SAGADA 2D1N TRAVEL 2018

Heya Blurtees! So, this would be my first travel post and I'm excited to share to you my experiences in our 2 days, 1 night Sagada tour! Sagada is a town in the Cordillera Mountains located in the Mountain Province which is famous for its hanging coffins and rich natural wonders. It's a 12-hr bus ride from Manila where you can also pass by the Rice Terraces of Banawe. This travel is really short, but we made the best out of it :) By the way, don't forget to bring neck pillow.

F O G

It's really foggy on our way there.

Ifugao Rice Terraces Viewpoint

Closest encounter!

Once you arrive in Sagada, you need to pay for the tourism fee which only costs Php 40 (USD 0.76) at the Tourism office in town. They'll give you a receipt which you'll be presenting to the guides/officers of the tourist attractions like Sumaguing Cave. It's like your passport there so you must always bring it with you.

By the way, before going to Sagada, make sure to book your accommodation and bus tickets ahead of time as they get fully booked specially during peak hours (weekends/summer/Ber months).

ACCOMMODATION

We booked a room in Kenlibed Inn as they offer rooms for 6 persons (we are five in the group and want to be in one room only). Their rooms are neat and has private bathroom and also has bathrooms outside near the hallways which may save time for groups like us. What we love about this inn is that their rooms have balconies that has the view of the Echo Valley. And their price is at Php 300 (USD 5.73)/person only! Not to mention they also has unlimited brewed coffee! You may check their Facebook account for bookings and inquiries or text them at 09950131543.

The view outside our room :)

My gang!

Sagada has several tourist information center where you can get local guides and transportation. We get ours at Saggas offical website which is located near our accommodation. They are friendly and accommodating and made our tours educational.

DESTINATIONS

Since our stay is really short, we filtered our destinations to the main ones only.

* CAVE CONNECTION

Our first destination/activity is the Cave Connection. Entry point is at Lumiang Burial Cave to Sumaguing (Big) Cave with Rice Terraces view point. Guide cost for this activity is Php 800 (USD 15.27) for the first 2 persons and Php 400 (USD 7.64) for additional persons.

At first, it's kinda eerie, knowing that the entry point is a burial site of their ancestors and has coffins, but eventually the feeling will fade as you have guides with you. Also, the coffins are small because they bury in fetal position.

Lumiang Burial Cave

The coffins!

Creepy, right?

You have to enter small passages in between the rocks. It's kinda claustrophobic, but it's not hot inside. In fact, it's really cold and we breathe small fogs!

Our guide told us that it usually takes 4 hours to complete the Cave Connection during peak hours. But since it's Sunday and we don't have other travelers along with us, we just completed it within 2.5 hours!

Those waters are really chilly!

Our guide calls this rock formation Choco Vanilla Gelatin :)

 

V Cool Rock Formations

"WE SURVIVED" pose

It's really worth the try and it's not really scary after all. One of us are even injured and our guides are there to help us.

Shoutout to our guides kuya Ben and kuya Arthur.

We went back to our inn after the caving for having sore feet haha. And we're kinda tired as well so we skipped Bomod-Ok falls :( Instead, we bought pasalubongs since our inn is just 10 minutes walk from town.

* MARLBORO COUNTRY

We took Marlboro Country on our second day as we want to see the sunrise. Our guide told us that Marlboro Country is better than Kiltepan since it has 360-degree view and 30-min hike. It's just that Kiltepan is more popular because it was featured in some movies and TV shows.
The rate for this activity is Php 1,440 (USD 27.49) for the whole group and they even fetch us at our inn at 4:30AM. 

The hike is easy and since it's really cold, we didn't even sweat ;) We arrived at the top around 5:15 AM.

There's a bonfire at the top.

The sunrise is just fast as it's kinda cloudy so we took advantage of it.

The sun's almost out.

Hey there little sun!

Awww! Not too fast!

We did enjoyed it there! The view is really mesmerizing and worth the 12-hr trip and the hike!

New Zealand? Nah! Only in Sagada ;)

It's very relaxing there!

It's like that barkada package poster. Lol!

Nature at its finest!

Everything's picture perfect!

The very supportive friend.

Since it's morning already, we noticed how beautiful the trail was! With rich greens and the flowers bloom, it makes you feel like the nature connects with you.

We even encountered fresh blueberries along the way :)

If we have a day 3, we'll put Kiltepan in there. But since our time is limited and we need to pack up for the trip, we went back to our inn.

* ECHO VALLEY TOUR

After Marlboro Country, we just had breakfast and had some nap. Then packed our bags and checked out.  I was extremely sad as I thought we wouldn't see the famous hanging coffins and went straight to Coda Lines Ticketing Station and was lucky to have 4PM trip back. They were so kind to let us put our bags in their office as we head straight to Echo Valley to continue our little adventure.

Echo Valley is just near town. It's just beside Church of St. Mary the Virgin.

It's mesmerizing inside.

 

There are guides just at the entrance of the Echo Trail and it's only Php 200 (USD 3.85) fee per guide and additional Php 10 (USD 0.19) per person for the entrance/environmental fee. You will pass by the Sagada Cemetery, Echo Valley where it literally echoes when you shout, and the famous Sagada Hanging Coffins. Completing the trail would only take 30-45 minutes.

Sagada Cemetery

What's included in this trail

Echo Valley. Feel free to shout.

The Hanging Coffins

FOODS AND RESTAURANTS

*STRAWBERRY CAFE

Food ranges from Php 80 (USD 1.54) to Php 150 (USD 2.89). Their Yogurts are around Php 60 (USD 1.16) to Php 70 (USD 1.35). Their meals are just average, but the vegetables are really fresh large serving.

Cute interiors

Tapang Bangus with Sunny Side Up Egg

*SLAB HOUSE

Average meal is around Php 120 (USD 2.31) to Php 165 (USD 3.18) but unfortunately, their Lechon Kawali and Cheeseburger are not available so we went for Sisig and 2-pc Chicken. Their food is average. I find the sisig weird coz of the separate sunny side up egg on side instead of on top. But it doesn't matter.

The wooden furnitures made the ambiance rustic and cozy.

*YOGURT HOUSE

We just ordered their best seller Bannana, Granola and Strawberry Preserve which is at Php 120 (USD 2.31) which is really superb! The lady at the counter (which we assume is the owner) is really kind. I didn't had the chance to take a photo of it coz we ate our yoghurt on our way to our inn. Never leave Sagada without ordering it!

*LEMON PIE HOUSE

Best omelettes I've tasted so far! I don't know why, but I love it! Maybe because of the cheese? Lol! We ordered Onion and Cheese Omelette with Fried Rice and Longganisa at Php 100 (USD 1.93) and their famous Lemon Pie at Php 30 (USD 0.58) per slice. Lemon pie is really flavorful and zesty!

*ERL'S MAMI HAUS & EATERIE

We looked for affordable eatery in town while waiting for our bus and found this eatery just beside their market. I ordered their sisig which is Php 100 (USD 1.93) which is the best!

 

We'd go back to Sagada if we have another chance and experience other activities too. If you want nature trip, you'd definitely fall in love with this town. 2 days and 1 night is not enough to explore it, but it's enough to enjoy and appreciate everything in this town.

Do you have any thoughts about Sagada? Share your comments below!

 Thanks for reading, Blurtees! Stay awesome! ♥

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