DIY Sagada Travel Guide

Sagada of Mountain Province is now getting a lot more of attention after a Filipino movie featured the jaw-dropping view of Kiltepan. There’s also a lot of package tours for friends and family around Facebook that will make the trip easier and convenient. But how about those who doesn’t want to book these package tours? How easy to reach Sagada by commuting? Well, it’s as easy as throwing a rock to someone you hate *insert evil face here*. Just kidding, of course it’s not that easy to throw a rock to someone. But going to DIY Sagada trip? Well, maybe?

How to Get There?
Take a GL/Lizardo Bus from Baguio City. First trip would be 7:00am and last trip is 2:00pm. Travel time is roughly 5-6 hours but don’t worry, you’ll enjoy the view in Halsema Hi-way.

Where to Stay?
It was raining hard when I arrived in Sagada in the afternoon. I immediately look for a place to stay in for the night and found Lodge Labanet which only cost me 500 for a room for 2 with a private CR already. Not bad at all!

It has a cold/hot shower, a balcony, a very spacious room, it’s a 5 minute walk from the tourism office and has a wifi in their lobby. You can also see the small town of Sagada from the balcony.

All around Sagada!

Before doing anything in Sagada, especially tours. you’ll need to pay ₱35.00 at the tourism office for the environmental fee. If you’re traveling solo, you can ask for their assistance in joining other groups to save on tour guide fees.

When it comes to food, it’s not difficult to find something to eat. Restaurants are located on almost every corner, and since Sagada is a small town, it only takes a few minutes to get from one place to another.

I had dinner at Salt and Pepper, where they serve steaks.

Then had some bottle of beers at Reggae Bar beside a Kimchi Restaurant. A very cozy place for tourist where you can drink beer with friends while listening to their cool reggae music.

You can also enjoy their fries, order more bottle of beers and call it a night.

The next day, I woke up at 4:30 AM and got ready for the Kiltepan sunrise. For 500 pesos, a van will pick you up from your hotel, lodge, or inn and take you to Kiltepan in time for sunrise. While waiting, I took some photos with my GoPro and ate cup noodles since it was really, really cold.

By the way, expect more dramatic photos below. Lol.

Then we went to Echo Valley to see the hanging coffins. But before that, you will have to pass through this cemetery.

I really thought trekking down to the hanging coffins would be easy. It’s so steep, and I’m already so tired from all the walking and hiking I’ve done over the past few days. So I decided to stay somewhere with a nice view of the coffins instead.

Things I learned about the hanging coffins? They’re pagan, and the height at which the coffins are hung doesn’t have any meaning. I thought it did because I read it in a blog, but it turns out that’s not true. Boohoo!

There are a lot of activities you can do in Sagada. Too bad I’m in a hurry and need to be in Baguio City this afternoon. All in all, I loved Sagada so much that I’d actually consider living there—lol. Maybe next time, I’ll try caving and visit the waterfalls. Maybe.