Monday, November 29, 2010

Sagada: PAARL Travel Advisory

• The travel is open to all. Bring friends and your family! Text complete name, institution, gender and age @ 09187318010 and confirm attendance.
• Warm up and flex your muscles or exercise before the event. Join in good health.
• For Sagada cold weather during night time, wear a thick jacket/sweater, gloves, a bonnet or a cap for the head plus socks, neck protection.
• Bring your sunglass, sunblock, moisturizer, cap/umbrella, medicines; baon for 3 days and 2 nights; & extra money for food, souvenirs, etc.
• Bring water at all times.
• Bring a self-help book or a bag of periodicals/books or a box for the outreach program of the Association.
• Going to Sagada (12 hours) transforms you into a backpacker.
• Fee of 3,200 pesos is inclusive of transportation, accommodation, tour packages & guide fees, tourism fee, museum fee, pottery shop w/ demo fee, day-tour van/jeep)
• Take care of your personal belongings. The tour coordinators will not be responsible for losses from Manila to Sagada, vice-versa.

ASSEMBLY
• Be at the bus station of the Cable Tours, in front of Trinity University of Asia (college campus), Rodriguez St., Q.C. @ 7pm (Dec. 26. Come earlier since traffic is heavy beginning 4pm.
• Departure is 8pm. Get enough sleep each day...

ACCOMMODATION
• Beddings are provided. There is an extra cost for an extra blanket.
• Bring your toiletries.
• Water in Sagada is ice cold but tolerable during shower.
• Water is scarce when there is a big number of tourists in the municipality.
• Hot water is available in the resthouse (St. Joseph’s Resthouse).
• Battery charging is allowed.

TOUR
• Wake up early, greet & say your beautiful mornings to all and eat breakfast @ 7am (Masferre Inn). 7:45am tour assembly is in front of the Municipality Hall. @ 8am, all in the van/jeep and tour begins.
• Wear non-white and jeans are a no in doing spelunking (caving) in the Sumag-ing Cave (Friday) or walking over rice paddies to Bomod-ok Falls (Saturday). Be in simplest attire at all times and shorts are okay.
• All ages are admitted including kids of 4 and can go down the cave or aim also for Bomod-ok Falls for four (4) hours each.
• No step-ins down the cave. The group will be going down barefoot or barefooted. There will be pool swimming
• Saturday walk to Bomod-ok Falls: bring food for your merienda and lunch and your swimsuit.
• Little fasting is a yes-yes! But eat fruits, bread, drink water or juice or raw vegetables with some sauce, avoid cola.

Others
• Sagada is very people-friendly. Understand dwellers’ accent.
• Listen to tourist guides and guides are accommodating. If you have inquiries, ask them.
• You may give a personal tip and be informed that a group tip is already part of your travel fees. If asking for a personal guide, provide also a personal tip. Two (2) guides for a group of 10.
• Text @ 09187318010 if you have inquiries or decide to eat and be somewhere in the municipality on top of caves
• Don’t forget to try lemon pie or blue berry pie w/ brewed coffee, or be @ the Lemon Pie House or Yoghurt House. Be & eat out also anywhere: Alfredo’s, Log Cabin, Cusina Igorota, Sagada Guest House, Olahbinan, Igorot Inn, Sudimay, and other small eateries.
• Establishments close @ 9pm except for St. Joseph Cafe and St. Theodore Hospital with a pharmacy.
• Saturday is market day. Buy a lot near the Municipality Hall.
• See Sagada online-resources for other tips for an EXCITING, RELAXING & PLEASURABLE TRIP to the HIGHLANDS of MOUNTAIN PROVINCE.

• Opinions are welcome before, during and after Sagada trip!
• Exploring Sagada is team-building and one learning experience to share, discover and enjoy good life in Cordillera.