I took this shot of Bomod-ok Falls December 23  last year. No one was there and we had the place to ourselves. We could just leave our stuff at some random rock and you can forget about it. The days running up to Christmas aren’t that busy for Sagada, actually. It gets much more crowded after December25.

How crowded? *read more to continue* (more…)

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We’ve been noticing a lot of questions regarding how much money is needed to tour Sagada so we’ll do another budget entry.

It’s simple math.

Let’s start with the things that you can do absolutely nothing about – you would really have to pay this amount.

Getting There

The fare going to Sagada regardless of where you go – may it be via Baguio, Bontoc or Banaue is more or less the same. The cost will be running up close to 1500 php (37 USD).

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Philippine President Gloria Arroyo has just declared eight “long weekends” for the year of 2009. You may want to consider these dates when scheduling your Sagada itineraries. I got this list from the popular travel blog Byahilo.

6 April – Araw ng Kagitingan instead of April 9
9 April – Holy Thursday
10 Apr – Good Friday
1 May – Labor Day
12 June -Independence Day
21 August – Ninoy Aquino Day
31 August – National Heroes’ Day
21 September – Eid’l Fitr
1 November -All Saints’ Day
2 November – All Soul’s Day
30 November – Bonifacio Day
24 December – Christamas Eve
25 December -Christmas Day
30 December -Rizal Day
31 December – New Year’s Eve

Happy traveling!

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You will no longer have to go on a 45-minute jeepney ride to Bontoc just to withdraw cash from an ATM. Sagada now has its very own MEGALINK automated teller machine located  inside the Rural Bank of Sagada. There are plans to move the machine to the precinct to allow for 24-hour access – but then again, with the 9PM curfew in place and with establishments closing early, I wonder who exactly would need money past nine. Since this is a new development and it is after all the only ATM in town, I still suggest that you take enough cash with you. Tourists could easily run through that ATM’s stash so you wouldn’t want to risk being cashless in a town that doesn’t accept plastic money.

Read the full story at Gareth’s blog.

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Effective June 2008, the bus lines that service the routes from Manila to the major hubs around Sagada have made considerable fare adjustments.

Victory Liner have increased the price of the ticket for Manila to Baguio from 380-390 (~10 USD) pesos to 450-460 (~ 12 USD) depending on on which station you choose to depart from – Cubao or Pasay.

Cable Tours made an even bigger increase. The shuttle from Manila to Bontoc now costs 650 pesos (~16 USD) – from 500 pesos (~12 USD)

Fortunately, the fare from Baguio to Sagada remains at 220 pesos (~6 USD). Jeep fare from Bontoc was also unchanged at 35 pesos (~1  USD).

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