8List invited me to enumerate eight reason on why people should go to Sagada. Click on the image the find out what those reasons are. There’s also a poll on the side bar to gauge which reason is the best according to the site’s visitors.

8List – Eight Reasons to Visit Sagada

The logo of Visit Sagada

Northern Sagada may be relatively remote from the town center but it does offer great vistas that shouldn’t be missed by any visitor who goes to Sagada. The highlight of this area of Sagada is the Bomod-ok Falls. While the falls itself is stunning, the route that the usual hike takes is equally inspiring as well. The trail meanders through the rice terraces, the houses and granaries and if you’re timing is right, you can even see the fog roll in by the nearby peaks.

You may now get your guides from the Northern Sagada Indigenous Guide Association (NOSIGA). Their office is very near the jump off point from the Big Falls in Barangay Bangaan. The cost for the guide is 500 Php. They are usually very chatty and cheerful. They also lend walking sticks for free. The water is cold but it’s the perfect reward for a long hike!

To get to Northern Sagada, you may rent a van from town for 650. Get in touch with either the SEGA or SAGGAS office to arrange for this. The rental for a van is 650. The van can fit up to 10 people.

It’s confirmed. The Sagada Genuine Guides Assocation (SAGGAS) will be once again organizing the annual Sagada Bonfire on December 28, 2012. This has become some sort of tradition for the organization and a handful of Sagadaholics who make the pilgrimage to town just to mark this momentous event. Hundreds of people make their way to a clearing just outside the town proper to revel through the night with traditional music and scrumptious food as prepared by the Sagada guides themselves.

Admission to the bonfire is just for P250 and this can be settled at the SAGGAS main office near Yoghurt House. This includes the transportation, food, drinks and entertainment for the party. The money that will be generated from this effort will be used by SAGGAS for their projects for the following year. I have personally been to three of these bonfires and I have no intention of missing one as much as possible!

What: Sagada Bonfire

When: December 28, 2012

Where: Mt. Langtiw (same as last year) – this is near the caves. Don’t worry about getting here, the organizers will handle the transportation to and from the venue as always.

IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO GO TO SAGADA DURING THIS VERY BUSY TIME, BOOK YOUR ROOMS NOW. This will save you a lot of hassle later on.

See you there!

Whether or not one should get a guide is a very contentious topic since it impacts a lot of players in the tourism business. The tour rates for Sagada are quite standard since the guide organizations in operation go by the same prices. The chances of being ripped off is almost nil especially if you’re directly dealing with the tourism offices. However, solo travelers would tend to be turned off by the prices at the desk because they prices were crafted with big groups in mind. This makes smaller groups to reconsider getting a guide.

We at Visit Sagada strongly recommend that you get a guide from either the Sagada Environmental Guide Association (SEGA) or the Sagada Genuine Guides Association  (SAGGAS) for your tours. Here’s why.

1. The first reason would be safety. Yes, the trails to Echo Valley may look clear but anything can still happen especially if you do try to get closer to the hanging coffins. It can be quite a shock for people who don’t really hike at all. There have been reports of people getting lost in the trail and since most of these areas are dead spots for mobile signal, it might be very hard for authorities to come to your assistance should you need any help. For sites like the caves, it’s beyond foolish to even attempt it without a guide.

2. The guides still know more about these sites than you. Aside from safety issues, the guides can offer a unique local perspective on the cultural and geographical nuances of particular sites. After all, we go to places not just to see things but to also learn new information about the origins and history of a particular area. Guides can be quite engaging when it comes to this aspect.

3. Support local tourism. As we’ve said, the cost of the tours are very reasonable. Sagada is a town that’s very dependent on local tourism and chances are, you won’t be going back to Sagada a lot due to the distance and effort required to go there.

So there, guys. Please, get a guide!

When it comes to picking the best hostels in any area, nothing beats word-of-mouth and guest testimonials. I (Benj) have been to Sagada 20 times and out of those 20 times, I stayed in Residential 13 times. This would have been a perfect 20 for 20 had I just booked ahead. Resdiential Lodge is the most popular hostel in town and its easy to see why. Aside from having clean rooms, it also has great common areas that could allow for interaction between travelers as well as creature comforts like WiFi, hot showers, a working kitchen and free coffee and tea. It is not easy to see how Residential Lodge is consistently chosen as the best place to stay in Sagada.

