For the longest time, it was uncommon to listen to about facet journeys from Baguio or La Trinidad. Given the sheer variety of Baguio vacationer points of interest that may simply fill any given traveler’s itinerary, it was troublesome to think about needing to exit in seek for extra locations to go to. Alongside got here Atok.
This rustic city has been a favourite day journey vacation spot amongst many Baguio locals however is barely seen by vacationers. All of the sudden, when the thrill surrounding its flower parks resonated on social media, this bucolic city was immediately catapulted into fame.
Positioned about 48 kilometers north of Baguio, Atok could be reached after a two-hour drive. Getting right here, the street is paved all the best way however the drive isn’t all the time straightforward. It zigzags persistently and, due to the altitude, visibility is usually a difficulty. However those that courageous the winding street and steep cliffs get rewarded with an idyllic, usually unforgettable, escape.
If you’re planning to go to Atok quickly, listed below are a number of the must-see locations and must-do actions (in no explicit order).
Atok Issues to Do
Superb dawn
And after we say superb, we imply gloooorious! This has obtained to be one of the spectacular sunrises we’ve seen. You see, Atok is perched atop naturally forested or manually terraced mountains, placing you at a fairly magnificent vantage level. All you’ll want to do — though simpler stated than achieved — is get up early and look ahead to the solar’s rays to slowly burst out of the ridges of the distant peaks.
You’ll discover quite a few viewpoints in Atok, however our lookout of alternative was Dawn Cabin Travellers Inn, a tiny inn atop a cliff, excellent for dawn watching, therefore the title. In the event you’re fortunate, you additionally get handled to a view of a sea of clouds slowly drifting beneath.
One other favourite dawn viewing spot is Northern Blossom Flower Farm. Talking of…
Northern Blossom Flower Farm
This intricately designed flower farm performed an enormous position in placing Atok on the mainstream vacationer map. It’s often pictures of their cabbage roses (rose cabbages?) bathing within the faint morning glow that make the rounds on Instagram and Fb, attracting an increasing number of guests.
As for me, I simply adore flowers. To me, it means happiness, success, and good instances. The varied stunning blooms in season add colours and life to our environment, eliciting sighs of surprise and awe from admiring spectators. Think about how delighted I used to be to be on the Northern Blossom Flower Farm, strolling in between towering stalks of blooms. The sight of flower terraces overlooking the silhouette of the mountains within the distance is completely tattooed on my thoughts.
Other than its signature rose cabbages, you’ll additionally discover several types of annual and perennial blossoms like lilies, hydrangeas, larkspurs, and sunflowers.
It’s finest to go to early within the morning for 2 causes. One, to keep away from the gang. Two, to keep away from the solar. It’s straightforward to get sunburnt at greater locations when it’s chilly, simply because we don’t really feel it straight away. However in the event you can’t assist visiting between 10:00 AM and three:00 PM, simply convey safety from the solar like a hat, shades, and umbrella.
The ticket price is inclusive of espresso and bread/snack. If you’re planning to remain in a single day in Atok, the flower farm additionally presents lodging — each home and room choices.
Handle: Northern Blossom Flower Farm, KM50, Barangay Cattubo, Atok, Benguet
Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday, 6:00 AM – 12:00 PM & 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM; Sunday, CLOSED. This may change, so test the official Fb web page for updates and bulletins.
Entrance Price: Common (11-59 y/o), P250; Senior & PWD with ID, P200; Little one (6-10 y/o), P50; Little one (0-5 y/o), FREE
Information Price: P250 per group
Haight’s Place
One other flowery attraction in Atok is Haight’s Place, tucked in one of many municipality’s coldest corners. Identical to Northern Blossom, it’s house to numerous rows of flowering vegetation like snapdragons, alstroemeria, and cosmos, portray the world in numerous colours. A couple of photograph spots are additionally put in all through the place.
Other than its flowers, Haight’s Place can be open for tenting and pre-nuptial shoots. It additionally has lodging choices (cabins) for in a single day keep. And in the event you get hungry exploring the place, there’s a cafe inside the principle constructing.
Handle: Haight’s Place, Barangay Paoay, Atok, Benguet
Opening Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Day by day). The schedule might change, relying on particular occasion or personal gathering reservations, so test the official Fb web page of Haight’s Place for the bulletins.
Entrance Price: Common, P150; Senior, P100; Little one (8-12 y/o), P50; Little one (7 y/o and beneath), FREE. Be aware that these charges embrace entrance to Sakura Park, Environmental Price, and Upkeep Price.
Sakura Park
Do you know that the Philippines has its personal cherry blossom park? It’s located simply subsequent to Haight’s Place! In keeping with our guides, the Sakura Park is a totally separate entity. Haight’s Place is privately owned, charging an entrance price, whereas the Sakura Park is public and is accessible for FREE. However as a result of they’re so shut to one another, most guests mistake the 2 as a single attraction.
