Caption This Adventure: Sagada Mountain Province Experience

We are imagining Sagada as the place where hanging coffins stacked in the boulders, cool-vibe temperature, hot traditional mountain tea and coffee, and the place where the broken hearts go and shout out loud "walang forever" in the sea of clouds in Kiltepan peak. Well it might be however, there are stories you don't want to miss while visiting the place. 

We settled down in Sagada Homestay with a woody character in the interior built by polished pinewood and boasts an overlooking view of the town square and Cordillera mountains. Considerably with an affordable rooms which can house up to five guests, a shared bathrooms with hot shower and a reliable wifi connection.

St. Catherine's Church by @eyesbucks_the_adventurer

Few meters further dwon the road from Sagada Homestay will lead to the town center. Where the municipal building, police station, tourist information center (with a working ATM), market place and the bus and jeepney departure point are located. Also, do not miss ate Remmy's staple sticky-rice "puto" with a twist paired with a hot coffee in a small roadside stall just along the municipal building. She also sell rice wine, wild honey, mountain tea, a bit elusive Sagada's lemon pie which sold out most of the time and Sagada brewed coffee among others. 

with Ate Remmy by @eyesbucks_the_adventurer

Sagada's town center by @eyesbucks_the_adventurer

One more thing, do not forget to try their "Binatog" it's a malagkit na mais mixed with brown sugar and condesed milk. While most of the inns and guesthouse has their own cafe's, there are also stand alone cafes which offer good food where you can fuel up from an hours of caving and hiking. Well, some tourists are craving for the home made oatmeal cookies while we were dying to taste the Sagada's lemon pie. 

"old and new generation" captured by: @eyesbucks_the_adventurer

One of the most visited tourist attraction in Sagada is their hanging coffins especially in Echo Valley, Hanging Burials. The people in Sagada are called Igorot, which is derived from the word "golot" meaning mountain. Their ancestors practiced the old method of burying the dead. Because they were the only Filipinos who weren't influenced by Spanish invaders, they didn't know the conventional funeral practice for the deceased. Most of the coffins are small for a full grown person because their ancestors placed their dead in a fetal position due to their belief that a person should exit the world with the same manner that he/she entered into. 

After preparing the coffin it will be carried to its final resting place and it was believed that the person who smeared with the blood from the deceased will allow to possessed the skills of the deceased. During the ceremony women are not allowed to go beyond the deck of Echo Valley; only men can go near the corpse who will then nail and hang the coffin to the side of the cliff. Although this practice is seldom being used today (with the latest burial of this kind was on 2010) by the Igorot people, it will remain part of their rich culture and tradition as Igorot people. 

Echo Valley view deck

Another activity in Sagada that every tourist should not miss to is caving or spelunking. Apart of having the hanging coffins, caves were also the place where their ancestors put the coffins as their resting place. Coffins dated hundred years old (if not thousand) will greet tourists at the entrance of Lumi-ang cave where cave connection activity usually start. It will take couple of hours wandering inside before reaching Sumaging cave and another couple of hours to end. It is interesting that guides know how to make their guest enjoy during spelunking. They have a unique way of telling the story about the different rock formations inside.  

Guided with alcohol powered lamps, it was fun knowing how these guides came up with the story about the "king and queen" and probable the entire kingdom was there.  Some of these rock formation are pigpen, elephants, pregnant queen, giant footprint, turtle, king's organ, cake, mermaid, the prince, king's curtain, anaconda, fossils, natural painting and the princess - the penis and vagina rocks are here.

Caving in Sagada is absolutely a must-do when visiting the place. Great chambers and stunning rock formations will amaze and test your imagination. 

King's curtain at the back.

Be a responsible visitor and respect the place. Do not bring your noise inside the cave if you don't want to disturbed them. 

People come up to this look out point called Kiltepan peak and take a photo overlooking the mountain ranges of Cordillera and the beautiful sea of clouds - it pretty much something you've seen in your dreams; the land of Avatar "Ang" the last air bender. This point gets overcrowded during peak season but if you're looking for Instagram likes go there and snap an Instagram worthy pictures. 

The food is pretty standard. You can have your meals for 90-120 pesos. Cafes and restuarants can be found at every blocks of the road. A talk of the town food specialty in Sagada is Pinikpikan, it's a local soup from battered chicken actually.  We went in Sagada without trying this, yeah we're loser. Drop by in in Pinikpikan Haus for this kind of recipe and please tell me what it taste like. 

Okay enough with the battered chicken. Let's head to the picturesque view for our "blagiir pose" aaannnd snnnaaap!!. There!

Sagada once a sleeping small town atop of Mountain Province but now she can hardly rest from the the flock of tourists together with the discriminating and preying eyes of social media. Sagada can offer so much about the mother nature if we know how to take care and respect her. 

Share your Sagada moments by linking it below the comment section. Cheers!