Visiting Sagada

The wandering trio's trip to Sagada has been a source of amazement to their friends. They could not believe that we were able to visit Batad, Banaue, Sagada and Baguio for only P4000 (that's roughly a hundred dollars). That amount already included transportation, food and lodging.

First, how to get there. The route we took is the Manila-Banaue-Bontoc-Sagada route since we wanted to see the Banaue Rice Terraces and visit Batad for a day. The Banaue rice terraces is the most famous one adorning many posters and is even featured on our P20 bill. Or, you can also try the Manila-Baguio-Sagada route. This is where the big chunk of your expenses will fall. The bus from Manila to Banaue is P400 ($10), then P150 for the van to Bontoc ($4), then P45 for the jeepney ride to Sagada ($1). To get back to Manila, you can catch the bus to Baguio for P220 ($5), then take any of the Manila bound buses from Baguio. Fare for Baguio to Manila ranges from P450-400 ($10-11)

Now, where to stay. There are a lot of inns in Sagada, the one where we stayed is George's guest house. For P200 ($5) per person per night, it's a good enough deal for us. The rooms are clean and comfy, and they offer free wi-fi. What we love about this inn is that on check-out, they will drive you to the bus station. No hassles of walking with heavy bags. Oh, in case I forget, wear comfortable shoes. There are no cabs in Sagada. You have to walk. The inn or tourist office can arrange a van to take you around the sights, but it can be expensive because not only do you pay for the services of the vehicle, you also pay for the day tour rates of the guide.

Where to eat? There are a lot of restaurants in the main street, our favorite one being Sagada Lemon Pie House. They serve good coffee and lemon pies, and they also serve rice meals. When we visited in 2012, we were fortunate enough to visit Haddeku cafe. They serve great meals within our budget of less than P150 ($3.50) a meal. Unfortunately when I went back last year, the cafe is no more. In it's place is a new George's guest house annex. Haddeku served Sagada cooking or dishes. It was our first time to try sinigang sa kamatis (pork stew with tomatoes. Traditionally, tamarind is used as the souring agent) and we loved it.

One of the new restaurants we tried was Sagada Brew. The prices range from P200-250 ($5-6) and the servings are generous. I never go to Yoghurt house. Not because the food is bad, but their prices will kill my budget haha!

I will make another entry for the sights in Sagada. Most of them, you can explore without the need for a tour guide. But if you plan on exploring the caves of Sumaguing or do the cave connection, hire a guide from SAGGAS. You can find their tour package rates here.