The road to Besao

Come early morning, on our second day in Sagada,  the skies were now clear of rain and the sun was coming up. I decided to take a walk up the road to Besao to work up an appetite for breakfast at Ganduyan Inn.  Jandy was still asleep so I went out on my own.  I also wanted to check out what’s changed in the town since our first visit in 1998 (http://firingyourimagination.blogspot.com/1998/04/v-behaviorurldefaultvmlo.html).  I noticed that some of Sagada’s old familiar inns and restaurants were still around.  

Sagada Guesthouse & Resto

One of these is the Sagada Guesthouse and Resto.  Located just past the new municipal hall, they offer a variety of rooms with varying price ranges and amenities: single (PhP150) and double (PhP300) with common bath, 3-pax rooms with private bath (PhP600), rooms with private bath and kitchen and one with cable TV (PhP1,200).  It also has a ground floor coffee shop.

Log Cabin Restaurant

Another familiar Sagada landmark is the Log Cabin Restaurant, a log-cladded restaurant still popular with foreigners. Its broad menu still offers consistently good, reasonably-priced and hearty meals, including exceptional European-inspired pasta dishes (bolognese and pesto), vegetables, adobo dishes and salads, all prepared by the local French chef.

Log Cabin dining area

They also have an impressive wine list (Hardys Shiraz, Doublebay, Jacob’s Merlot,  Loins Chattel Savvingon, Sta. Rita Cabernet, Lindimans Shiraz, Blasseagle, Antaras Chile, etc.) to choose from, a fireplace and a wide selection of recorded music.  For PhP350, they offer a multi-course buffet on Saturday nights.  You would have to book one day in advance and pay a PhP100 deposit.  For guests, it has an upstairs room with private bath and balcony (PhP800).

Strawberry Cafe

There are also new players in food and accommodation.  Across the Log Cabin is the no frills, corrugated G.I and log-cladded  Strawberry Cafe.  They offer fast food such as arroz caldo (chicken and rice stew) and mami (chicken or pork noodle soup), both for PhP45.  Further off is the 2-storey Alapos View Inn, which also has a coffee shop, and Ganduyan Inn 2.  

Alapos View Inn

Past a lane to the left side of the road is the Sagada Homestay which offers 6 rooms, one of which has a private bath (PhP700) while the 5 others (PhP250/pax) share 4 bathrooms. The ground floor has a large dining room and kitchen for the use of guests.  A separate 2-bedroom, 4-pax cottage with bath and kitchen  rents for PhP1,500.

Sagada Homestay

Continuing further down the road, past the town, would have brought me to Lake Danum in Besao but I’ve already worked up an appetite for breakfast and so I made my way back to Ganduyan Inn.

Alapos View Inn: mobile numbers (0921) 327-9055 and (0918) 332-3331.
Log Cabin Restaurant: mobile number (09320) 520-0463 (Dave Gulian)
Sagada Guesthouse & Resto: mobile number (0919) 300-2763.
Sagada Homestay: mobile numbers (0919) 702-8380, (0918) 717-3524 and (0919) 498-2181. E-mail: sagadahomestay@yahoo.com.