10 Interesting Things About Sagada

This post is long overdue. I went to Sagada with friends last November and because of the frenzy of the holidays, I was not able find the time to share stories of my Sagada trip. Until now. Can I just say this?  My trip to Sagada was unbelievably fun! I have done things I have not dreamed of doing but I did them anyway.  To keep my post in an organized manner as I have almost forgotten some of the things I wanted to share, let me list the 10 interesting things I remember about my trip to Sagada.

1. The side trip to Banaue. The rice terraces are breathtaking. I had the chance to take a few snapshots before the fog hid them from view.

Of course, we cannot resist capturing some jump shots.

photo credit: Ayet J.

2. The Cold Breeze. Sagada is in the Mountain Province.  It is one of the highest towns in the country.  I am used to hot and wet climate but the I seldom experience this type of cold temperature. I love how it feels like being inside an air-conditioned room.  There are times I cannot stand the cold but most of them time, I love it.

3. Spelunking. Spelunking is the sport where people explore caves. (Merriam Webster) This is the most difficult part of the trip.  The entire activity lasted for 6 hours. We climbed, crawled, hanged on a rope, piggybacked on the guide, slid on the rocks  and prayed for dear life all in the name of adventure.  I never expected I could do all those things but I did.  Buwis buhay just to see these amazing cave formations.

And below is just one of the things we have to do just to get through. Once you are inside the cave, there is no turning back. You have to move forward.

4. There is abundance of nature in Sagada and all I had to do is click away. As I always say, nature photography is foolproof.

5. You need to walk everywhere. There are no tricycles in the town. To explore interesting spots, you must learn how to hike.

  We climbed rocks.

We maneuver terrain like this.

6.  Some Sagada folks still follow tradition. They hang their coffins. The guide said, “Where do want to be? Under the ground where you carry the weight of the world or above ground where you can seethe world?”

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I wonder if they believe in psychic readings and astrology.  I have not asked the guide. Some readings are meant to answer questions that is bothering the mind.  It is quite fascinating.

7. Souvenir shopping. The place is know for their weaving. I regretted not buying a bag from them.  I bought a shirt, fridge magnets and strawberry jam. Well, there is always next time for the bag!

8. Food. The vegetables are always fresh. There’s always that crunch when I bite into them.  Plus, we tried their yogurt and lemon pie.

9. Sunrise at Kiltepan. We woke up early to experience seeing the rising sun with a blanket of clouds underneath.

When the clouds rolled by, we realized we were above the Sagada rice terraces.

10. Sagada is a like a movie set and the movie is….”Breaking Dawn!” ha! We watched the movie before we went to Sagada and it was like being in Forks, Washington. Naks!

Look at us preparing for our jump shot. We look like a coven ready to support the Cullen family. Haha!

Sagada is 14 hours away from Manila. It is worth the trip. I never regretted making a trip there. The great thing is I did not vomit or felt dizzy even with the total 28 hours of travel.

It was a truly wonderful experience.

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Source: favim.com via Kayley on Pinterest

20 Responses

  9. Vera

    I am so happy you had a wonderful time in Sagada. Although I did not grow up there, I am still very proud because it is where my grandparents were from. The toughest part for me about exploring the Big Cave was the climb up pagkagaling dun sa last stop. Takot kasi ako walang support sa baba! Been down there twice and both times dun ako nahirapan. Haha 🙂

    Did you visit Bangaan and the Big Falls?

    • KatAuthor

      Oh, I’ve only been to Bokong falls. Bomod-ok falls was closed when we went there. Somebody in the tribe died so the area was closed to the public to respect their traditions.

  11. Rose

    Wow! Seeing your pictures make me want to travel to Sagada more. It is one of those places that you would like to visit at least once in your life.

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