I’m sure that there are other inns that offer this – George Guesthouse for instance has impeccable service and they even have a restaurant on the ground floor. But Visit Sagada will always treat Residential Lodge our home in Sagada because we have felt very welcome. We almost feel like members of Tita Mary’s extended family  and for the most part, a lot of the visitors end up feeling that way too.

You may reach Residential Lodge by calling +639196728744 Do book in advance since it does get full fairly quickly!

Visit Sagada’s most preferred guest house is still Residential Lodge. This establishment covers the bases as far as comfort is concerned. The rooms in the basement are quite spacious and at just 200-300 pesos per night, the rates are quite competitive compared the other inns in the area. The team of Visit Sagada can be quite biased when it comes to this verdict (we have stayed here almost 20 times over the past 6 years) but we have never been let down. Location-wise, it’s very close to good restaurants in town and is just a few paces away from the SAGGAS office. Due to the popularity of this place however, it can get quite hard to get a room. The common areas are good places to make new friends and travel companions. You can make reservations by calling Mary Daoas +639196728744

Residential Lodge has rooms that has private toilet and bath as well as rooms that share a communal toilet. For larger groups, you can probably ask for use of the kitchen should you want to cook your own meals instead of eating out. There is also complimentary coffee at the receiving area as well as a wifi service that is very reasonably-priced. 

In a not-so scientific poll we took a few months back, we also found out that Residential Lodge was also the most preferred guesthouse by the members of the Visit Sagada Facebook Page. During our first time at Residential Lodge (back in 2006), the building still didn’t have any point and was still without a name (literally). It’s quite cool to see how far Residential Lodge has gone as the hostel of choice in Sagada.

Chichi Bacolod of the now famous We Are Sole Sisters travel blog also stayed in Residential Lodge during her trip to Sagada. Oman Serapio of Lawstude similarly was hosted by Residential during a trip back in 2008. GMA7′s Howie Severino has likewise stayed in Residential Lodge.

As you can see, George Guest House is number two! George was built roughly along the time that Residential Lodge also came into existence. They have three buildings – one on the main road and two buildings on top of a hill down the road (these buildings are called George Extension). Aside from being a guest house, this establishment also has a small restaurant right next to the front desk. They also deliver to the extension buildings for no extra charge.

Prices for George Guest House are also on the affordable side. And yes, just like Residential Lodge, rooms here can get booked fast so be early when calling in your reservations!

A lot of influential travel bloggers have great things to say about George. Rob (The Travelling Dork) considers the service to be topnotch and has no complaints regarding the facilities and the service. Even Ferdz Decena of the award-winning travel blog Ironwulf captured in photo the first few rays of sunlight during one of his stays at George. The Visit Sagada team has like-wise stayed at George Guest House and we must say, it’s definitely a very good option as well. Some people might find it a bit tough to hike up the hill to get to the “extension” buildings.

One lodge that has been gaining a lot of buzz over the past few years has been Kanip-Aw Lodge. This establishment enjoys having been built on a great perch that overlooks vast pine forests and rock formations. Au of Tuwatula has definitely captured the great vistas from the windows of Kanip-Aw. This hostel has certainly benefited from great press that it gets from the Pinoyexchange thread about Sagada as well as endorsements from the SAGGAS.

Another establishment that has been gaining a lot of raves has been Rock Inn. Unlike most hostels that dot the main road, Rock Inn is about 2 km away from the center of the town and even has its private driveway. This makes the lodge relatively remote – perfect for honeymooners and those who want peace and quiet. In terms of interiors, Rock Inn is possibly the best designed hostel in town. Aside from the great building, Rock Inn also boasts of having an orange orchard that visitors can pick fruits from for a very small fee. The Poor Traveler chronicled it fairly well when he tried out orange-picking during his last trip to Sagada.

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That’s it for now. Feel free to remind us of any noteworthy endorsements (either your own or from a travel blogger) through the comments section.

Cable Tours ( +639185216790) travels daily to Bontoc, Mountain Province. The bus leaves the main station of Cable Tours located inside the Trinity College campus at around 830 PM. The trip takes around 11-12 hours. The bus goes through the provinces of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya and Ifugao and makes several stops for snacks and bathroom breaks. This route also offers stunning views of the majestic mountain peaks in between Banaue and Bontoc. The fare is 650 PHP (around 16 USD). Please call to make sure that you have your seats secured and reserved. If you want to go to either Banaue or Batad first, you can also take this bus as the bus makes stops along those areas as well.

Once in Bontoc, you may take an hour-long jeepney ride to Sagada (usually 40-50 PHP). This option also allows you to reach Sagada earlier compared to the one the route that takes you to Baguio.

