It is just lately when I appreciated traveling more. I heard oftentimes to others that Sagada is a beautiful place to visit.
So last November 2017, my sister and I went to Sagada. Out of nowhere, she wanted to go there and I kind of just really wanted to go away from the city, get some fresh air, and feel free. So after making research, immediately that night, we booked a trip and took off.
We rode the Coda Bus Lines located at the HM Transport in Cubao, Quezon City.
Fare: PHP720
Travel Time: About 12 hours
We left at 9PM and arrived in Sagada at 7AM. Our arrival was earlier than expected and I really didn’t much felt the long hours of drive because I was always asleep.
Once we arrived, we had to register at their Tourist Information Center and paid the tourism fee of PHP70. They gave us a list of the attractions:
With a tour guide already included, we chose the Central Sagada Eco-Tour which cost PHP600. It includes a tour around St. Mary Church, Echo Valley, Hanging Coffins, Sagada Underground River, and Bokong Natural Swimming Pool.
For the afternoon activity, we chose the Sumaguing Cave.
Just across the Tourism Office, we found out that the place we booked for overnight was just a few steps ahead.
We reserved a bedroom at Isabel Inn and Cafe for PHP800. It included free wifi (which was okay), a heater, a bed, a cabinet, restroom and a small veranda.
Downstairs you can find mini grocery store in case you forgot your essentials.
We took a nap for a while because trips can be exhausting..
At 9AM we started the 3-4 hours of trekking.
First, we passed by St. Mary’s Church.
The weather was a bit gloomy and it poured a little, it was muddy and quite slippery. Therefore, people from the tourism office told us to wear slippers instead.
Our first stop was the Hanging Coffins.
People from their place believed that when a person died, he/she should be:
a. Buried underground – they believed that the spirits couldn’t breath underneath
b. Buried in a cemetery, placed in a coffin
c. Or coffins are hanged up in the mountains – in the belief that the spirit should be with the Mother Nature
Our tour guide said it was okay to take a picture with it and so we did.
Next, we ran across another round of long up and down the muddy hill. We reached some beautiful rock formations crossing the river.
We reached the Sagada Underground River afterwards.
It was dark inside so unfortunately I couldn’t take pictures. But inside we crossed the river as well. Use your flashlight if you have! In our case, we used our phone’s lights.