Positioned in Barangay Paoay, the Sakura Park is the place they planted the cherry bushes gifted in 2016 by Japan’s Kochi Prefecture and the Japanese Embassy to the Province of Benguet. They gave a complete of 40 bushes in celebration of their 40 years of friendship, however solely 34 blossomed.
Why right here? The native authorities of Atok selected this spot as a result of it meets the environmental situations wanted for sakura to bloom. However in fact, it’s seasonal.
In the event you want to see them in full bloom, it might get difficult as a result of it’s all about timing it proper. Once we visited in early March, the bushes had been naked. Our guides stated they need to bloom in late March to April, relying on the rain. And once they do, they often simply final for every week or two, identical to different sorts of sakura. Regardless, the park has different flowering vegetation scattered across the website.
By the best way, to handle your expectations, these bushes are a bit small (extra like large shrubs than bushes).
Handle: Sakura Park, Barangay Paoay, Atok, Benguet
Opening Hours: Day by day, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. The schedule might change, relying on particular occasion or personal gathering reservations, so test the official Fb web page of Haight’s Place for the bulletins.
Entrance Price: FREE
Second Highest Level of PH Freeway System
Positioned alongside Halsema Freeway, Atok used to carry the title of the best level within the Philippine Freeway System on the altitude of seven,400 toes (2,255 meters) above sea stage. It clung to that report from World Battle II till 2019, when a brand new highest level was proclaimed. As we speak that distinction is held by a spot at about 7,968 toes (2,429 meters) alongside the Kiangan-Tinoc-Buguias Street within the municipality of Tinoc in Ifugao.
Though the crown has been snatched, it nonetheless stays a worthy cease; due to the beautiful view of the craggy panorama beneath. Vacationers (presumably on the best way to or from Sagada and Bontoc) nonetheless drop by to take pictures with the outdated signage.
Location: KM52, Halsema Freeway, Barangay Cattubo, Atok, Benguet
Lourdes Grotto (Wagangan Rock Formations)
Protruding in the midst of an enormous space of vegetable terraces, the Wagangan Rock Formations safeguard the Lourdes Grotto, also called the Bosleng Grotto. Hid atop a peculiar stack of big rocks, it’s arduous to overlook in the event you’re coming from Haight’s Place or Sakura Park.
From the jump-off level or parking space, you’ll must take a quick trek, previous gardens and vegetable fields. However don’t fear, the path isn’t that lengthy or that steep.
Fronting the doorway of the grotto is a humble open-air chapel adorned with a easy rock altar and a cross. Inside is a statue of Our Girl of Lourdes. It’s a functioning chapel and Mass is held right here recurrently, based on our information.
The rock formations additionally cradle two viewpoints, one on the very high and one other just under it. Vacationers can climb the rocks to understand the breathtaking views of the fields and the mountains past. However we discovered the decrease lookout to be significantly better. In the event you resolve to go all the best way to the highest, watch out on the steep approach down.
Handle: Our Girl of Lourdes Bosleng Grotto, Barangay Paoay, Atok, Benguet
Opening Hours: Wayangan Rock Formation, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Day by day); Lourdes Grotto Gates, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Saturdays). The schedule might change with out prior discover. It’s possible you’ll contact the Atok Tourism Workplace for the newest bulletins.
Entrance Price: P120/head
Halsema Half Tunnel
Alongside the winding Halsema Freeway (Baguio-La Trinidad-Bontoc Street), a 50-meter half-tunnel (with 3.8 meters top clearance) has change into considered one of Atok’s standard points of interest. After Storm Trining devastated the area, washing out the street within the space, the one viable possibility for street development was to carve out this large rocky outcrop making a pure half-tunnel.
Coming from Baguio, you’ll go via the half tunnel simply earlier than reaching Atok Municipal Corridor and Atok Vacationer Middle in Barangay Cattubo. A couple of toes away from the half tunnel, there’s a restroom and a few outlets. You possibly can park right here if you wish to cease for pictures.
Location: Halsema Half Tunnel, Halsema Freeway, Atok, Benguet
Osocan Spanish Path
The Osocan Spanish Path (or typically merely Spanish Path) was a part of the advanced community of horse and foot trails utilized by the Spaniards centuries in the past. Additionally referred to as the Salt Path, this was the route used to move salt all through the area. Again within the day, right here within the highlands, salt could be very valuable.
In keeping with our information, the path stretches for 2-3 kilometers, that includes three man-made tunnels or caves carved via large rocks.
