Journey To Buscalan : Leaving Buscalan, Stranded In Banaue, a Blessing In Disguise

When all of us were done with our tattoo session with Whang Od (Check : Meeting Whang-od, The Last and the Oldest Mambabatok), we decided to pack up all our things and leave the village of Buscalan before it gets dark. It was passed 3pm and it started to drizzle. We passed through that crazy terrain again and made it on the drop off point just in time before the heavy rain started to pour.

It was one crazy ride I must say! Crazier than what we have experienced when we arrived in Kalinga. The non-stop rain yesterday caused a series of landslides and we were all freaking out because the enormous rocks that fell off the ground are still fresh and encountering sudden soil erosion is a great possibility. Little did we know, a strong typhoon will soon strike Banaue and nearby provinces which put us all in big trouble.

By the time we reached the town of Bontoc, the rain started to get worst. We were all rushing and we wanted to reach Baguio real soon. The original plan was to end the tour in Baguio where we can have our dinner and to buy some pasalubong too. Unfortunately because of some landslides, the road from Bontoc to Baguio has become inaccessible. It gave us no choice but to take the Banaue route and cancel all our Baguio plans.

To make it worse, we found out that one of our tires is flat. Good thing, a resident stopped and warned us about it. We have no spare tire and our driver has no choice but to find the nearest auto repair shop. We had to transfer to another van and went back to Bontoc and wait til the tire is fixed.

While waiting, we took the opportunity to have our dinner. It took almost an hour before the van returned and picked us up. It was getting real dark and the rain is getting even worst.

To top it all, our driver just got a report that a van was utterly destroyed by a landslide. They took the exact path that we are about to head. I realized that time that maybe getting a flat tire wasn’t a bad luck at all. In fact, it seems like a blessing in disguise. Who knows, maybe if we didn’t have to stop by at Bontoc and wait for the tire to get fixed, we might find ourselves in such critical situation.

The rain is getting worst and it’s already dark and yet we are still hitting the crazy road of Banaue in the middle of the night. We were also informed that the exit road to Banaue is no longer accessible because of the landslide which left us no choice but to find a nearby resort that can accommodate us all.

Luckily, we were warmly welcomed by Golden Farm Hotel in Bontoc, Mountain Province. We were all exhausted and we were all worried about our planned work schedule for tomorrow. We had no other option but to stay in Bontoc for another night
The owner of the resort was really accommodating and despite the fact that the numbers of our group are more than the standard capacity for each room, they gave us all exemptions. Golden Farm Hotel is located in Talubin, Bontoc, Mountain Province. It is situated near the Mount Kalawitan which makes it an ideal home stay for those who want to hike the mountain.  It is also ideally located near other tourist attractions in both Bontoc and Sagada (including the Bontoc Musuem, Maligcong Rice terraces and other notable attractions in Sagada).

Since we are all tired, I didn’t get the chance to explore the place but we are welcomed by a spacious room filled with all the basic amenities you need. They got hot shower, extra bed sheets and pools!
They also have strong wifi connection which allowed us all to update our relatives that we are all safe. There’s also a TV set which keep us all informed of the current weather condition.

The reception area is adorned with rustic furniture and huge painting on wall. They also serve hot coffee here! 


I woke up around 6 am and greeted by a nice and sunny morning. It was a great sign that the typhoon is finally over. We were also informed that the Banaue road is now accessible. Also to our surprise, we didn’t realized that Golden Farm Hotel houses some wild animals too including this monkey, some deer and wild boars (an attraction you should not miss when visiting this hotel).

For Golden Farm Hotel rooms, Check their Rates HERE.

Although the road became accessible, seeing how the typhoon and landslides utterly damaged the nearby houses and properties was absolutely depressing.

We’re very thankful that we were all safe and nothing else happened to us. It was overall an intense journey but what a great and unforgettable experience it was indeed!

This finally concludes my Journey to Buscalan series. For those who have missed it, here are the links you may want to follow.
• Meeting the Oldest and Youngest Tattoo Artist of Kalinga (Prologue)
•A Glimpse of Banaue Rice Terraces
•Cathedral Of All Saints in Bontoc, Mountain Province
•Our First Day in Buscalan
•Inked by One of the Youngest Mambabatok
•The Kids of Buscalan
•Meeting Whang-Od, the Last and the Oldest Mambabatok
•Leaving Buscalan, Stranded In Banaue, A Blessing In Disguise

Feel free to watch this video summary