Here are the other Visit Websites that I’ve seen over the past few months:

Visit Marinduque – This page is being run by my friend Ederic Eder who is a proud son of this island province right smack in the middle of the archipelago.

Visit Tarlac – This is a relatively new page dedicated to promoting the land-locked province of Tarlac. In the blogger’s on words,  the aim is to change the perception of Tarlac as ”the pit stop to the north” to “Adventure land of Luzon”.

If you know other Visit websites, tell us in the comments or leave us a line on our Facebook page.

And it’s that time of the year once again! There will be another Sagada bonfire this year! If you’re going to Sagada at year’s end, it would definitely a must-see event! Like it has always been for the past two years, the bonfire will be held at Kiltepan Point – a gorgeous look out spot that culminates in a cliff that overlooks vast terraces. The fog usually rolls in at night time so the bonfire will  be a functional heat source against the cold Cordillera night!

The Sagada Genuine Guides are once again organizing the event for December 28. For just 250 pesos, you can already get a nice buffet, sample fruit wines and dance around the bonfire to traditional percussion. It’s going to be a trip! Feel free to bring your own food and alcohol! The cost also covers the transportation fee to and from the venue.

Party starts at 630! Let’s do this one more time.

Note: I’ve been to the last two and there’s no way I’m missing this year’s!

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.
Here was our route to Sagada. Let me emumerate the towns that we passed:

1. Enter the NLEX
2. Take the Santa Rita, Bulacan.
3. Plaridel, Bulacan
4. Pulilan, Bulacan
5. Baliuag, Bulacan
6. San Rafael, Bulacan
7. San Miguel, Bulacan
8.  San Isidro, Bulacan
9. Gapan City, Nueva Ecija
10. San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija
11. Santa Rosa, Nueva Ecija
12. Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija
13. Talavera, Nueva Ecija
14. The Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija
15. San Jose City, Nueva Ecija
16. Santa Fe, Nueva Vizcaya
17. Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya
18. Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya
19. Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
20. Solano, Nueva Vizcaya
21. Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya
22. Lamut, Ifugao
23. Kiangan, Ifugao
24. Lagawe, Ifugao
25. Banaue, Ifugao
26. Bontoc, Mt. Province
27. Sagada, Mt. Province

Whew, that’s a long way.

Here are some general tips:
1. Make sure your car can take the punishment of an almost 900km drive. We took a Honda Accord – a reasonably powerful car with a 2.4L engine that could make easy work of mountain driving. It did struggle in Staunton Road (the  last bit of road that leads into Sagada) due to the roughness of the terrain but it succeeded with flying colors everywhere else.
2. Try to leave at around 9 or 10PM the night before you wish to arrive in Sagada. This will allow you to do most of the flat driving during the night and around sunrise, you would be snaking your way up Ifugao.

3. Plan your toilet and meal breaks. Gas stations are quite ubiquitous up to Nueva Ecija but past Dalton Pass, you would notice that the distances between stations are far greater. When in Nueva Vizcaya, try to check out the rest rooms of the Total gas stations – they’re the quirkiest I’ve seen in the country. For had a midnight snack in the big Shell station along NLEX . We had breakfast at a very non-descript eatery at Lagawe, Ifugao.

4. Bring snacks and drinks to save on money. Drinks and snacks sold on gas stations tend to be more expensive than grocery bought goods so it would be better for you to have your own chips and sandwiches. Make sure that you have candies, caffeinated drinks and energy boosting beverages to keep your drivers awake.

5. Be very patient. This route is very popular for trucks that ply the route from Cagayan Valley to Manila. Some of them can be quite slow. There are also parts of the road in Mountain Province and Ifugao that could only fit one car at a time. Be prepared to give way.

6. Withdraw money in Manila. Don’t bet on withdrawing money from the sole ATM in Sagada.

7. If you want to check out Banaue, you may stop at any of the view decks at the outskirts of the town and admire the terraces from there.  You can pull out a 1000 peso bill to observe how the contour on the bill mirrors the actual shape of the real-life terraces.

8. If you want to do a day trip to Hapao, Bangaan or Batad, you would have to take a jeep to the more remote parts of Banaue. It can’t be a day trip anymore. We wouldn’t advise you to bring your car – the roads are just way too rough.

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So yes, it’s possible to drive your own car (a sedan!) to Sagada. This is my 19th trip to Sagada, but this is the first time in 12 years that I took private transportation. The first one was my first trip up – with my parents back in 1999.

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