Sagada, Mountain Province a traveller's respite

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Like most travelers , I enjoy the surreal environment of Sagada. In fact, it gained immense popularity as a tourist destination in the recent years for local and foreign tourist alike.

Sagada is nestled in the Cordilleras, Northern Philippines. It can be reached from Baguio City through Halsema Highway and by traversing the Cordillera from Banaue/Bontoc. Public bus transportation runs daily on both routes. For a more exciting vacation , it is best to take both routes to complete the loop.

The indigenous people of Sagada are the Kankana-eys, one of the ethno-linguistic group of Igorot. Traditional dresses are not as commonly worn nowadays but conservative Kankana-ey women still wear black-white-red woven skirt and blouses adorned with magnificent native necklaces while traditional men wears g-string and body adornment. The native costume and jewelries indicates their status in the society while the tattoos is a proof of their profound bravery.

Majority of the people of Sagada are converted Episcopal Protestant,the Church of St Mary, the Virgin is the most photographed landmark in the center of the town. Next to it, is the St. Theodore's Hospital of Sagada,the hospital facility also serve as lodging house during the influx of tourist especially during Holy Week. There has been an increasing number of accommodation facility in the recent years.

The highlights of any Sagada trip must include;

• Mission Compound
  • Echo Valley Hanging Cliffs and Coffins
  • Sumaging Cave
  • Burial Cave and
  • Kiltepan Rice Terraces.
    
  • But for more adrenalin rush, include Bumud-ok Falls and Mt. Ampakaw in your itinerary.

Please watch out for my next Sagada post, I'll be up there this week to do a voluntary work for the environment.

Want to come along?