Sagada: Cave Connection, Lumiang and Sumaguing Cave

One activity that you shouldn't miss when visiting Sagada is exploring its caves. This will give you an extraordinary experience. But, you will need some effort to do it so. You have to survive LOL!

Lumiang Cave

Caving Activities

There are 3 major caving activities the Tourist Center of Sagada offers. The short course caving, cave connection and the recently opened to tourists, Balangagan burial cave. Here are the details of each caving activities:

• Short Course Caving: 2-hours of spelunking inside Sumaguing Cave, or the Big Cave
• Cave Connection: (PhP 400.00 per person) Navigate from Lumiang Cave through Sumaguing Cave for 3-4 hours
• Balangagan Cave: Around 4 hours of spelunking. Rock formations in this cave are more beautiful than the ones in Sumaguing cave

Sumaguing and Lumiang Cave are closer from the Tourist Center than Balangagan Cave. You can just walk when going to the entrance of Lumiang Cave for around 30-45 minutes. The last entrance to the caves is at 4PM. Another cave you can explore here is Crystal Cave which has the best rock formations among the caves in Sagada. Crystal cave is not offered in the Tourist center so you need to ask a tour guide for it. Our tour guide said that the tour fee is PhP 2500.00 not sure if per person.

Road sign to Sumaguing Cave

Hanging coffins are seen from the road

Cave Connection

We tried cave connection since we wanted to explore both Lumiang and Sumaguing. The first thing to do is go to the Tourist Center to have your tour guide. After a tour guide has been assigned to your group, you will now walk to the entrance of the cave. I suggest taking the tour early if your date of visit in Sagada is in the peak season since Sumaguing is really crowded sometimes. Some passages in the cave can only fit one person at a time so it causes traffic.

Hike going to Lumiang Cave

Traffic inside the cave, so you need to wait

Lumiang Cave

At the entrance of the cave are stacks of wooden coffins that has been there for years. Some coffins are opened while some have some holes where you can see some bones inside. Just don't touch and more importantly, DO NOT take anything from it. While you are doing some picture taking in the coffins, your tour guide will ready your gas lamp for the light inside.

Lumiang Cave Entrance

Coffins at the cave entrance and yes they are not empty

Entering the cave

Yeah, you need to get inside this hole

Then hang in a rope to go down

And a very tiny hole

That you need to squeeze yourself in

Rice terraces rock formation inside Lumiang Cave

Sumaguing Cave

Lumiang cave is connected to Sumaguing. There is a boundary between the two caves which your tour guide will tell you. Sumaguing is bigger and longer than Lumiang. It is very dark inside Sumaguing cave, but there are more rock formations to see here.

Boundary between Lumiang and Sumaguing

Rappelling going up, watch your head

Monolith rock formation

Walled passage

There is a small body of water inside the cave which is not too deep. After the body of water is a hill or probably a big rock that you will climb. When we reached the top of the big rock, I was disappointed in what I saw. The walls are full of vandalism. It's just sad seeing things like this. Please don't leave anything like this, as if you're gonna be famous for it and please DO NOT PEE INSIDE THE CAVE. I saw a group peeing inside then another group sat on the part where they peed. No kidding. Anyways we proceed with our route.

looks like an underground river

Good job everyone, you are now famous.

After climbing up and down the big rock, we headed to the most beautiful part of the cave, where some of the popular rock formations are found. Our tour guide asked us to remove our slippers before going to the rock formations, I'm not sure why, but I think walking barefoot adds more grip since there is water gushing from the rocks. You can relax here for a moment since the exit of the cave is almost there. You will be exiting the cave through the entrance of short course caving.

A Castle

No name, just beautiful

The frog

You name it

Turtle formation (on the right side, hiding)

The pudding

Sumaguing entrance and exit

Outside Sumaguing Cave

So if that caving experience bored you, which I think not LOL, then try next time Crystal Cave. I saw a group that went there and they were all covered in mud. That will tell you something. Remember, enjoy and leave no traces. Thanks for reading!

Cheers from Sagada!