Ganduyan Inn, Sagada, Northern Luzon, Philippines

Inquiries:

The Inn did not have a website at the time of writing, but you can check out Hotels.com for the best deals on other accommodations in the Sagada, Northern Luzon, Philippines area.

Location:

The hotel has two building. The original building is located steps away from the jeepney or bus stop in Sagada. In fact, Ganduyan Inn is the first building on your right after you get off the jeepney in Sagada. The second, or newer building, is located around the corner, a few minute walk up a hill from the original building. We stayed in the newer building and liked the location because it was quieter than staying on the main street. Since Sagada is a quiet, small town, there really isn't a location that's worse than another as long as it is in the center or near the center of town. All the restaurants and attractions are within walking distance. We wouldn't like to stay at the hotels located a few kilometers outside of town because the distance to the town and attractions is quite far.

Room Comfort:

The newer building opened at the beginning of 2010. The rooms are basic but clean and freshly painted. They also have their own private bathroom with hot water and a private balcony. The views from the room and balcony of Sagada town and the surrounding mountains are quite nice. The building had its own generator in case of brown-outs (or planned electric power cuts). This is one of the nicer budget accommodations in town and we were glad we stayed here as opposed to the establishments highlighted in the 2009 Philippines LonelyPlanet guide book.

Cleanliness:

The building and rooms were very clean and very well maintained. The towels and linens were also fresh and clean.

Service:

The Inn is owned by two local Philippine sisters who were very welcoming. They were very accommodating when we wanted something, including little items like hand soap, fresh towels, and so on. The owners were kind and caring and made sure that they did everything they could to make our stay enjoyable.

Food:

Although we didn't eat at this establishment, there is a small cafe / restaurant and small general store in the original building. The original building also has a small museum and souvenir shop.

Overall Value:

This establishment offers exceptional value for the area. We looked at many places in Sagada and for the money, this is the best in the area. Although this accommodation is basic and caters mainly to backpackers, we don't see any reason why other independent travelers wouldn't make this their first choice of accommodations in Sagada.

Other Notes:

• There is a great viewpoint near the town of Sagada that's rarely visited by tourist, especially at sunrise. The viewpoint is located about a 30-minute jog (or 60-minute walk) from the original Ganduyan Inn building. We had the pleasure of watching the sunrise over the rice terraces, clouds, mountains and towns in the valleys below from this viewpoint and think this is one of the best places to watch the sunrise on earth. We had the pleasure of watching the sunrise at many of the world's best places, but this one was one of the best that we saw. If you are in the area, don't miss this unique opportunity.

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