Sagada Trip 2015

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I've been planning to go to Sagada way before the movie "That Thing Called Tadhana" ever became the main reason why everyone is talking about it and making it their next destination. In fact, before I went to Sagada I haven't even watch the movie yet. So, I can't really relate to other tourists who shouted "ayoko na" in Kiltepan Viewpoint.

During my research about Sagada, I found out that all Tourists must register in their Tourism Office before they go about their desired activities. Whether they choose to hire a guide or not, they are required to drop-by the office to be registered and of course pay a P50 fee.

We were supposed to stay at Rock Inn & Cafe but due to unexpected circumstances, I was forced to find another place to stay in. All the inns that I've asked along the South Road are fully booked and they can't accommodate four persons anymore. I was starting to get nervous but fortunately, I found Indigenous Handicrafts and Inn! It was perfect! I asked the kind lady who was at the handicraft store if they have a room for four; and she immediately said they have an available room and escorted me to the third floor.

I was not able to take a picture of the room but it has three queen-sized beds with comforters and a private bathroom (THEY HAVE HOT SHOWER!). I just have to say that because I've heard that some inns don't have a hot shower(?). It's spacious enough for the four of us. We have no complaints. :)

Here's our view! The blue building across from Indigenous is the Residential Lodge that every blogger is raving about.

We started our activity around 2pm on the same day that we arrived.

The Trail Walk Package

It was super tiring but just seeing the hanging coffins and the rice paddy, it was all worth it!

I was eager to see the sunset in Sagada. So, I asked the people who was with me to see it too. Even though they were already tired, they agreed. Off we go to our next activity!

Walking is optional. We had to hire a van to take us to the sunset point because we were already exhausted.

Sagada Pottery, Lake Danum and Sunset Viewing

We decided to stop by at the Sagada Pottery because it was just along the way going to the sunset point. You have to pay a fee if you want to see a demonstration of how to make a pot. The ladies there are very nice and are fluent in English.

We arrived at Lake Danum a little early. We had a little time to explore the area. There were cows and cow poop everywhere. Be very careful if you want to lay or sit on the grass. I was in awe because it was very peaceful. One family was already on the other side setting up their camp. I asked our tour guide if they were allowed to set camp in this area and he said they are, as long as they will inform the tourism office about it. Interesting.

Our guide said we have to transfer to another place to see the sunset more clearly. We were brought to a much higher place near Lake Danum.

We waited for almost an hour to see the sunset. Our guide said we shouldn't blink too much because the sunset might happen and we'll miss it. True enough. It was fast. After a couple of shots, it was already dark.

After the exhausting first day, we said goodbye to our new found friends and decided to head straight to Yoghurt House to satisfy our hunger. [The serving was big enough and the price was around P170 to P300] Their famous yogurt is ok. Nothing special.

DAY 2

Meeting Time: 5am

Woke up: 4.30am

The driver of the van that we rented the day before was already calling me because he was waiting downstairs with another group that would be going with us to Kiltepan Viewpoint to see the sunrise.

Seeing the sunrise in Sagada was the only thing I was excited about. This was the main purpose why I wanted to go there. I repeat, it was not about the movie. I already researched this before the movie even featured it.

Kiltepan Viewpoint

Unfortunately, my phone died and I was not able to take more pictures of the sunrise. I was devastated! I had to borrow my cousin's phone to take pictures of it. So sad!

After that unfortunate event, we decided to have breakfast at Sagada Brew. It was the best decision because their food is delicious. I highly recommend it. The price was around P170 to P270.

After our breakfast, we went back to our inn and slept for an hour or two. We had our lunch at Sagada Brew again. That's how much we liked the food. We wanted to try their lunch menu. We were supposed to cancel our caving activity but when we talked to the owner of the Sagada Brew, he encouraged us to see the caves and assured us that it would be a great experience.

After much discussion, we decided to do it. We went to the Tourism Office to hire a guide and off we go. We had an option to rent a van going to the caves or walk there since it was along the street that we were staying at. We opted to walk. It was one hell of an exercise. It turned out to be much more farther than we expected.

Cave Exploration

I loved the experience! We passed by Lumiang cave first then back to the route leading to Sumaguing cave. I won't tell you about the experience because I want it to be a surprise to everyone who have a plan of going there. :) Entering and exiting the Sumaguing Cave wasn't much of a challenge for me. I expected it to be much harder.

You can truly say that you've conquered Sagada after going to their caves.

After the caves we decided to have our early dinner at Pinikpikan Haus because we wanted to try their famous "Pinikpikan". Well, honestly speaking, I didn't really like the taste of it. Maybe because I'm not really a fan of soup dishes. We ordered one Pinikpikan dish, one pancit canton and one liempo. I didn't like their liempo either. It was hard to chew. By now you would know that I don't recommend that place if ever you want to try a Pinikpikan dish or any food for that matter. I'm sorry.

After our not so satisfying meal, we headed back to our inn. But at around quarter to 6, I got hungry so we decided to go out and try the Masferre Inn and Restaurant. I heard that it was famous among foreigners and local travelers alike. The food was great and the serving was plenty. The price ranges from P120 to P300.

On our last morning at Sagada this was the weather.

We ate our breakfast at Masferre Inn and Restaurant and after that boarded the bus going back to Baguio. We were supposed to ride the 8am trip but we were still at Masferre eating our breakfast during that time.

If you're curious about the schedule of the bus trips. Here it is:

NOTE:

I can't give you the numbers of the Inns that was mentioned because the paper that was given to me from the Tourism Office got wet. That paper contained all of the number of the inns in Sagada; even the map and the activities that they offer are all there. Major bummer!

For good measure, here's a rough map of Sagada that I found on the World Wide Web.

Tell me about your experience in Sagada; if we have the same thoughts or not. Are you planning to go to Sagada? Maybe I can help you. Feel free to comment.