DIY Guide: Northern Blossom Flower Farm in Atok, Benguet

Have you ever dreamed of visiting the most famous flower farms scattered all over the world? To name a few, some of the most beautiful flower farms are located in the Netherlands, Amsterdam, and Japan. Worry not, since you no longer have to hop on a plane and travel for hours since one can get a similar glimpse of the world-renowned flower farms here in our country.

GETTING THERE

Northern Blossom Flower Farm is located in Brgy. Sayangan, Atok, Benguet.

Via Public Transport

Metro Manila to Northern Blossom Farm – board a bus bound for Baguio at the Pasay or Cubao terminals. Victory Liner, Genesis Transport, Joy Bus (Genesis’ Deluxe bus) and Partas are some of the bus companies that have regular trips to and from Baguio City. Travel time from Metro Manila to Baguio usually takes around 6 to 8 hours if you are taking the regular air-conditioned bus. On the other hand, if you boarded a deluxe bus, the trip would only take 4 to 5 hours.

Note: Deluxe bus ticketing terminals accept reservations one week prior to your desired date of departure. It is important to book a reservation early since the chance passenger queue could get long and there is no guarantee that you board the bus.

Baguio City to Northern Blossom Farm – upon alighting the bus, make your way to the Dangwa bus terminal located along Magsaysay Road and board any bus bound for Besao, Bontoc or Sagada. Inform the conductor that you will alight the bus at the Northern Blossom Flower Farm. Travel time will take 1 hour and 30 minutes up to 2 hours.

Via Private Vehicle

Baguio City to Northern Blossom Flower Farm – follow Waze’s directions heading to Northern Blossom Flower Farm. Travel time may take up to 1 hour and 30 minutes. If Waze is unavailable, make your way towards the junction at the La Trinidad Municipal Hall and take the road on the right until you reach your destination.

BUDGET AND EXPENSES

Upon reaching Northern Blossom Flower Farm, make your way towards the reception area and pay an entrance fee of P200 per person. This includes snacks and coffee to be served after your tour. You may also opt to hire a local tour guide who will explain the types of flowers and a brief history of these flowers. There is no fixed amount for the tour guide fee, but you may give any amount in exchange for their tour services.

SAMPLE DAY TOUR ITINERARY

09:00 – departure from Baguio City

10:30 – arrival at the Northern Blossom Flower Farm

10:50 – begin tour

12:20 – end of tour

13:10 – departure from Northern Blossom Flower Farm

13:25 – arrival at the Highest Point concrete marker

14:00 – departure from Highest Point bound for Baguio City

15:30 – arrival at Baguio City

WHAT TO EXPECT

ATM Availability: there are no available ATMs within the vicinity of the Northern Blossom Flower Farm, it is advised that you bring enough cash with you.

Cellular Reception: reception for Globe, Smart and Sun Cellular is available at the Northern Blossom Flower Farm area, but there is little to no reception along Halsema Highway.

Road Condition: it is not advisable to traverse Halsema Highway when there are intermittent rains since Halsema Highway is prone to rock slides and landslides. Halsema Highway is also known for its long and winding roads, so better make sure that both the driver and the vehicle are prepared and geared up for the long trip ahead.

Temperature: the temperature in Atok could drop down to a single digit, so if you are not accustomed to being exposed in cold weather, it is advised that you bring thick jackets, gloves and bonnets to keep you warm.

NORTHERN BLOSSOM FLOWER FARM + SIDE TRIP

HIghest Point Concrete MarkerHighest Point View Deck

A few kilometers from the Northern Blossom Flower Farm is the concrete marker for the Highest Point in the Philippine Highway System and a view deck where one can marvel at the beauty of the Cordilleran mountain range.

Update: As of March 20, 2019, this is no longer the Philippines’ Highest Point. See article: PH highway’s highest point now in Ifugao

Cloud9, Siargao: Surfing for Non-surfers

Among the notable tourist spots in Siargao, the Philippines’ surfing capital, is the Cloud9 surfing spot – which would really make you feel as if you’re on Cloud9.

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All of us had no experience in surfing, but we enjoyed it so much that we had to visit Cloud9 again during our 4D/3N stay in Siargao

 

GETTING TO CLOUD9, SIARGAO

From General Luna to Cloud9

Our flight landed in Siargao at 13:50 and we boarded a van which brought us to General Luna. After a 30-minute drive from the airport, we were dropped off at our accommodation. Wanting to make most of our time in Siargao, we headed to the Cloud9 surfing spot after taking a 1-hour power nap from our long commute. We booked a tour package with Atomic Traveller which included van transfers to the tour drop off points and which took us back to our accommodation in General Luna. Our van ride to Cloud9 from our accommodation, Euna’s Nest, took around 10 minutes. Aside from availing a van transfer service, you can also opt to ride a tricycle or a habal-habal worth P20 per person.

 

From Club Tara to Cloud9

We spent our last night at the Club Tara Resort, located at the Bucas Grande Island, which is roughly 2 hours from the main island of Siargao. Upon check-in, the front desk attendant asked us if we already have a boat arrangement which would take us back to the main island. Since we did not have any arrangements, the attendant asked us if we wanted to avail of their boat going back to the main island. A boat rental cost from Club Tara going to Dapa Port is P2,500 / $47, while the boat rental cost from Club Tara going to the General Luna Boulevard is P3,000 / $57.

Since their boat was bigger and had a bigger engine compared to the boat we rode going to Club Tara, we arrived at the General Luna Boulevard after a 1-hour boat ride. Here, there are vans and tricycles waiting for passengers. We rode a tricycle going to the Cloud9 surfing spot, which cost us P80 / $1.50 per person (not a bad price since we had 4 luggages and 4 backpacks, haha).

