What to Pack for Sagada
Sagada in Mountain Province Philippines is recommended for adventure travelers.
Those who are accustomed to hiking, trekking, mountain and rock climbing, and spelunking ot caving know that specialty gear to bring on their trip.
This feature is for regular tourists and travelers who wish to sample various Sagada attractions and make sure they are prepared for amateur caving and a whole lot of walking.
This guide also comes in particularly handy for those traveling to Sagada
Let us start with our basic premises: In Sagada one does a lot of walking and exploring above -- and below
-- ground! Most likely you will be arriving by bus and even if you're getting there by private transport, your vehicle can only take you so far while sightseeing. So you will want to bring with you only the absolutely essential stuff.
In general, bring only the essential stuff. Think nature. Think rural. Don't even think "Wi-Fi" at this point unless you've subscrbed to your own mobile internet service, ok?
Since Sagada is all about exploration, the most important thing would be sensible walking shoes like comfortable rubber shoes or sturdy sandals. We will match these with walking shorts, a light shirt and a light jacket.
Footwear -- Rubber shoes, hiking shoes, sandals or slippers If you have water shoes like Aqua Socks, it'll be good to bring them along, too, especially for the wet & slippery parts of Sumaging Cave..
Light clothing -- There are lots of places to explore and although you can dictate your own pace, sightseeing on foot alone can be physically very strenuous for urbanites especially, so one does not want to be weighed down by heavy bulky clothing.
Light Jacket -- But it can get chilly, you say, ergo the light jacket that should keep you relatively warm during the day and can protect you from the harshness of the bright sunlight. It is also easy to take off and wrap around the waste without affecting your ability to move freely.
Small Backpack - A small knapsack for supplies, spare clothing and personal belongings will be good to carry around while exploring Sagada. For example, a trek to the Big Falls will take a few hours and you will probably get thirsty or a bit hungry along the way. It would be good to pack therein a water bottle, spare shorts and a shirt every time for a change of clothing, if necessary. Make sure it is not laden with supplies so it does not weigh you down.
Your back pack will also be a good place to keep your cellphone in a water proof container -- make sure you have a little plastic bag to store it in, at least -- so that it does not get wet by accident when exploring Sumaging Cave or going the falls. It's better to move around with a backpack than a shoulder bag so your limbs can have free movement for any climb or descent.
Swimwear -- Since there are underground rivers and pools, big and small falls, you may want to pack swimwear, of course.
Sun protection stuff -- Lots of sunlight when touring and hiking (not down in the caves, of course) so bring sunglasses, a cap or a hat, sun block.
Personal stuff -- A towel, toiletry items, medicines, etc. Depending on your choice of lodging, Sagada hotels & inns do not always provide guests with towels, so play safe and bring one. Plus you may need to towel off anyway when you go swimming in the caves or at the falls.
Toiletry items available in stores are pretty ordinary stuff, like toothpaste, soap and shampoo, with only the most common and ordinary brands and products.
Sagada is a small remote town and not at all sophisticated (except when it comes to food) so if you require a special brand or product that may be available in Philippine cities, be sure to bring them on your vacation as, again, it will most likely not be available for sale in stores.
Bring your own medicines, although there is a pharmacy in town, and make sure someone in your group will be carrying a handy first aid kit because, although the guides are professional and will not put you in harm's way at any point, there's a lot of physical exertion involved in the enjoyment of the great outdoors.
These are my Sagada essentials. The clothes and footwear fit into one small carry on luggage, the personal stuff and camera in the back pack. I did remember to bring a towel.
Quick Links
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- Where to Stay in Sagada
- Major Tourist Attractions
- Where to Dine
- Things to Do in Sagada
- Sample Tour Itineraries
- Maps of Sagada
- What to Pack
Cameras, Mobile Phones & Computers
We were three in our group during my most recent trip to Sagada and we brought a camera. mobile phone and laptop -- each! Essentials for urbanites who cannot seem to leave the world behind even as we heeded the seductive call of Sagada.
Of course our "hotel room" had only one electrical outlet and no wireless internet connection (there are two internet shops in the middle of town that close by sunset by the way) but we brought "work" on our vacation so we needed to charge stuff.
Plus so many photos -- thousands of shots between the three of us -- of the beautiful landscape, the interesting folks, fabulous Sumaging cave to download as our camera memory cards could only take so much.
As my two companions stared helplessly at the one electrical outlet we were to share to charge 9 batteries, I decide to whip out my "ace" -- AN ELECTRICAL EXTENSION CORD!!!
Now, here's one tip: do not expect Sagada to give you all the modern conveniences of the city because that's not why you are visiting this remote village in the mountains, is it? It's already good enough that there is electricity available 24/7 and that the bathrooms have water heaters, ok? It's a big improvement already that there are clear reception for major mobile phone service providers.
My other tip: If you'll be in Sagada for just a few days anyway, try leaving the work behind.
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