I Survived Sagada!

Before summer totally bids farewell, I am posting this December trip with my high school classmates at Sagada, Mountain Province.

A 4-hour drive from Baguio City which makes it a total of 9 hours travel from Manila. Yes, the travel itself is challenging, and this blog will live up to its title- Surviving Sagada.

We, honestly, almost slept our way to the top of the mountains. But the stop over at Cattubo, Atok, Benguet was so breath-taking that we had no choice but to scratch eyes and wake up to witness the rewarding view.

And here we already felt the difference in climate. Wind was cool, I mean, cold! Philippine Pali is the highest point in the Philippine Highway System with an elevation of 7,400 feet above sea level. So proud to have been there.

Then on reaching our motel, we just had to freshen up, change clothes, and we’re on our first activity!

We had to pass through a cemetery and surprisingly steepy foothills to have a fascinating glimpse of ancient times.

The Hanging Coffins of Sagada

According to our tourist guide, natives hang their loved ones’ remains so that dogs could not smell and dig them out and eat them.

Right after, we made our way to a pocket waterfall that was yet another challenging journey.

Welcome to Bokong Falls!

We weren’t on a ready-to-be-wet kind of outfit so our hands were lucky enough to feel the cold waters.

First day of what seem to be an unending trek of walking and jumping and leaping was successful. Well, big thanks to this pair of Sketchers I got from my ate Aa. 🙂

Next day, we left the motel at around 5 AM to witness the most talked about sunrise at the Kiltepan Peak.

Thanks to the thick fog, we weren’t able to see Mr. Sun coming up.

Nonetheless, the gang was ready for another day of hiking! After breakfast, we made our way down to another cave of dead people’s coffins that have been there for centuries.

The Lumiang Burial Cave

And we’re off to the most exciting part of this adventure!

When you visit Sagada, do not ever skip visiting Sumaguing Cave. I tell you, it is worth all the scary and risky footslogs.

I think it will take more than 1 hour to reach the end of the cave, and another 1 hour to get back out. I, of course, took a lot of photos for the entire crew. So when my phone battery turned low, I didn’t panic for I got my Airborne Tech Powerbank. 😀

Unusual limestone formations are seen inside the cave. Truly a rewarding view specially for people who appreciates the underworld, like me. 🙂

While young and fit, go ahead and visit this cave. But if you are claustrophobic or not into hiking or spelunking, I do not advise that you go for this spot in Sagada. Hihi.

We had a great time in Sagada. But mind you, everything seem to be expensive, including drinking water. Haha! 😀 If you are into extreme adventure, I suggest you get a complete package tour at Sagada, Mountain Province. And you too will say, “I survived Sagada!” 😀

Push yourself to the limit,

Nish