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On our third day in Sagada, no Sunrise in Mt Kiltepan again because it was raining and no hot water again so “we woke up like this look” ang peg namin. Hehehe! Off we went to Rock Inn and Cafe.
We always passed by Lumiang Burial Cave, this is also the start of the cave connection but we did not check it anymore.
Cafe Bodega at Rock Inn and Cafe
We were advised that there is no more orange picking activity but still we went to Rock Inn and Cafe to see the orange farm and of course to eat our breakfast. We already saw the Rock Inn and Cafe sign before we reach the Sagada town proper on our first day. Yes, it is far so if you have no car, it would be a loooooong walk just to reach the restaurant.
The Rock Inn and Cafe also offers accommodation and they have a nice bonfire in the area. After eating our breakfast, we checked the orange farm, wala na nga maharvest. Sayang!
Sagada Pottery
Then we went straight to Sagada Pottery but it was still closed so we went back to our lodge. We’re so glad that we can already take a bath. We texted the number and we were advised that they will open at 10AM. So before 10AM we went back to the Sagada Pottery and we waited for several minutes. Past 10AM na nag-open.
We have visited Pagburnayan Jar Making when we went to Vigan so I already have an idea how they mold and shape the clay but we did not experience it. That is the reason why I wanted to visit Sagada Pottery because you can experience how to make your own masterpiece for P100. My son likes playing play dough so I thought he will like this activity.
But I was wrong, he doesn’t like to touch the clay because it is dirty daw. Hmmm, pag play dough pwede? I still paid P100 for my son even he did not do the activity, sayang.
After the experience, I can definitely say that it is not easy, your hand should not be stiff and you need to be gentle when touching the clay. It takes week also before you can see your finished product because it takes time to dry the clay. You can watch our hands-on experience here.
Lake Danum
Next stop is Lake Danum, we asked directions from the staff of Sagada Pottery but still, we got lost. Lumagpas na pala kami so we stopped for awhile, one car stopped beside us and she gave us the directions. She said, you cannot see the lake along the road but look for the waiting shed. Thank God for good samaritan.
We parked the car beside this landmark and we walked towards the lake. Sunset at Lake Danum is one of the tours in Sagada but if you have your own car, just go here. I’ve read that there is nothing special about the lake but we’re already in Sagada so we still paid a visit.
Well, if the weather only cooperates, we can kill our time here. We can have a picnic or kite flying. But since it was wet and muddy, we did not stay long. We went back to the town proper to eat our lunch.
The rain had stopped so we planned to explore the town proper and have a food trip. But unfortunately, some restaurants were closed last December 31. We checked Log Cabin but they are only open during dinner time and it was already full booked for New Year’s Eve. We went to Masferre Country Inn and Restaurant but they were also closed and will be opened on New Year’s Eve buffet. We walked to Sagada Lemon Pie House and again, it was closed so we were not able to taste the famous lemon pie.
We ended up in Sagada Brew and the taste is just ok. On our way to the parking area, we bought crepe at French Crepes. Then we went to Sagada Weaving.
We were not able to see the weaving area and I did not bother to ask kasi parang ang sungit nung staff dun, parang di pa siya natutuwa na may customer siya. Hehehe! We bought pashmina, dream catcher and coin purse for souvenir. Good thing we already watched the cloth weaving when we went to Vigan Loam Weaving and Easter School Weaving in Baguio.
Since most of the shops and restaurants were closed, we just went back to the lodge to rest. My husband and son played kite while I’m busy packing our stuff.
There is New Year’s Eve buffet at the lodge but we did not avail it anymore and we slept na lang. Tahimik ang New Year sa Sagada kasi nakatulog kami, konti ang fireworks. Finally, no more brown-out, for the past two days kasi we had no electricity before 7PM. There is a generator for the light, good thing it was fixed before New Year.
Read: Day 1 in Sagada
Day 2 Echo Valley Walking Tour and Sumaguing Cave
Day 4 Goodbye Sagada
Sagada Bilza Lodge
Where to Eat in Sagada
No matter how you plan your travel, there are things that you cannot control. You should learn how to accept, adjust and deal with it. There are so many things in Sagada that we did not expect but it happened.
First thing is the weather, I was not expecting that it would rain in Sagada but unfortunately, it rained. So we were not able to witness the sunrise in Mt. Kiltepan.
