Phillippines | Sept 23-25 2024 |
Sector 2 of my north Luzon journey. A spectacular ride through mountains on decent roads with little traffic - the perfect mix. And Sagada exceeded expectations and I stayed 2 nights.
Breakfast with robots
After a great evening in Baguio, and serious consideration to stay one more night, I packed up and checked out. After skipping the night before due to the long line, I hit GoodTaste restaurant for breakfast - a highlight of the day. The place is a local institution and the mix of human and robot servers made for a great experience. Make sure to eat there if you are in Baguio.
GoodTaste in Baguio
On the (wrong) road
My original plan was to ride from Baguio to Vigan. But other day largely riding on the highway didn't seem appealing. So I did a quick research and learned that Sagada is a logical next stop from Baguio, and it's in the mountains. The Halsema Highway connects the two and is renowned as one of the world's most dangerous roads. I did the logical thing and immediately planned to ride it. Set my route on Google Maps (after swearing a bazillion times I wouldn't use Google Maps again), and rode out of Baguio. After about 45 minutes I noticed that my estimated trip time had gone from 4 to 5 hours - but I didn't realize I had taken a wrong turn and Google had re-routed my trip (rather than tell me to turn back, as Maps.me does....). By then it was too late to get back on the original track, so I followed a more easterly route. And no regrets, as it proved to be epic, with amazing scenery, a windy road, little traffic, and full of the rice terraces the area is famous for. There were many landslides on the road, but none completely blocked it.
Scenes on the alternate route to Sagada
Sagada
As I rolled into Sagada, I knew right away it's a cool place (literally). It's best known for hanging coffins and caves, but it's also just a great place to chill. I booked Kanip Aw Pines on Agoda, less than $20, and it proved to be a gem. My room looked out in the forest, and it was hard to sleep in the morning as the sound of so many birds chirping was overwhelming (not roosters, birds). As soon as I saw the room I booked a second night. There are lots of decent restos and coffee shops in Sagada. For activities, I did a 30-minute walk to the Hanging Coffins, but couldn't do the 4-hour spelunk between two of the more famous caves as the route was closed until October.
Views of Sagada
Ride: 178 km / 6 hrs
Stay: Kanip Aw Pines View Lodge $18/ ****
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