DIY: Sagada, Mountain Province
Philippines

Conquering The Ruggedly Enchanting Sagada

Sagada is known for its pleasant climate, natural beauty and culture. Last year, we decided to go up north to the Mountain Province to experience Sagada. Me and my team were assigned to work in Baguio City which is 6 hours away from it. One weekend, we headed off to the bus station and started the enchanting journey.

Let me share to you my DIY Sagada itinerary.

HOW TO GET TO SAGADA

From Manila:

1. Ride a bus going to Baguio. Check out the schedule and rate here–> Victory Liner.
2. Upon arriving at Baguio, go to the Dangwa Bus Station. You may ride a cab to get there. Look for Lizardo Transit Station. Bus fare is around 220-230 pesos and leaves at 6am in the morning and the last bus at 1pm. Travel time is approximately 6-7 hours.

Tips

1. Bring some medications for those who have motion sickness as it’s going to be a long rough ride. And buses are non-air-conditioned.
2. Bring sweaters and comfy hiking shoes.
3. Stay in one of the residential guesthouses.

WHERE TO STAY IN SAGADA

Sagada Homestay – I stayed here. The place is nice and comfortable. Pretty cheap. All the basic amenities are available and everything is made out of wood which made it more nice for me.

250/pax/night
Contact Karen – sagadahomestay@yahoo.com.ph 
+63 919 702 8380
+63 918 717 3524
+63 919 498 2181

Others:
Alapo’s – 0921 327 9055
Alfredo’s Inn – 0918 588 3535
Ganduyan – 0921 273 8097

A-7 House 0921 287 6093
Billy’s House 0921 603 2745
Churya-a 0906 430 0853
Mapiyaaw Pension 0921 390 0560
Rocky Valley Inn 0918 643 2784
Rock Inn 0920 909 5899
Yabami Lodge 0920 411 9976
Gecko Inn 0920 289 5471

Igorot Inn 0928 630 5479
Olahbinan 0928 406 7647
Travelers’ Inn 0920 799 2960

THINGS TO DO IN SAGADA

You can hire a local guide to tour you around and provide a ride for you and your friends. On your free day (no activities scheduled), I suggest that you walk around at the centro and just observe. You will appreciate the place and the people more. 🙂

1. Go spelunking at Sumaguing Cave and Lumiang Cave
2. Watch the sunrise over Kiltepan view-point
3. Trek to St. Mary’s Church, Echo Valley, Hanging Coffins and Sagada Weaving
4. Trek Aguid Rice Terraces. Swimming Falls)at Bomod-ok Falls (aka Big Falls)
5. Visit the Ganduyan Museum
6. Try the Hole-in-the Wall restaurants, some serve nice international cuisine
7. Go jeepney top loading to Bontoc

WHERE TO EAT and DRINK IN SAGADA

Below are just some of the good places to eat. Been in a few restaurants in Sagada and I have never tasted anything bad. So, I can say, it is safe to try some that you see on the road while walking. 🙂

1. Yogurt House – Check out their website here
2. Log Cabin – Check out their website here
3. Bana’s Cafe (0939 338 4495)
4. Lemon Pie House – Check out thier website here
5. Persimmon Cafe

We spent 2 nights and 3 days only in Sagada as we needed to go back to Baguio for work. We are with our boss so we can’t complain. Haha! For those who are planning to visit Sagada, I suggest that you stay more than 3 days so that you can explore the province well. If you can do a 5-day visit to Sagada, that will be perfect. It will take you at least 3 days to really be one with them or at least feel their local vibes. That’s why in every trip I make it a point to stay longer than I should. I tend to extend whenever I can. Here are some of the photos taken during our stay.

Check out the view from our room in Sagada Homestay

Living room..

Upon arriving in Sagada, first activity set was to go spelunking at the Sumaguing Cave. Here we are before the caving..Still fresh and excited! We hired a local guide to tour us for 2 days. 700/day for all of us. Not bad.

Inside the Sumaguing Cave

How unfortunate that we weren’t able to bring a camera with us down the cave. But we did get through it! We survived Sumaguing Cave! I suggest that you bring a nice trekking shoes with you, the one that has a strong grip as it is going to be slippery down there. 😀

We ended the day dining in the Log Cabin. Prior to our arrival, I have booked us already a reservation as they do not or they seldom allow walk ins. Plus, they only do this buffet on weekends.

The next day, we woke up at 4 in the morning and went straight to Kiltepan View Point to see the sunrise. It was magnificent!

After the Sunrise watching at Kiltepan View Point we headed to Cafe Bodega to have some breakfast. Located at the Rock Farm, Batalao, Sagada.

Before heading to our next destination, we went to the Yogurt House for some good meal for lunch.

And finally to Echo Valley and the Hanging Coffins.

Spot me!

The trips to Echo Valley and other famous spots in Sagada need a lot of strength, so before heading out to do some tripping, make sure you ate a lot during breakfast and you have a water bottle with you during the tour.

Jeepney toploading to Bontoc with my workmate, Rochie! This was unplanned. We run out of cash and we didn’t want to bother friends to borrow some so, we decided to go to Bontoc as that is the only place where ATMs are available.

We spotted a jeepney going to Bontoc that afternoon, it was the last trip for the day going to Bontoc. We were the only passenger and we decided to sit on top of the jeepney instead of just sitting inside it. It was an awesome experience everyone should try! You will have a better view of the area plus the feel of the air slapping on your face. Haha! It hurts the butt though but, all worth it. This is my first top load experience. I’ve done this a few times already in Leyte and Samar. 🙂 Exciting! It’s happier when you’re with the locals.

Because we’re all tired after 2 days of action-packed adventure, we decided to just dine at Sagada Homestay, its’s where we stayed.

They serve fairy nice Filipino dishes.

And to end the night, we roasted some mallows and just chill.

Thank you, Sagada for your natural beauty and unique culture. I will surely be seeing you again..before heading to Mt. Pulag for a climb, the next time. 😀

The trip to and from Sagada was breathtaking! It was sad to leave but, it was a nice first visit. Sagada is loved for its unique culture despite the emerging commercialization and number of expats living in Sagada. Thanks to the locals’ effort for having it maintained and intact.

See you again, soon! Salamat, Sagada! 😀