Conquer Sagada with Travel Factor!

Last November 2010, we went to Sagada and we joined Travel Factor. It costs 4,800php per head inclusive of:

• Roundtrip Bus Transfers via Florida bus: Manila-Banaue-Manila
• Roundtrip Chartered Jeep: Banaue-Sagada-Banaue
• 3D/2N Accommodation in Alibama Inn / George Inn
• Day 1 – Lunch
• Day 2 – Breakfast, Lunch
• Day 3 – Breakfast
• Private Jeepney during tours around Sagada (see itinerary)
• Cave Connection Adventure (Enter Lumiang, Exit Sumaguing)
• Service of the Local Guides & Cave Guides with lamps
• Service of the tour director
• Travel Insurance
• Travel Factor ID, lanyard and CONQUER Sagada T-Shirt

Here’s our itinerary for the trip:

Day 0, Fri, Nov 26

10:00 PM Meeting Time at the Bus Terminal

(Florida, SH Loyola corner AH Lacson, Sampaloc, Manila)

10:45 PM Exact Bus Departure Manila to Banaue

 

Day 1, Sat, Nov 27

08:00 AM ETA Banaue

Breakfast at Banaue (at own expense)

08:30 AM ETD Banaue

11:30 AM ETA Sagada

Check-in at Alibama Inn

12:00 NN Lunch at Alibama Inn (included in package)

01:00 PM Banga-an Rice Terraces, Trekking and Swimming Bomod-ok Big Falls

05:00 PM Sunset at Lake Danum

07:00 PM Dinner (at own expense)

Overnight at Alibama Inn

 

Day 2, Sun, Nov 28

04:00 AM Wake Up! 🙂

05:30 AM Sunrise at Kiltepan Viewpoint

08:00 AM Breakfast at Alibama Inn (included in package)

09:00 AM Cave Connection Adventure

01:00 PM Late Lunch at Alibama Inn (included in package)

*could be later, depending on the speed of the spelunking group

Dinner (at own expense)

Overnight at Alibama Inn

 

Day 3, Mon, Nov 29

07:00 AM Breakfast at Alibama Inn (included in package)

08:00 AM Walking Tour: St. Mary’s Episcopal church, Calvary Hills, Echo Valley,

Hanging Coffins, Sagada Weaving, Pasalubong shopping

12:00 NN Lunch (at own expense)

01:00 PM ETD Sagada

04:00 PM ETA Banaue

Early Dinner at Banaue (at own expense)

06:30 PM ETD Banaue

 

Day 4, Tue, Nov 3

03:30 AM ETA Manila

 

Instead of trekking on Day 1, we had our Cave Connection Adventure. We’re inside the cave for 6 hours because we’re a big group (30pax), we have to wait for each other. The cave was beautiful but the water was freezing cold! And it’s not a cave that you just have to walk and see the view inside. You have to climb, do rappelling, sit and slide whenever it’s slippery. If you’re really looking for an adventure you should never miss the cave connection. It will test your patience, endurance on climbing, rappelling and sliding. The rock formation at Sumaging cave was very beautiful; I never thought that there is such thing in Sagada.

Cave Connection - Lumiang Cave

Super Lamig!

Cave Connection - Sumaguing Cave

Sumaguing Cave

But there’s one incident that happened to me during the cave connection adventure. There’s a part in the cave where in you need to go thru the cold water just to pass that stage and climb after. My shirt was so wet and it was so cold. My nails are turning violet, and I can feel my heart palpitating when I was inside the cave. I didn’t went down at the last part of Sumaging Cave, instead I just stayed near the petromax (light) of the tour guide to be able to get warm. And when it’s time to go out, I was chilling and I have to climb like 50+ steps to be able to get out of the cave. So I was thinking that it will be more critical if I fade out at the stairs so I rush in to climb to be able to get out as fast as I can. So when I reached the top I lacked out of oxygen, and suddenly my surroundings turned out black. Luckily, the tour guide of Sagada which is Kuya Erwin really knows how to do a 1^st aide. So he removed my socks, and let me eat chocolates and drink water, and he wrap me with blanket. And he put all the lamps around me to be able to keep me warm. I really thanked Kuya Erwin Quiore for his help, and he really took good care of me.

Bomod-ok Falls

Bomod-ok Falls

Known for their Big Pasta and salad serving, delisyoso!

Bonfire on our last night

So I learned my lesson, and I promised myself that I will go back to Sagada during summer.

The trekking going to Bomod-ok big falls, easy when going down and super tiring when going up. The water was super cold, of course! The falls is very beautiful, even though I didn’t have the courage to swim but I can feel the water sprinkling all over my face because of the strong wind.

I recommend the Yoghurt House, it is famous for their big pasta serving, sandwiches and salad. Don’t forget to try their tea, where in the leaves are picked and dried up naturally to keep its natural flavor.

Our trip in Sagada is two thumbs up for me, even though I had a bad experience because of the coldness in Sagada. I will definitely go back to this place.

For more info you can check out: http://sagadagenuineguides.blogspot.com