Sagada Adventures: Rolling Hills of Marlboro Country, Kiltepan Sunrise & Bokong Falls

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Sagada is more than just caves as waterfalls, mountain ranges and breathtaking sunrise among others awaits your journey to the Mountain Province in Philippines. So what else can you do in the mountains?

One of the waterfalls we visited was Bokong Falls (also known as the small falls). It was a short walk from the road going down the waterfalls which took us 30 minutes to reach it. You’ll pass by Igorot (locals of Sagada) houses, locals sitting in front of their homes or planting in their vegetable gardens and rice terraces.
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Bokong Falls is breathtaking, though not as high as other famous waterfalls in the Philippines, its surrounding rocks and lush greenery catapults it to one of the most beautiful in Sagada.

Children and adults alike were jumping from the top of the waterfalls, dropping down the chilled water of the 12-foot deep pool. If we were dressed to swim, probably we would have tried jumping as well from above! It was probably a thrilling experience.

There are other waterfalls worth visiting in Sagada–the Bomod-Ok Falls and Pongas Falls. We weren’t able to visit Bomod-Ok Falls because a traditional Igorot ritual was held there at that time. It would have been interesting to witness it but perhaps only the locals were allowed to attend it.

IMG_2823IMG_2825 IMG_2818The author with her friends riding on top of the Jeepney.

The “Marlboro Country” of Sagada is a valley passing through a forest full of Pine trees before you reach the clearing with a breathtaking view of Sagada. You can ride the local transportation from Philippines, called a Jeepney or Jeep for short, through the forest but you have to hike up the valley afterwards.

It was another highlight of our Sagada trip as it was a first time for all of us to ride the Jeep on top. If you’re not a fan of heights, sit in the middle though the sides are safe as there are handle bars you can hold on to. This Jeep was merely passing by and we hitched a ride so it was pretty awesome the locals were very welcoming to us to join the ride.

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Go to the Marlboro Country in the morning as the sun isn’t too hot and the air is cooler. It’s also great for exercise and it’s one of the best ways to see the view of the province from the mountains.

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The author with her family and friends doing the jump shots at Marlboro Country.

Take a lot of pictures. It’s perfect for group jump shots with the blue skies and green rolling hills as your background.  Just don’t go too far back as you don’t want to roll down the hills of Sagada.

IMG_3150 As the dawn breaks, rise and shine as you shouldn’t miss the sunrise at the Kiltepan Peak in Sagada. This was the place where I felt as if I was in heaven with the clouds almost reaching you with the contrast of fiery orange and red sky as the sun slowly comes up for another new day in the mountains. It was truly magical as we witness it with other travelers and locals in Sagada. If heaven was on earth, this must be how it felt like!
IMG_3183 IMG_3207Wear your jackets and pants as it’s still cold around 4am or 5am. Bring your scarf too if you must. A cup of warm hot chocolate or coffee awaits you for breakfast at the local restaurants or cafes after viewing the sunrise at the Kiltepan in Sagada.
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The list of adventures in Sagada don’t end here as The HodgePodge Lifestyle brings you another feature on more places to see and things to do so stick around and read on!

For more info about Sagada, you may visit the following websites:

Website: Sagada; Visit Sagada

Facebook: Visit Sagada