Second, when we woke up, we have no electricity except for the light that was run by the generator. According to the owner of the lodge, it is not always the case, may problem lang talaga. We cannot take a bath without hot water, ayaw namin mag-ice bucket challenge.
We did not want to waste our time waiting for the electricity so we went to town proper. We’re just waiting in the car while eating our breakfast. We are hoping that the rain will stop so we can start our tour, but two hours had passed and we still can’t see the sun. So my husband bought raincoats for us so we can start our Echo Valley Walking Tour. Rain or shine, go sa walking tour.
Echo Valley Walking Tour
There are three types of Echo Valley Walking Tour and since we have a kid in tow, we chose the short hike which is Echo Valley Hanging Coffins.
Guide fee is P200 + P10/person access fee.
You can finish this tour in less than an hour because you will only visit the St Mary the Virgin Church, St Mary the Virgin Cemetery, Echo Valley and Hanging Coffins. I have very limited pictures on this tour because of the rain but you can check the Sagada Echo Valley Tour video here.
We skipped the church and went straight to the Sagada Anglican cemetery. I was looking for William Henry Scott coffin but I was not able to locate it. I asked the guide but he was not aware of it. Well, William Henry Scott is a famous historian who was settled in Sagada in the year 1954 and was buried in this cemetery on October 10, 1993.
Then we continued our journey to Echo Valley, remember the movie of “That Thing Called Tadhana”, so this is the valley where you can shout your feelings. I tried it, kaso nakakahiya din pala sumigaw pag madami tao. Hehehe!
We can already see the Hanging Coffin from where we stand but if you want to see the coffin up close and personal, be prepared in challenging and slippery walk. I don’t want to take the risk of going down with my son so we just stayed. My husband and the guide went down to see the coffins. This will be added to unique cemeteries that we have visited in the Philippines.
Read: Unique Cemeteries in the Philippines
After the tour, we went to Salt & Pepper Diner for our early lunch but it took them so long to serve the food, so just in time for lunchtime na. Hehehe!
We went back to our lodge and finally, we can already take a bath. Taking a bath is a new luxury. hehehe!
Sumaguing Cave
Aside from the Echo Valley Tour, the famous attraction here is Spelunking. We asked the guide if he thinks my 8-year-old son can do the cave tour and he said yes, “kaya naman daw”. I believed him but I don’t want to take the risk so again, babysitter na naman ang peg ko. Huhuhu!
Our lodge is just a few minutes away from the Sumaguing Cave so my husband just met the guide at the cave. You can also do the Cave Connection but my husband just chose the short course cave which is more or less two hours.
Read: Sagada Bilza Lodge
My husband brought waterproof bag, waterproof phone casing, lamp and bottle of water. Since I was not there, I will just share his pictures. Guide fee is P500.
Waah! I don't have pictures inside the cave. I'm pretty sure that we won't visit Sagada in the near future, I hope when we go back I can still do spelunking. Baka di na kaya ng powers ko, lol. #signsofaging.
Read: Day 1 in Sagada
Day 3 Sagada Pottery and Lake Danum
Day 4 Goodbye Sagada
Sagada Bilza Lodge
Where to Eat in Sagada
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My husband has a family reunion in Pangasinan last December 27 so he decided to go to Sagada after the reunion. He booked December 28 onwards but he canceled it because he learned that there is number coding scheme in Baguio so we cannot travel on that day.
And because of that, we were not able to experience the Sagada Bonfire Festival. We extended our stay in the province and had a day trip in Lingayen, Pangasinan.
Read: Day Trip in Lingayen Pangasinan
The following day, we left before 5AM and had a quick breakfast at Cafe by the Ruins in Baguio. We left immediately because travel time from Baguio to Sagada is 5 to 6 hours. My son and I took bonamine to avoid motion sickness, fastened our seat belt and prayed for our safe trip to Sagada.
I’m afraid of heights, but it did not stop me from appreciating the beauty of the scenic views. All I can say is amazing, I’ve seen fog, rainbow, green mountains and rice terraces are everywhere. I did my best to take some videos and photos on our way to Sagada, just in case you are wondering if it is safe to drive or to bring your own car in Sagada. Check the video of Hanselma Highway here.
