There is something beyond beautiful when you share a moment with yourself or with someone in a café. Perhaps most people have been to the fanciest places for food and coffee in the world. If you haven’t been to the quaintest and most charming cafes in the Philippines, it’s time to experience Sagada.
Sagada is popular for its hanging coffins, trekking, caving and rappelling. Not many travel guides, books and blogs talk much about how one can get lost in the uniqueness of places to chill out in this municipality.
When you take a walk around, you can find residential houses and simple abodes. Go on walking, wandering and observing. It will not take too long for you to find yourself in the loveliest places. I spent a few days in Sagada with two travel buddies and all three of us learned lessons of sustainability and creativity while sharing travel stories, fresh yoghurt with strawberries, the healthiest of meals and Civet coffee.
Are you in for a surprise? The simple houses and places around are the charming cafes! Yes, the families and small-scale entrepreneurs use their creativity and resources to start up a café business in their own homes. They paint the walls a bit; decorate the space with random wood furniture, drawings and items. I believe that it’s a great way to keep harmony with nature. One does not have to build more concrete buildings to make a place beautiful. In Sagada, they let you in not only in a shop but at the comfort of their homes, right in the heart of their families.
We went around and spent time in the following cafes: Gaia, Bana’s, Yoghurt House, Sagada Homestay Café and fireplace as well as Persimone.
Gaia stands near the stream overlooking the lushness. Here, you get to enjoy organic meals with the chance to read books and buy crafts. We tried there brown rice meals and their fruit smoothies and we all went awwww. At Bana’s, the mother cooked our lunch and the kids happily arranged our meals on their dining table. They’ve decorated their living room and balcony with small chairs, hand-woven bags, old photos of the Ifugao tribe and hammocks. Yoghurt House serves fresh yoghurt with your own choice of fruits. They also showcase artworks from various artists that have been there. Sagada Homestay Café served us the best pumpkin soup. We had bugnay wine sessions in their fireplace, too. It was a beautiful night under the stars. At Persimone, I felt big in such a shack-style nook that has a free-spirited ambiance: conceptual painting, handmade blinds, random decors and mouth-watering pasta and potato wedges.
Being in these places did not cost me much. Being there has also inspired me to start my own café – share with people the magic of good healthy food and drinks, do-it-yourself interior design and harmony with the community and environment.
In Sagada, the moment your soles take you out on the street, your soul will find places so charming. You’d feel like you’re inside a colorful story book.
/// Written by Kristine Buenavista, The Philippines
