I haven’t made a post here for quite some time since I have been very busy with other stuff. To make up for it, I have listed here some of the old posts that might be helpful should you be planning your own Sagada trip.

Most of our just quick posts as I don’t write exhaustive travel tips or articles.

Sagada Trip Budget
Drive Your Own Car to Sagada… But Be Safe
Sagada’s Coldest
Of Rain and Landslides
Passing By the Banaue Rice Terraces
Is Sagada A Sleepy Town?
Sagada Tip: Bring a Portable Heater
Sagada At Peak Season: Avoid If You Can
Sagada in the Rain? Yes, please!
A Friendly Sagada Reminder

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Here’s a news story from the Manila Bulletin listing 21 Cordillera towns under the poll watchlist. Sagada is under category 2 because of some influence of rebel forces in some parts of the area.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/249753/21-cordillera-towns-poll-watchlist

It just came as a surprise to me because I didn’t know there were rebel groups near the area. In fact, I’ve always felt safe whenever I traveled to Sagada.

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The P35 jeepney fare from Sagada to Bontoc has increased to P50, according to Northern Philippine Times.

That’s a very big hike in my opinion. It will affect mostly the farmers, students and vendors who travel back and forth on a daily basis.

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I was interviewed way back for MoneySense’s summer edition about Sagada. And I’m just thrilled to see my name on their site.

Be alone or meet new friends in Sagada

This product development officer did not mind hiking up north just to be with Mother Nature

MJ Ces, a product development officer for a paper company, shares he already made four trips to Sagada – once even by himself. He fell in love with the place and was even joined by friends who were willing to sweat, take long walks, get dirty, but breathe fresh air, taste good food, and meet nice people.

MJ recommends traveling alone for those who would like to spend time alone with nature and meet new friends. The only downside of being a lone traveler is you do not have anyone else to share expenses with, especially when hiring guides.

On all his Sagada trips, he carries with him around P3,000, spending on transportation (Manila-Banaue bus costs P462, Banaue-Sagada jeepney/bus fare is P250, Sagada-Baguio bus fare is P250, and Baguio-Manila bus fare is P385); lodging (P150 per night); food (around P400); guide fee (P500for Sumaguing Cave). All in all, he spends on average P2,400, with enough money for pasalubong. “Bring only cash as there is no ATM in Sagada and the shops there do not take credit cards,” MJ advises.

Lodging in Sagada is relatively cheap, a per night stay in a dormitory-type room costs P150. At Ganduyan Inn, you can get a single-bed room for P200 a night. The St. Joseph’s Inn is a bit more expensive because of better amenities, like a hot shower…

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Sagada is a great place to go backpacking. While I highly suggest you hire a guide, for those who are more adventurous, solo backpacking might be the thing for them. Here are some tips you might want to read first:

Solo Backpacking Tips

1. Tell someone where you’ll be, and when you expect to return. It’s probably best if you leave a map with them, and let them know who to call if you don’t return on time.

2. Bring a cell phone. Turn it off and put it in the bottom of your pack so it won’t bother you.

3. Bring the usual safety items (matches, first aid kit, flashlight, etc). Check first if you have everything you need and if they are working properly.

4. If you’re not sure of your abilities, or have a bad knee or other potential problem, stick to well-traveled trails. On many routes, another backpacker will be by every hour. That’s good to know if you’re in trouble.

5. Learn well how to read a map and use a compass. If you are two miles off route and can’t get a signal on your phone when your knee gives out, you’re in trouble. Even if you like to wander, you should be able to know where you are on the map for safety.

6. Know your abilities. Don’t plan on twenty-mile days if you haven’t done them before.

7. Learn to lighten your load. When you’re alone, you lose the efficiency of sharing the load for stoves, tents and other common items. It’s easy – and dangerous – to become overloaded when yours is the only backpack. You might want to read up on ultralight backpacking.

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It is very cold in Sagada, that’s a given. And although most of the inns advertise that they have hot showers, you must keep in mind the Murphy Law. That those hot showers at times won’t work.

You can still get a shower, but the ice-cold type. So it is best to carry a back-up plan: the potable water heater.

It’s like a long wire with a knob on one end that you put into a pail of water and plug it to the outlet. You wait for a few minutes and the water will heat up. Just don’t be as stupid as I was the first time I used it. I tested the water with my hand to see if it’s already warm enough–without removing the heater first–and I got a shock!

It’s not a deadly shock but still, it was a shock! That was among the most stupid things I ever did in my life.

Anyway, if you can, bring such a device when you go to Sagada. Unless of course you’re used to taking extremely freezing showers.

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There are a number of peak seasons for Sagada: Holy Week, Christmas, All Saint’s Day and long weekend holidays. During this time, all the inns are fully-booked weeks in advance. Hundreds of people are there to enjoy the place. But can they truly enjoy Sagada in that manner?

I would say no. Although there would be added joy of meeting lots of people, Sagada is best experienced when it is less crowded. Just imagine traversing the caves and you’re stuck standing on one pathway because you have to wait for a group of people to pass. Or try finding a seat in Yoghurt House, Masferre or the other restaurants.

It would be a nightmare, for me at least.

Try to schedule your visit on an off peak season. These would be the days where the rest of the country would normally be busy at the office. It’s a sacrifice on your time at work but I assure you that it’s all worth it.

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It only costs P10.00 to register. You’ll be listed in their visitors’ logbook so you’ll have a record that you’ve been there in Sagada. I once checked my name when I registered during my previous trips. It was nostalgia as I read, not only my name, but also those of the friends I went with before.

You will also get a receipt which makes a nice souvenir especially for first time visitors.

What is even more important is that your P10 will be used in maintaining the sites and keeping the whole Sagada community clean.

Now, wouldn’t that be money well spent?

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