Sagada – a mini travel guide



sagada rice terraces

Sagada is a dreamy town located in the highlands of Mountain Province. Take note of the word “highlands”. Yes, the climate is cold just like Baguio, sometimes even colder.  It is a tourist destination that is quietly gaining popularity these days, thanks to the internet. I first heard of Sagada in an episode of a defunct reality tv show, Extra Challenge. What sparked my interest is the spelunking (cave exploration) challenge they had on the show.

What does Sagada have to offer?

Sagada is famous for its “hanging coffins“. That is how sagadians bury their deceased loved ones. A lot of people like to have their pictures taken with these coffins as background. Sounds eerie? To each his own, I guess.

Popular activities include trekking, exploring both caves and waterfalls, spelunking, bonfires, picnics, rappelling, visiting historical sites, nature hikes and a lot more. Most of the time, you would need a guide to get to where you’d want to go.

sumaguing cave

Perhaps the most popular and most breathtaking experience one could have in Sagada is the exploration of the two caves, also known as “cave connection” wherein adventurers would enter the first cave and exit out of the second one. Be wary though, the cave connection is not for the faint of heart. It took us more than 4 hours to get out of the cave.

Another highly visited destination in Sagada is the Bomod-ok Falls, also known as the Big Falls. To get there, one would need a lot of energy (and patience!). You will have to traverse steep mountain sides, passing over rice terraces to reach its location. However, the water is too cold that people will most likely just sit back and enjoy its majestic view.big falls

Other worthy places to go to are lake danum (you could have a picnic here), echo valley, and st. mary’s church among others. If you’re not the active type of person, do not worry, Sagada is for everyone. It’s one of those places you’d like to laze around.

Where to stay?

The first time I went to Sagada, I stayed at Sagada Guesthouse. The place is nice, rooms are clean and spacious. I joined a package tour on my first time, so I’m not sure how much they charge for a night. Residential Lodge is one of the most recommended inns in Sagada. I haven’t had the chance to stay there though, it was always fully-booked during peak seasons so be sure to book early to avoid any hassles. Just in case you didn’t get an early booking, don’t fret, transient houses are dime a dozen in Sagada. The cheapest thing in Sagada is accommodation. Inns and transient houses charge as little as 250 per night and in my experience, they’re miles better than those in Baguio.

Where to eat?

If you’re the “tourist-tourist” kind of person, expect yourself to spend more on food than any of your expenses, even your bus fares. Restaurants here are like those in Manila, a decent meal would cost you more almost 200 pesos. I have tried Masferre, Yogurt House and Alfredo’s. Among the three, Yogurt House is the only place I keep coming back. I guess others agree with me for it is always full during peak hours.

A highly underrated (and almost unknown) eating place in Sagada is Cuisina Igorota. It is located at the back of the hospital and it looks like a carinderia which serves lutong-bahay. This place is my personal favorite. The food they serve are typical Filipino dishes – pritong tilapia, tinola, sinigang, mechado -  to name a few. Food is good and very filling, and would cost less than 100 pesos per person.

How to get there

There are currently three routes to Sagada. First one is Manila-Baguio-Sagada, another is Manila-Banawe-Sagada, last is Manila-Sagada.

  • Baguio route – Take a bus to Baguio. Victory Liner has buses leaving for Baguio every hour. Ride a cab and tell the driver to take you to the bus station to Sagada. The first trip to Sagada leaves at 5:30am, last trip leaves at 12:30
  • Banawe route – Autobus and Florida has daily trips to Banawe. Be sure to book early as Banawe tickets sell like hotcakes especially during holidays. When you’re in Banawe, take the Immanuel bus to Bontoc and from the Bontoc Municipal Hall, take the jeep to Sagada.
  • Direct to Sagada route – Cable Tours offer trips directly from Manila to Sagada. Contact them first to inquire for schedules and available seats. Here are the #s: Bontoc-Manila: 09185215790,
    Manila-Bontoc reservation: 09298194688

How much do I need to spend to enjoy Sagada?

For a 3 day trip to Sagada, around P3,500 to P4,000 would go a long way. If you plan on buying a lot of pasalubong, you may want to add a few extra to your budget.



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Category: Travel
Tags: budget travel > sagada > sagada budget > sagada travel guide

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One Response to “Sagada – a mini travel guide”

  1. Daily News About Random : A few links about Random - Tuesday, 05 May 2009 16:49
    May 6th, 2009 @ 8:05 am

    [...] Sagada – a travel mini-guide [...]

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