 

EXPENSES IN CLOUD9

  • Cloud9 Entrance Fee (per person): P50 / $0.94
  • Surfboard Rental with instructor: P250 / $4.75
  • Surfboard Rental without instructor: P500 / $9.45
  • Photographer (optional): P300 / $5.67

 

USEFUL TIPS WHEN IN CLOUD9

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  • It is low tide in Cloud9 from 1PM until 4PM – not a good time to go surfing.
  • Cloud9’s seafloor is composed of rocks, therefore be prepared to get yourself scratched and bruised from falling off your surfboard – don’t be afraid, it’s nothing serious.
  • Don’t forget to ask your instructor to present his SISA (Siargao Island Surfers Association) ID – no SISA ID, no surfing lesson.
  • Don’t forget to tip your surfing instructor as this may be their only means of income.

4D3N in Siargao: Itinerary and Travel Tips

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Located in the province of Surigao del Norte in the Philippines is the breath-taking island of Siargao. Siargao is covered with an abundance of palm trees and mangroves which contribute to its “tropical vibe.” Although the island is known for its numerous surfing spots, there is so much more Siargao has to offer even for non-surfers.

 

REASONS TO VISIT SIARGAO

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Aside from its various Instagrammable spots, be prepared to treat your eyes for a feast from the moment the plane is on its final descent to the commute up until the plane ascends as you leave the jewel of an island Siargao is. I should warn you, though; that leaving Siargao will cause you heartaches and make you feel as if you left a piece of your heart there, and moving on from this heartache will be tough.

Another reason to visit Siargao are the locals – everyone there was nice to us from the moment we set foot on the island until we left.

 

GETTING TO SIARGAO

Only a few airlines offer direct flights to and from Siargao. Thankfully, we were able to book a flight from Clark, Pampanga which flew directly to Sayak Airport in Siargao with Philippine Airlines. Our flight departed at 12:00 at noontime and touched down at around 13:50. Although there was a one-way base fare promo worth P988 at the time of our booking, we booked our round trip flight at its regular price amounting to P4,032 per person which included a 7-kg hand-carry bag per person, and fees for a 10-kg check-in luggage going to Siargao and a 30-kg check-in luggage on our flight heading back to Clark Airport, since there were no available promo fares on the dates we were to visit Siargao.

(Note: we divided the 10-kg and the 30-kg among our group of 4)

 

NUMBER OF DAYS TO SPEND TO BE ABLE TO FULLY ENJOY SIARGAO

Although its land area may be relatively small in comparison to other known islands in the Philippines, do not underestimate Siargao. A month will surely be insufficient if you truly want to indulge and bask in the beauty that Siargao has to offer. But for those who have jobs to return to, a good 4 days will suffice to be able to visit the top tourist spots in Siargao namely: Cloud 9 Surf Spot, Sugba Lagoon, Magpupungko Rock Formation, the tri-island (Guyam Island, Daku Island and Naked Island) hopping and Sohoton Cove.

 

USEFUL TIPS WHEN IN SIARGAO

  • Book an accommodation within the General Luna area since tour packages offer pick-ups and drop offs within the General Luna vicinity only.
  • Remember to bring enough cash with you since there is a limited number of ATMs on the island.
  • Souvenir shops located at the GL area generally close at 9PM or 10PM.
  • Cloud 9 and Sugba Lagoon experience low tide from 1PM to 4PM, thus it is not advisable to go surfing in Cloud 9 and jumping from the diving board in Sugba Lagoon.
  • Sohoton Cove experiences high tide from 1PM – the locals suggest that all Sohoton tours should be over before the high tide sets in.
  • The boat ride to and from Sohoton Cove lasts for 2 hours – during this 2-hour boat ride, we spent about 30minutes treading through the rough sea. Remember to waterproof your valuables, or simply use a waterproof bag during this tour.
  • Cellphone reception for both Globe/TM and Smart/Sun around the General Luna is strong. On the other hand, there is little to no signal reception in the Sohoton Cove area.

 

OUR 4D/3N ITINERARY IN THE PARADISE ISLAND OF SIARGAO

Day 1: Surfing in General Luna’s Cloud9

12:00NN – Departure from Clark International Airport

02:00PM – Arrival at Sayak Airport / Departure to General Luna accommodation

03:00PM – Arrival at accommodation / Rest

04:30PM – Pick up from accommodation / Proceed to Cloud 9

04:50PM – Surfing lessons

05:50PM – Head back to accommodation

06:00PM – Rest / Freshen up / Dinner / Socials

 

Day 2: Sugba Lagoon and Magpupungko Rock Formation

09:00AM – Pick up from accommodation

10:00AM – Aboard boat for Sugba Lagoon

02:00PM – ETD from Sugba Lagoon

04:00PM – ETA at Magpupungko Rock Formation

05:00PM – ETA at accommodation

 

Day 3: Tri-island Hopping and Sohoton Cove

06:00AM – Pick up from GL accommodation

06:40AM – Tri-island hopping tour

11:30AM – ETA Sohoton Cove

12:00NN – Sohoton Cove tour

02:00PM – Drop off at Club Tara (we checked in to Club Tara)

 

Day 4: Surfing in General Luna’s Cloud9

07:00AM – Boat pick up from Club Tara

08:30AM – ETA Boulevard (General Luna)

09:00AM – Surfing lessons

11:00AM – Freshen up / Lunch

01:00PM – ETD for airport

02:30PM – Departure from Siargao

Read here: Cloud9, Siargao: Surfing for Non-surfers