Banaue, Bontoc, Sagada and Baguio in 5 days ~ Intro

I have always wanted to see the rice terraces of Banaue since I was a kid.


I have always heard of the caves of Sagada since my teenage years.


So when I finally got the chance (had the time and some money to spend) and a valid reason (I will be developing a travel website), I decided to go (some 30 odd years later).

Planning a trip to four different places in five days requires some "painstaking" travel research, if you want to maximize the experience and avoid wasting precious time, effort and especially, money.

The first thing I decided on was whether to bring my SUV or not. I was supposed to travel with my wife, but she decided to stay with my daughter who gave birth just two days before our planned trip.

So bringing a vehicle was not an option, as I would be traveling alone and it would be a lot cheaper (and a lot less tiring) to just commute.

Next, I did a list of things to see and do for each place, how I could get there and where I can stay. I got most of the initial info I needed online, but not so easily. There isn’t any one website out there that tells it all. Instead I had to search and browse thru a number of sites, make a couple of calls (for bus schedules and room rates and availability), compile the info, and just deduce from there.

Anyway, the next step is to plan the itinerary. I decided to take the farthest stop first (Banaue), moving backwards to Bontoc, then to Sagada, and finally to Baguio before getting back to Manila. Why? Simply because I felt I would be so exhausted by the time I had to get back, and Baguio was nearest from home.

Bontoc was actually not part of the plan, but since there was no direct public route from Banaue to Sagada (you will still have to pass thru Bontoc to get a ride to Sagada), I decided to stay there a little to get some photos. And I’m glad I did.


Likewise, there is no direct public route from Sagada to Manila; you will either have to go back to Bontoc or go to Baguio for the ride home. So since I decided on Baguio, might as well stay for some photos.


So here is what I initially came up with:

• Day 0 ~ Take the overnight express to Banaue, leaving Manila by 10pm;
• Day 1 ~ Arrive Banaue by 7am, check in, spend the entire day in Banaue and stay for the night;
• Day 2 ~ Leave for Bontoc before 10am (the last available bus trip), arrive Bontoc before noon, stay a little while, and leave for Sagada before 4pm (the last available jeepney trip), arrive Sagada before 6pm, check in, and stay for the night;
• Day 3 ~ Spend the entire day and stay another night in Sagada;
• Day 4 ~ Take the 5am trip to Baguio (first trip), arrive Baguio before noon, check in, spend the entire afternoon in Baguio and stay for the night;
• Day 5 ~ Spend the entire morning in Baguio, check out at noon, go home and reach Manila by 6pm.

Well planned, or so I thought.

However, even with foresight and right planning, any unexpected event at the onset (or at any point in the itinerary) breaks the entire schedule apart. So just be open to readily adjust to whatever changes may evolve.

In any case, do write all the info down, on paper, as you will definitely be needing them on the road. Trust me, this is essential as this will determine how you will be moving about, especially in the event you encounter something unscheduled.

In the succeeding posts, we shall explore and relive this exhausting but memorable experience in detail.

Continue to:

• Banaue, Bontoc, Sagada and Baguio in 5 days ~ Day 0