Last weekend, my friends and I took on the daunting challenge of going to Sagada. An extended weekend trip to Sagada is already a packed schedule but this trip (my 19th) was even going to be shorter. This was my shortest trip to Sagada – a trip that would require traveling time of 23 hours and a total staying time of just over 25 hours in town.

Despite the short time we spend in Sagada, it was still very enjoyable since the drive itself was quite an experience. The road to Sagada takes drivers and passengers alike through different topologies and landscapes that Luzon has to offer. Starting from the urban jungle of Manila, to the well paved North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), the vast plains of Bulacan and Nueva Ecija, the winding roads of Dalton Pass and the mountainous terrain of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), the 440-km drive sure takes one through a mini tour of the country’s largest island.

Since I mainly traveled via public transportation to Sagada and most of the traveling happens at night, I’m not really that familiar with the route. Luckily, my friend purchased the Papago Philippines app on the iPhone. With little research on possible routes, we trusted the app to show us the way and amazingly, through all the weird side roads and haystack-blocked paths, we were able to reach Sagada. The app was so impressive that all the major gas stations and banks were even plotted accurately on the app. It was so detailed that hotels in Sagada even showed up in the display. This app deserves a review and we will be coming up with one in the near future.
We took the Eastern route – the side that goes through Banaue and Bontoc. The Western Route is the one that passes the major hub of Baguio. (more…)