The Shangri-la of the North

Probably this has been the most remote and highest point I have ever reached in all my travels – literally. The climb up to Sagada is an intricate task, but the rewards you’ll find and experience in this place would be more than enough to compensate all those exhausting hours spent on travel.

Sagada
Originally uploaded by RyanG.

Sagada is definitely the Shangri-la of the North. Other adjectives used by visitors to describe Sagada range from breathtaking, magnificent, splendid, wonderful, awe-inspiring, remarkable, and so on… truly a world far from our own. But if I would be asked to say something about Sagada, I would simply say – exotic! There’s something about this place that has captured my heart and soul – you have to experience it for yourself to truly understand what I mean.



So, what’s in store for the visitors of Sagada?

Sagada features caves that can be explored, even by non-experts like me, with the aid of local guides; an interesting hike along an underground river; waterfalls and pools to cool off in after a day of exploring; lush greens and lovely flower and vegetable gardens; and a quiet serenity only found off the beaten path. The ancestors of the current residents practiced an unusual burial ritual by hanging and stacking coffins, hewed from tree trunks, in the limestone karst cliffs and caves near town.



Before we further continue our exploits, we checked-in at a local inn and rested for a while. We need to recharge for a challenging adventure ahead – we’ll venture into the underground caves of Sagada.