It’s pretty quiet.
The Saturday weekend market was in full swing when we arrived so it was a little bit active. A bit later, I realized how quiet it was. Despite the conveniences of accommodations and 24-hour electricity, Sagada is still far from being commercialized. Yes it’s true that there are motorcycles there but as it is a walking town where you can find no tricycles, it’s nothing like any place I’ve ever been to.
It’s pretty clean.
Although I noticed one or two smoke belching vans, its atmosphere is something quite pristine. I often use that adjective in beaches and not in actual towns but really it’s like everything is fresh and everything is clean. I dunno if the cold has something to do with it. I think I saw more signs of “no spitting of momma” than litter. Although not all houses are tastefully painted or designed, I didn’t find any eyesores during my visit.
It’s pretty cold.
The cold can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it. Most people from the lowlands like me did have a hard time coping with the temperature and many were underdressed. There’s probably the problem of colds, coughs and allergies to deal with but if you did your assignment then there is no need to worry. Sagada is, I bet, the cheapest place you can go to for strutting in your fashionable ensembles. You can wear mittens, gloves, bonnets, mufflers and thick wonderful coats and not feel stupid afterwards. In fact, you’d be thankful that you packed them. It can get hot in the afternoon but early mornings and evenings will be hellish unless you’d stay indoors the whole time. The cold also means you can enjoy bonfires and fire places (like in the movies) hahaha!
It’s pretty cheap.
You will not be pestered by people to take you out on a tour like other vacation spots in the Philippines. They wouldn’t crowd around you shoving itineraries and pricelists in your face once you get off the bus. It cost us 250 pesos per person per night at George Guest House. The fee for guides and tours are fixed so you need not be a master of haggling to get the cheapest prices. A bar of hashish is worth 700 pesos (not that I was the one who bought it). The food may not be the cheapest but their servings are decent so it’s all good.
It’s one hell of an adventure!
You will do the walking of your life here. You will trek. You will tread forest trails. You will cross streams. You will swim in the freezing waters. You will do a bit of spelunking, a bit of rappelling and feel what it is like to be an action star to conquer the deepest cave in the Philippines in terms of vertical range at 163 meters.
Aloha!
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