands to be La Union’s most popular nightlife hotspot, and it’s also probably the busiest place in the area — maximizing curfew hours and operates until 12:00 AM TO 1:00 AM.
Chill, hipster place
Flotsam & Jetsam looks like a beach paradise. It feels all hipster with the dangling lights and lanterns. You’ll also find mats where you can just sit around as you enjoy La Union’s vibe. There’s an access to the beach area as well which makes it a great candidate as a one stop-shop (i.e. dining, surfing/swimming and partying). You can literally spend your entire day here, even more so when you book your stay here.
At night, Flotsam Jetsam transforms into a party hub, and all the lights sparkle creating this dreamy semi-romantic ambiance where you can pour your heart out.
What type of crowd will you encounter here in Flotsam Jetsam?
During our visit on a long weekend, we noticed that most of the crowd aren’t locals. In fact, in my wild guess, 95% probably consists of Manilenos particularly, umm, yuppies (the term 'Millenial' is also applicable).
Though the crowd is fairly young, mostly ranging from about 22-29 years old, it still feels like those parties I went to when I was still in college. There were tons of booze everywhere, and people were basically trying to get wasted. But hey, I don't blame them. That's what we usually get out of freedom from being far off. People just want to let loose and enjoy. After all, what happens in La Union probably just stays in La Union.
It’s smoke-free in Flotsam Jetsam!
This definitely pops bubbles of many, but this is luckily a ‘pro’ for me. Ahhhh, clean air. Clean fun.
Party music?
Uh-oh, hmmmm, I’m not so sure about this aspect. During our visit, the music seemed kinda off. Off in a way that they used songs that are not ‘danceable’. Plus, the song selection focused on the early 80s, and only a few of recent songs. By the way, requests are not allowed, so you’ll need to just stick it up.
It’s practically a tourist trap!
Due to the extreme popularity of Flotsam Jetsam among tourists, you can expect prices of food and drinks to be touristy as well. The cheapest dish is around P230, while the cheapest drink (i.e. local beer) is at P70. However, there are no other places (that I know of) that is similar to Flotsam & Jetsam, which is why they have the upper hand when it comes to pricing. I’m not discouraging you, but all I’m saying is that you need to align your expectation. Of course, you need to prepare for the budget.
Tip on getting seats
If you want to get seats for your group, you may call in for reservation (though I'm not exactly sure if it works). Hence, the surest way of getting seats is to arrive before most of the crowd do, which happens before 5:00 PM. We went there as early as 4:00 PM, and we still needed to wait a bit to get seats.
For general tips on La Union, read more about our guide here - A Travel Guide to Urbiztondo, La Union
Flotsam & Jetsam Quick Guide
Things to see/do: Chill and appreciate La Union's vibe and party with fellow tourists at night
Budget needed: A bottle of beer ranges from P70 to P150, and food averages at around P250. If you plan to spend your entire night here, you may need to allot at least P600 per person. You can bring the budget down a bit if you eat elsewhere, and just stay here for the party.
Is it wander-worthy? Yes. It's interesting to discover how La Union has evolved, and this somehow gives that satisfaction. Plus, if you want to meet fellow tourists (and get a chance in love, if you are up for it), this is a great place to start.
