Sagada

In many of my travels, I have always placed 'getting into the local verve' at the top of my tick list. The company one keeps comes close at second spot. But this trip to Sagada opened up something new. Or maybe it was just there all along, at the back of my mind, and during this trip, it was swelling, ripe enough, perfect for picking. Wookie. Wookie. Before this entry triggers the warning bulb and bursts into an explosion of saccharine proportion, let's get down to the business of budget traveling.



tip no.1: take the roof for the 360 degree view of the Cordillera landscape. And don't forget to hold tight. Real tight. (Sagada-Bontoc Php40.00 one-way)



on foot: passing by St. Mary's Church on the way to the 'hanging coffins'



Echo Valley and Hanging Coffins are a few heartbeats away from here



the log cabin (tucked on a hill, in the fringes of a pine forest, offers a panoramic view of Sagada town) with the two main ingredients for romance ...



fireplace and..



and a warm bed.



i lurrrrve Sagada! AND WILL DEFINITELY KEEP COMING BACK with YOU baby! And if you won't, I'll drag you till you give in. By all means!

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The Philippine version of Shangri-la, Sagada may not be Utopian but it is definitely remote and exotic says Robert Gardner of aenet.org. And I couldn't agree more. This lovely little town of about eleven thousand people is tucked in a valley in Central Cordillera. Aside from spelunking and nature hikes that will lead you to the hanging coffins (hanging coffins was a traditional way of burying people that is not utilized anymore. Not anyone was qualified to be buried this way; one had to, among other things, be married and have grandchildren--wikipedia.com) this town 275 km. North of Manila also offers homey inns and guesthouses with charming owners.

Food destinations include Yoghurt House, Masferre Cafe and Lemon Pie House while places of interest are Sumaguing and Lumiang Caves, Bomod-ok and Bokong Falls, Rice terraces, Echo Valley, Kiltepan Tower, Underground River and Lake Danum