There are literally two trailheads — the simpler downward path and the upward path. The descending route’s trailhead is positioned close to the Sakura Park space, whereas the ascending route’s trailhead is positioned between KM46 and KM47 (Landmark: JNB Diesel Station).
Loyung’s Restaurant
Positioned alongside Halsema Freeway, someplace between the Half Tunnel and the Northern Blossom Flower Farm, Loyung’s Restaurant is a well-liked roadside relaxation and eating cease for vacationers, particularly these heading to or coming from Sagada or Bontoc. It has an enormous parking zone and a spacious eating space.
It serves reasonably priced Filipino dishes with comparatively greater servings in comparison with the standard roadside eateries. We tried sinigang na ulo ng baboy (pig’s head in bitter soup), chopseuy, and fried liempo (pork stomach).
For desserts, we had custard cake and egg pie. In keeping with them, the bestseller is the custard cake, however the crew preferred the egg pie higher.
Handle: KM49, Halsema Freeway, Barangay Cattubo, Atok, Benguet
Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday, 5:00 AM – 8:30 PM; Sunday, CLOSED
Mount Timbak
At over 2700 meters above sea stage, Mount Timbak is the third highest mountain in Luzon. (Close by Mt. Pulag and Mt. Tabayoc are first and second respectively.) And sure, you may entry it from Atok. (You possibly can see its summit from the Second Highest Level.)
Once we had been exploring the city, our driver Kuya Bobby extremely beneficial it to us for our future journey. We didn’t get to climb it then as a result of we didn’t have time, it wasn’t in our itinerary, and we weren’t even positive if it was open. (The city was simply beginning to reopen after we visited.)
The path to the highest, they are saying, is punctuated by the Stations of the Cross. Evidently, the summit affords an impressive view. Additionally close by is the location of the Cave Mummies of Timbak.
Atok Guided Excursions
Atok Day Tour from Baguio
If you’re an enormous group otherwise you simply need a hassle-free journey to Atok from Baguio, you may take a look at tour packages. We one discovered on-line that’s inclusive of personal roundtrip transportation, entrance charges, refreshments, snacks, and souvenirs. You possibly can comply with the hyperlink beneath for more information:
✅ CHECK ATOK DAY TOUR PACKAGE HERE!
Atok Tour Packages
Whereas many vacationers go straight to points of interest, we extremely encourage you to drop by the Atok Tourism Workplace (throughout the Municipal Corridor advanced) to register, pay the ecological charges, and rent a tour information. This manner, not solely do you earn a greater understanding of each cease, however you additionally get to assist the native tour guides and drivers.
If you’re taken with reserving a guided tour, listed below are your choices. The charges are inclusive of information and transportation inside Atok however unique of entrance charges.
- PACKAGE 1
P1,500 (Good for five pax)
– Mount Olis
– Lourdes Grotto
– Sakura Park / Haight’s Place / 2nd Highest Level
– Northern Blossom Flower Farm - PACKAGE 2
P2,200 (Good for five pax)
– Mount Timbak
– 2nd Highest Level
– Hidden Cypress Botanical Backyard
– Northern Blossom Flower Farm / Mount Olis Viewpoint - PACKAGE 3
P2,500 (Good for five pax)– Mount Olis
– Lordes Grotto
– Sakura Park / Haight’s Place / 2nd Highest Level
– Mount Timbak
– Northern Blossom Flower Farm - PACKAGE 4
P3,500 (Good for five pax)– Mount Olis
– Sakura Park / Haight’s Place / 2nd Highest Level
– Mount Timbak
– Hidden Cypress Botanical Backyard
– Northern Blossom Flower Farm
The place to Keep in Atok
Planning to remain in a single day in Atok? Don’t anticipate finding full-service lodges right here. However don’t fear as a result of there are homestays, inns, and transient homes obtainable. As talked about earlier, our crew stayed at Dawn Cabin Travellers Inn, which is conveniently positioned close to the Northern Blossom Flower Farm. Beneath are the contact particulars and different choices:
- Dawn Cabin Travellers Inn
Contact Quantity: +63 950 658 7171
Social Media: Fb Web page - Northern Blossom Transient Rooms & Homes
Contact Quantity: +63 908 151 3368 | +63 967 095 9033
Social Media: Fb Web page - Haight’s Place
Contact Quantity: +63 967 483 4555
Social Media: Fb Web page - Burton’s Cabin & Yard
Contact Quantity: +63 907 882 6188
Social Media: Fb Web page - Isaac Transient & Ambiance Backyard
Contact Quantity: +63 909 208 4203
Social Media: Fb Web page
Updates Log
2024 11 21 – Up to date to mirrored modifications in schedules and charges; added lodging choices and tour package deal choices
2022 4 11 – First uploaded
Co-written with Yosh Dimen
Images by Yosh Dimen & Asta Alvarez
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