When in Sagada
"Where do broken hearts go?" This is the common line that goes after when you mention Sagada. But on a more serious note, Sagada is a place that everyone should see no matter what their heart feels. It can heal the broken and fulfill the satisfied. With its temperate weather, wondrous caves and cliffs, lofty rice terraces, majestic waterfalls, luscious foods and delicacies, rich heritage and traditions, Sagada promises an unforgettable and truly remarkable experience with nature and culture. So here's a blog about my Sagada trip with bitches (my best friends).
It's Holy Week, long weekend so my friends and I planned a Sagada trip. We decided to get a travel agency because we don't have enough time for DIY as well as less hassle. (Peak season so we expected na mahirap mag DIY) March 28, 2018 is the day. All things were packed and we're ready to go. Our meeting place was at MOA parking lot, 7:30 PM sharp but the driver arrived late (like wow ha? Kami pa talaga naghintay sa'yo?) and we haven't heard any apology from him (Disadvantage of travel agency, I guess.) We departed by 8:30 PM and after 12 hours of travel, we finally reached Banaue. Too long? Yes because there were so many stop-overs with no reason that's why it took 12 hours to reach the place.
Banaue Rice Terraces is so beautiful (Kami ang nagdala ? hahaha!). You'll be amazed as this view was hand-carved by Ifugaos.
After taking pictures in Banaue, we directly go to Sagada Hub for lunch before going to our lodge. Pigar-Pigar (beef) is their best seller.
As soon as we reached our Lodge, we prepared for our Spelunking - Lumiang to Sumaguing Cave. This is one of the reasons why I'm really excited to visit Sagada. I find it very challenging as it requires physical strength.
This is such an unforgettable experience as it was our first time and we survived the 4-hour Sagada Cave Connection which includes rock climbing, rapelling, crawing, sliding and wading through cold cave water bodies.
Second day: Trekking. This is one of the best things to do in Sagada. If chasing waterfalls is your thing, then you’re in luck because Sagada has waterfall destination you can hike to and that is the Bomod-Ok (Big) Falls. The hike takes 2 to 3 hours based on our experience. After this, there's a jeep waiting for you and you can also experience the "Top Load" jeepney ride.
After trekking, we also visited the two of the most recognizable places in Sagada and they're the "Hanging Coffins" and the "Echo Valley." They say that those hanging coffins were made from hollowed-out logs hanging from limestone cliffs and cave walls which were part of Igorot burial ritual of pre-colonial Philippines. The Lumiang Burial Cave offers a glimpse of ancient traditions as the placement of the coffins was believed to put the departed closer to heaven.
Aside from Kiltepan Peak, you can also shout all your frustations out in the Echo Valley. And that's what we did. (Will post the video soon. HAHAHA!)
Below pictures were taken at Lake Danum.
On our last day in Sagada, we woke up at 4:30 AM. We've been to Kiltepan Peak to watch the scenic view of the sunrise but unfortunately, the sun didn't show up maybe because of the sea of clouds. This is also one of the most famous spot in Sagada as this place is where they shooted the movie, "That Thing Called Tadhana." (Pag broken hearted ka, this is the perfect place, I guess.)
The cool crisp mountain air and all that walking in Sagada surely works up an appetite. Thankfully, there are lots of great restaurants to try out and one of these is the Yoghurt House. Their best seller is the Banana- Strawberry Yogurt. You can also try their traditional "Pinikpikan" chicken dish.
After our trip to Sagada, we went directly to Baguio just to buy stuffs before heading back to Manila.
I honestly don’t think any amount of words can do justice to the experience; Sagada is special to me for various personal reasons and one is because I'm with my crazy bestfriends. This is a place of wonders and serenity that will leave you in awe anywhere you look and will definitely give you "sepanx." It was a really amazing place and it’s well worth a visit if you need a quick escape from the city.