Bomod-ok Falls

Have you ever heard of Sagada? It’s a very peaceful village located in the mountains of northern Philippines. For the past decade, people from different countries have visited it to experience the local culture and the wonderful sites of nature.

The village of Sagada is in the Mountain Province in Luzon, the largest island in the country. Because of its elevation it generally has cold weather throughout much of the year as compared to the lowlands. The coldest are from the months of November to February and as such has become a favorite summer destination.

Sagada is indeed one of the most beautiful places in the Philippines if you want to commune with nature. You have the mountains around you, the clean and cold air to breathe, and the lush foliage to remind you of how good Mother Earth really is. There are many things that you can see and do in this fabled village, some of these are:

1. Sumaguing and Lumiang Caves

These are big interconnected caves that offer a wonderful spelunking experience for those who want to get their hands dirty with a caving adventure. Die hard and professional spelunkers may find this easy to their skills, that is why it is more frequented by novice spelunkers. As a best practice, always get the services of a guide.

2. Bomod-ok and Bokong Falls

These are some of beautiful waterfalls in the Philippines. The Bomod-ok is the tallest of the two and is often refered to by tourists as the Big Falls. Bokong Falls, on the other hand, is much smaller and therefore is usually caled the Small Falls. You will have to walk through the rice terraces to reach both falls.

3. Food trip

A Sagada trip is never complete without trying the local food fare. There are many restaurants there, some owned and managed by foreigners who have called Sagada their home. Aside from the local cuisine, you can also get American, British, and French cuisine from some of the restaurants. You should also try the Sagada oranges.

4. Hiking and nature tripping

Since Sagada is amongst mountains, there are many beautiful hiking trails. While you can go on your own, it is always advisable to get a guide just so you do not get lost. Aside from hiking you can also go camping. Mount Ampucao is a great place for these activities.

These are just some of the things that you can see and do in Sagada. There are certainly more to experience, and what you have read here are just for whetting your traveling appetite. When you get there, always visit first the tourist information center. Inquire about their guide services and if there are any restrictions with the places you would want to visit.

So the next time you are planning a major vacation, why not consider a Sagada trip which is guaranteed to be a cultural experience and adventure like no other. From hiking to mountain climbing, from mingling with the local folks to eating good food, Sagada is just the place you would want to be.

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At the lower part of the Sumaguing Cave are water basins that are very cold and sparkling clear. You will love wading through the shallow water as the cold water tingles your feet. The water is too clean that many times I was tempted to take a drink.

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The water is very, very chilly! And if you think that rock’s surface look slippery, then you’re wrong. Go barefoot and you can feel the soles of your feet clinging to the rock.

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One of the most popular destinations in Sagada is the Sumaguing cave. A lot have already been written about the beauty of this natural wonder so I will just post a series of photos.

Let’s start this series with this first Sumaguing photo…

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Sagada: Smiling our way to the Sumaguing Cave

If you’ve been to Sagada and have experienced going through the Sumaguing Cave, then I am sure that you are familiar with this scenario:

A bunch of Sagada first-timers happily walking down the road to the Sumaguing Cave. All of their clothes are still bright and clean. And just look at their smiles!

You know exactly what happens when they emerge from the Sumaguing Cave two hours later. Those clothes will be all dirty, that’s for sure.

But at least the smiles would still be there.

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I’ve only been to Bokong Falls (Small Falls as people refer to it in relation to the much bigger Bomod-ok Falls) and the one time that I went there, it happened to be raining.

So not surprisingly, the water was brownish from the soil that was washed away from the mountains and rice terraces.

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Since it’s All Saints’ Day and millions of Filipinos are in the cemeteries, I’ll just post this photo of Sagada cemetery taken as me and my best bud were walking past through it on our way to Echo Valley.

The cemetery is nicely located on top of a hill just behind the St. Mary’s Church.

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One of the best places to have breakfast in Sagada is at the Masferre Restaurant. It’s just a few steps from the town hall. I love to sit by the window and look at the trees behind the St. Mary’s Church. Sometimes I could see cows grazing at the early hours of the morning.

Masferre offer sandwiches, the usual fried rice breakfast meals and also some American meals like a hamburger with fries on the side. This is where I see most foreigner visitors take their breakfast.

Masferre has a very welcoming atmosphere, a stylish ambiance with a touch of Sagada heritage. There are black and white photographs of Sagada life hanging on the wall, all taken by Masferre himself. And the touch and smell of wood from the floor, to the walls and to the table truly invites a hearty meal.

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I always choose the Banaue-Bontoc-Sagada route whenever I visit Sagada. I prefer it over the Baguio City route because of one thing: I never get tired of seeing the Banaue Rice Terraces.

This photo was taken on my 3rd trip to Sagada in July of 2006. I always get thrilled at seeing the look on somebody’s face whenever they encounter the rice terraces for the first time. They can’t believe that something so magnificent can be possible.

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I wasn’t expecting to find cattle in Sagada, considering the altitude of this mountain destination.

Here are the cows grazing on the lawn of the St. Mary’s Church.

Or are they going to hear Mass?

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