Baywalk (Manila Bay) after typhoon Pedring

Sagada, Mountain Province, The Philippines

Sagada, a thriving town in the Mountain Province, is an unknown place to me until I got to personally met her in June 2011. I immediately fell inlove with her natural beauty and charm. This place is so blessed with wonderful climate, warm people and peaceful environment. Let me also highlight this fact that in the summer the town's average high is 23 degrees Celsius (73.4 F) which makes this place a perfect summer destination for those who want to escape the scorching heat in the Metro.

Typical Sagada Morning

The trip to Sagada is a 12-hour bus drive from Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. From the station (Victory Liner in Caloocan,Cubao or Pasay) in Manila, the bus will take you to Baguio City, a prime city in Benguet. From there, take another bus enroute to Sagada.

Typical Road Scenery Going  to Sagada

The trip from Manila to Baguio City is kinda boring so it's better to take a night trip so you will reach the terminal in Baguio in the morning the following day. The trip from Baguio City to Sagada is simply breath-taking and the morning trip which starts at 6 AM gives you the best view of the endless mountains that seem to kiss the clouds.

Vegetable Terraces in Benguet Province

The mountain slopes in Benguet are studded with vegetable terraces which look like stairway to heaven. It's just amazing to look at them. You're eyes just won't get tired and bored! The country roads winding on the mountain slopes also add to the excitement of every passenger. For the native there, the experience seems to be just alright, but the first-timers like me, it's just fun and exciting! I sometimes worried though because streets there can be perilous as shown by the landslides at some location.

The pine trees covering the mountains and their aromatic scent could relax my senses. The steep roads that sometime ascend and descend finally reached the destination----Sagada.

Where to Get Pasalubong 

While in Sagada, we stayed in a school's dormitory. No time was wasted, after settling down, we embarked on our first adventure---Bomod-ok Falls and Agid Rice Terraces.

Places of Interest in Sagada

1. Agid Rice Terraces 

The Agid Rice Terraces is an extensive series of rice terraces in a wide and deep valley. From the road, the green-colored rice terraces would just mesmerize your eyes and make you stand still for a while thinking of the hardwork these people have exerted in order to finish this masterpiece. What makes these terraces different from the ones in the Banaue is the dikes. The ones in Banaue have higher and bigger dikes that make their Rice Terraces more panaromic. Traversing the dikes, a narrow foot path led us to a river where the other attraction, Bomod-ok Falls, is located.

Agid Rice Terraces

2. Bomod-ok Falls

Bomod-ok Falls is the biggest falls in Sagada. The water coming from a cliff plunges 15-20 meters down into a lagoon where avid bathers can enjoy swimming or just padding in the chilly mountain water. Sagada is situated some 5,000 feet (1500 m) above sea level so be prepared to experience a much cooler water temperature in case you're curious of swimming. It was raining that time which made the water even colder for us.

Bomod-ok Falls

Going down the river was no big deal, but going up again can became an ordeal . The good thing was that we were rewarded with a wonderful experience and breath-taking view of the unspoiled beauty that is Sagada.

The Gang

3. Lumiang Cave

Spelunking is one of the activities that you must do while in Sagada. On your way to Sumaguing Cave, there is a smaller burial cave which you can also visit. It is called Lumiang Cave where old and few newer coffins are stacked. Sadly, evidence of illegal collection can be seen. There's no need to go down the cave because the coffins can be seen from the path above, but for the curious ones who want to have a closer look, respect is of utmost importance.

Coffins inside Lumiang Cave

The View of the Cave from the Foot Path

4. Sumaguing Cave

Sumaguing Cave is also called as the Big Cave and it's really huge! It is a 40-minute walk from the main point of Sagada on the Suyo Road. Interesting limestone formations can be seen inside. It is not advisable to take your cellphones or cameras if you do not have any plastic container because there's a big chance that they will get wet. There are guides that you can hire if you wanna explore the cave and it is of utmost importance that you have a guide because the cave is so huge and there are many ways inside. The guides will also provide you with the necessary equipment such as good lighting and of course support and expertise in climbing.