We saw the Highest Point landmark in Atok but we could not park. (insert sad face) We continued our journey, then we saw Amgaleyguey View Deck, can you see the roads? We’re traveling at the side of the Cordillera Mountain Range, bangin kung bangin.
After several hours of driving, I felt relieved when I saw the Sagada Town Proper, finally we reached our destination. But we have no idea that our lodge is far from the town proper, as in ang layo niya and the road is under construction pa. Good luck sa kotse!
Read: Sagada Bilza Lodge
We just left our baggage and off we went to the town proper. We registered at Sagada Municipal Tourist Information Center, paid P35 each for environmental fee. Always bring your receipt or take a photo of it because they will check that in every tourist spot that you will visit.
It was already late so we did not book any tour but we asked the lady in the tourist center for orange picking activity but she said, ubos na daw ang orange since Monday (December 26). Waah!
We ate late lunch at Masferre Country Inn & Restaurant. We liked the food here, sayang lang we were not able to taste their desserts. When we went back last December 31, they were closed during lunch time. They were busy preparing for New Year’s Eve Buffet.
I did not have itinerary or map when we went to Sagada and I asked for brochures or map but they did not have any. Lesson learned, be prepared and print a map.
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| Sagada Parking Area |
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| Sagada Hospital |
We visited St Mary Virgin Church, we parked our car here for P50. We did not stay long because we wanted to rest na.
Day 2 Echo Valley Walking Tour and Sumaguing Cave
Day 3 Sagada Pottery and Lake Danum
Day 4 Goodbye Sagada
Sagada Bilza LodgeWhere to Eat in Sagada
Sagada is a town in Mountain Province, it is 5 to 6 hours travel from Baguio. Unlike in Baguio, there are no hotels in Sagada but there are inns, homestays or lodges. The accommodation offers basic things that you need like the bed and private or shared bathroom.
My husband has been meaning to visit Sagada, he even reserved a room last 2015 for our anniversary but I told him to cancel it. I wanted to go to Sagada when I was still single but things changed when I got married. Before I have no idea about the zigzag road of Sagada but after few years of reading blogs, natakot na ko so we had glamping instead of Sagada Trip.
Fast forward to 2016, my husband wanted to visit Sagada again and since he is the one who wanted to pursue the trip, I let him searched, booked and paid for our accommodation. I just told him that I want a private room with private bathroom. It was not easy to find an accommodation because we’re going there on holiday and 3 weeks before the trip pa lang siya naghahanap.
He asked his officemates who already went there for recommendations and one of the suggestions is Sagada Bilza Lodge. His officemate stayed here way back December 2014 and according to him, bago pa lang daw yung lodge.
My husband called, texted and messaged Sagada Bilza Lodge for reservation. Thank God that they still have an available room. He was advised to make a 50% downpayment to confirm the reservation. And because of that, I have no more reason to cancel the reservation, sayang ang bayad.
Welcome to Sagada Bilza Lodge. As you can see in the photo, the lodge is under construction but we did not see any construction worker there, maybe because peak season, stop muna ang expansion. There are Ifugao Huts too, I wanted to experience this room too kaso separate ang bathroom.
My husband went to the reception and he was ushered to room 205. Sharing with you the room. Sorry for the quality of the photos of the room, brownout kasi nung dumating kami. Ang saya-saya. Hehehe!
They charged us P1300 per night, we’re 2 adults and 1 kid but I think the room is good for 4 persons since there is a pull-out bed. As I mentioned, the accommodation in Sagada is very simple, so we have a private room, private bathroom and small veranda. There are one blanket, one towel and four pillows. No free toiletries so bring your own.
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| May ilaw na! :) |
I did not bother to ask for extra blanket and towels because we brought our own stuff. We have toiletries, towels, blankets, pillows and even comforter. Yes, always ready.
The room package has no free breakfast but the Lodge has a restaurant so you can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. The breakfast meal is from P100 to 115. Coffee is P30, Hot Choco P25 and Milk P30.
Sagada Bilza Lodge is far from the town proper but it is few minutes walk from Sumaguing Cave. If you don’t have your own transportation, I suggest you book any accommodations near the town proper. But if you have your own vehicle, you can stay in Sagada Bilza Lodge because it has its own parking area. We have a good view of pine trees too.
Sagada Bilza Lodge
Mampukong, South Road,
