Sumaguing Cave - Mt. Province

Located in Sagada in the province of Mountain Province, Sumaguing Cave is one of the main highlights and most visited parts of the tourism sector of the town.

Sumaguing Cave

Sumaguing Cave Details

Locals would say that you have never truly "visited" Sagada if you have not seen two things. First, are the Hanging Coffins and the second is Sumaguing Cave.

Sumaguing Cave - Sagada, Mountain Province

 I hate it when a tourist destination is plagued with ads

Follow the trail that leads to Sumaguing Cave entrance

Are you ready to go down?

Be careful, as the steps are sometimes slippery

Sumaguing Cave is just one of the more or less 60 caves around Sagada. Its popularity comes from the fact that it offers visitors adrenaline-filled activities or let's say adventures.

A bit of orientation before we go deeper

Going deeper down Sumaguing Cave

However, first things first, to visit the cave, one must enlist the services of a trained local guide (never try to go in the cave alone). The local guides are there to literally keep your ass safe and to also literally light up your way. The cave is open all year round with the exception of bad weather. The guides can start touring you in the cave as early as 4AM depending on the weather condition.

Lights up!

Here are some cave rules that you should follow:

1. Stay close to your guide as possible.

2. Never rough play, run or do anything stupid inside the cave.
3. Listen to the instructions of the guide (don't worry they are good in English, Tagalog, and Ilocano)
4. Never eat and spit chewing gum or moma (nganga) inside the cave.
5. Lastly, don't go in the cave drunk.
With those in mind, you can finally explore Sumaguing Cave. 

Check out how small those people are compared to the rocks of the cave

Ladies and gentlemen, on your right, are ice cold water on your left is death

Slippery when wet

What does your green mind say about this rock formation?

Once inside the cave,  its interior would surely be eye candy for nature lovers. One with wild imaginations would surely enjoy what the cave has to offer. Even "green-minded" folks would have plenty of inspiration from the rock formations found in the cave (locals dub Sumaguing Cave as Porn Cave... figure out why by looking at the picture below).

My DSLR had a hard time taking photos due to low light but thanks to the guide's support I managed to shoot several great shots

The black dots there are actually bats

That's at least several stories high

Time to leave Sumaguing Cave

 What I like about the cave, aside from its beauty, is the fact that it is challenging to conquer. Visitors would have to descend a 50-foot ravine in order to go deeper into the cave. This becomes more challenging during the rainy season when rocks become slippery. There is also a part in the cave where you have to wade in a chest-deep river system in order for you to reach Lumiang Cave on the other side of the mountain (this is what they call the cave connection activity).

I wonder if Dora would explore this cave...

Time to go up and out of the cave

Here's a group photo to remember the great adventure with our newfound friends.

You have an option not to avail of the 4-hour cave connection activity though. If you won't avail it, you would have to go back and scale the same ravine that you descended on during your trip to the cave. Don't worry though, a ladder made from motorcycle tires is placed to make your exit much easier.

Oh, and by the way, this cave is also called Porn Cave... Go figure...

Rates (from Travel Galore):

NO. OF PAXJOINED TOUREXCLUSIVE TOUR
3D/2N Rate2D/1N Rate3D/2N Rate
1P3,399P22,699P22,699
2P2,799P11,299P11,599
3P2,599P7,599P7,899
4P2,499P5,799P6,099
5P2,499P4,699P5,299
6P2,499P3,999P4,499
7P2,499P3,499P3,999
8P2,499P3,099P3,599
9P2,499P2,799P3,299
10P2,499P2,599P2,999
11P2,499P2,399P2,899
12-15P2,499P2,199P2,499

PACKAGE INCLUSION

  • Round trip Van Transfer from Manila - Sagada - Manila
  • Accommodation - 3D/2N accommodation with at Sagada Valley View Inn / Canaway Resthouse Inn / Mayor's Guesthouse / Rocky Valley Inn / Treasure Rock Inn or other similar accommodation
  • Complete Sagada Tour
  • Manila - Banaue - Sagada - Benguet - Baguio - Manila
  • Driver Guide, Gas, and Toll fees
  • Permits, Environmental & Entrance fees
  • Activity Fees: Echo - Valley Tour + Kiltepan Sunrise
  • Local Tour Guide & Coordinator

Why visit Sumaguing Cave?

Sumaguing Cave is one of the must-visit destinations in Sagada. It gives your Sagada tour the adventure factor. If you enjoy spelunking then, don forget to add this destination to your itinerary.

Getting to Sumaguing Cave:


From Cubao, ride a bus going to Baguio City (costs around P450+). From there head to Dangwa and ride a bus going to Sagada (costs around P220).  Travel time is around 7 hours. Once in Sagada, head to the municipal tourist information center and book for a guide (it is required). From there, you can choose to ride a trike or walk for an hour going to the cave.
Ratings:


Crowd

Cleanliness
Overall rating

Location: Sagada, Mountain Province, Philippines

Comments

  1. KatchutravelsJanuary 25, 2018 at 6:30 PM

    Interesting rock formations and even though it was touristy, I kind of liked it. Its not as bad as a crowded touristy place

    My suggestions next time for such places, is to carry an external light source and a tripod. You willbe surprised at the kind of light you see inside if you practice long exposure shots.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neil Alvin NicerioFebruary 2, 2018 at 3:58 PM

      Wow! Thanks for the tip. =) Would try that out next time. =)

      Delete
  2. Sumit waliaJanuary 26, 2018 at 10:02 PM

    did you do the full connection activity part too and come out of the other cave , reminded me of the movie descent . I was wondering how deep is the water in the shot that you had taken where people were walking at the edge . Thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neil Alvin NicerioFebruary 2, 2018 at 4:00 PM

      Sadly, I was not able to try it out. =) Hahaha yes, that is also what came in my mind when I was inside the cave but thank God there were a lot of people in the cave.

      Delete
  3. DexJanuary 27, 2018 at 10:54 AM

    My wife and I really wanted to go somewhere and we're considering Sagada as one of them. Its great how you tell your story. Also seeing the nature of the cave is interesting

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neil Alvin NicerioFebruary 2, 2018 at 4:01 PM

      Thank you so much Dex. You should visit this place when you and your wife goes to Sagada.

      Delete
  4. CarlaJanuary 29, 2018 at 7:16 PM

    Wow seems so interesting, you guys had a great day together. Isn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  5. DanicaMarch 9, 2018 at 11:04 PM

    Waaa I missed this! I've heard they closed for a while due to an accident last year? Not sure though but good to know it was open to the public again. I didn't know about that 'p*r* cave'! Ooops!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neil Alvin NicerioMarch 12, 2018 at 12:00 PM

      It's sad to hear that you were not able to go inside the cave. Best time to visit this place is during the summer as the rains make the stones slippery and dangerous. Well at least you now know its other name. =P

      Delete

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