Entrance to the Cave

Limestone formation

Limestone formation meets crystal clear water inside Sumaguing Cave

5. Hanging Coffins

This was a spooky trek because we had to pass through a public cemetery. You can just imagine The Walking Dead series and your adrenaline will spike up. But anyway, I find it more interesting and adds more spectacle to the trek to the world-famous hanging coffins of Sagada. The trek is a brief 15-20 minute walk from the town square.

Viewing spot for the hanging coffins

To be buried this way, I learned that there is one very strict rule: one has to be married and have grand children.

Hanging Coffins

6. Church of St. Mary the Virgin

It is a stone church built by the American missionaries during the 1900s. It is a vibrant episcopal parish found at town centre.

Interior of the Church of St. Mary  the Virgin

Loire Valley: Where Castles Abound

Blois Castle

Blois Castle

Entrance to Chambord Castle

From our short stay in the Mediterranean town of Cassis in southern France, we headed to Blois where the famous Loir river runs through. The reason why we were visiting Blois is not because of the river cruise but because the number of castles built along the Loire River hundreds of years ago. Loire Valley spans 280 km and is situated in the Loire River.

Rivers or any form of water provide good transportation for people then and now. I suppose that the monarchs or aristocrats in the 13th century strategically built those castles there because of accessibility since this river empties at the English Channel.

The first castle that I visited was the Blois Castle. It is situated in the heart of the city over-looking the Loire. From there, one could see the primary colors of the city which are represented by the roof, walls and bricks of the buildings there.

Driving westward along the banks of Loire and crossing one of the bridges, one will find the Chambord Castle. The entrance fee per person was around 10 euros which would give a visitor access to the castle and its stables. I am not so sure, but I think the garden was excluded. It costs an extra fee.

The gate to the castle opens at 10 AM and I recommend to have your breakfast before going there because food around the area was expensive and it's a long way up to the castle which is situated on top of a hill. Once you reached the top, you will be greeted by a beautiful garden and big pine trees. Walking past these pine trees, the Castle will surprise you with is beautiful facade.For me, it looks more beautiful than the Blois Castle. Just like in the olden time, a bridge has to be laid down in order to gain access to the castle. It was like in a fairy tale land!

Chambord Castle had furniture inside. The display inside each room showed how the aristocrats lived during that time. It was elegant and superflous, I should say.

We could have stayed much longer, but there are more castle awaiting us.

Tip: If you want to see all the castles in Loire Valley, allot at least a week. There are so many castles in that region and visiting a castle including its rooms and garden requires at least half-a-day already.  

Cassis, Southern France

Cassis is a coastal town in the French Mediterranean. The nearest famous city to it is Marseille where we were supposed to visit, but headed to Cassis instead because of proximity. The journey to Cassis from Aix-en-Provence, where we stayed overnight to rest from our long trip from Sion, Switzerland, is a short autobahn drive.

The 45-minute drive through the Mediterranean hills provides an opportunity to see the uniqueness of the land, vegetation and the lifestyle there. From the nearest hill, one could see the Mediterranean Sea and the towns along its coast. The warm air carrying water vapor from the Mediterranean Sea turns into mist and clouds as it ascends with the hill chains stretching along the coast. This makes the area pretty misty and foggy sometimes.

Cassis maybe not be Nice or Cannes, but my short stay there gave me an idea of the lifestyle in the Mediterranean. The big cars and bikes lined on the street, the mansion one after another and the plush yachts anchored at the port told me of the living standard there.

Swiss/French Border

The Swiss-French border offers a panoramic and interesting view of rugged snow-capped mountains, breath-taking thick forests, scenic villages and country roads criss-crossing on the steep mountain sides. Crossing the border and passing through all those high roads and passes is an adventure that is worth remembering and worthy to be in a picture-frame.

The road from Sion to Chamonix gives you a glimpse of the highest mountain in the Alps, Mont Blanc. From the country road, I could see a thick sheet of glacier retreating from the its peak down to the base. I consider the view of Mont Blanc the highlight of this journey. This imposing mountain stands out among the rest, not only because it's the highest, but it also looks so mystical with all the thick clouds and eternal snow that cover it.

The other attraction, the series of French villages, is simply beautiful and scenic. Going through them feels as if going back to the Middle Ages--- not because the people are primitive, but because the antiquity of the structures is well-preserved. Life, the way I observed it, is simple, yet I could see and feel that the people are content.