Bontoc is a city in Mountain Province of the Luzon Cordilleras.
Understand
[edit]Bontoc is a gateway to up north and to other prime locations such as Banaue and Sagada. It is a small town which is easy to figure out and walk around. Locals are very accommodating and can converse in English very well so there's no worry when asking for directions.
Get in
[edit]
By bus
[edit]- Baguio to Bontoc: GL Lizardo Buses, departs 3-4 AM and 8AM, 10AM &2:30PM Governor pck Rd. Baguio City, ₱220. D'Rising Sun buses depart 5AM-1PM from Slaughter House Compound Baguio City, ₱220.
- Metro Manila to Bontoc. Cabletours departs 8:30PM. The bus terminal is inside the Trinity University of Asia Campus at E. Rodriguez Ave. Cubao, Quezon City, ₱600.
- Sagada to Bontoc. Jeepneys leave hourly until 5:30PM and take one hour. ₱45.
- Banaue to Bontoc. Buses D'rising Sun, jeepneys and minivans. take two hours. ₱120/₱150.
Get around
[edit]Its very easy to walk around the main street and find everything you need. Tricycles here are cheap and you should not have a hassle paying the local rate.
See
[edit]- 1 Maligcong Rice Terraces, Favarey. A series of rice terraces in a remote village. Views from the terraces can be seen following a hike on Mount Kupapey.
- Mainit Hot Springs.
- 2 All Saints Cathedral, Loc-ong Road, Poblacion. The seat of the Anglican Church in Bontoc.
- 3 Santa Rita Cathedral, Poblacion. The seat of the Roman Catholic church in Mountain Province, built in an octagonal layout with multiple towers.
Do
[edit]- 1 Bontoc Museum, Bontoc Capitol Road, Poblacion. 8AM-5PM. Bontoc museum is a must-see if you are only stopping briefly into town. It has many great pictures and artifacts from the local tribes. ₱60.
- 2 Francis Pain (Local Guide), Churya-a Hotel, Halsema Highway, Poblacion, ☏ +63 9157690843. Francis is a great guide who knows 13 local dialects, he will take you up from Bontoc to the Kalinga tribes. Check out Buscalan where you can see Whang Od perform traditional tattoos, and other very remote villages.
Buy
[edit]- Sagada weaving products and other cordillera souvenirs at the mountain outlet store. Above the market square, behind the Land Bank in the multipurpose building.
- 1 PNB Bontoc, Nueva Vizcaya-Ifugao-Mountain Province Road, Poblacion. 8AM-5PM. Has a 24-hour ATM which only takes Visa Card. ₱60.
- 2 Bontoc Public Market, Halsema Highway, Poblacion.
Eat
[edit]- Etag. Dried salted meat.
- Dog meat. They serve dog menus in some of the karinderias there.
- Arik restaurant & snackhaus': Pancakes ₱15 with butter and sweetened condensed milk, brewed coffee ₱10. Green building on the second floor at the very end of town, on the left hand side, past the market, past the Mountain Provenience College, next to where the jeepneys leave for Kalinga.
- Habawel Koykeis Lechon Manok, Bontoc Poblacion (just across from Summit Bank).
Drink
[edit]- 1 Cable Café, Nueva Vizcaya-Ifugao-Mountain Province Road, Samoki (right beside Cable Tours). This is your really only option for drinking in town. It has some great live music there and has a friendly atmosphere.
- Central Point, Samoki.
- 2 Kidlaa Hotel and Restaurant, Nueva Vizcaya-Ifugao-Mountain Province Road, Samoki. A pretty decent bar with live bands.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Churya-a Hotel & Restaurant, Halsema Highway, Poblacion, ☏ +63 906-4300853. For budget travellers, and also has a great food menu. Single/double with outside bathrooms. Single ₱250, double ₱500..
- 2 Bontoc Hotel, Akfab Street, Poblacion (beside Bontoc Municipal Capitol), ☏ +63 9187460044.
- 3 Ridgebrooke Hotel and Restaurant, Nueva Vizcaya-Ifugao-Mountain Province Road, Samoki, ☏ +63 9196314835. ₱900/₱1200.
- 4 Archog Hotel and Restaurant, Nueva Vizcaya-Ifugao-Mountain Province Road, Samoki (other side of the Chico River), ☏ +63 921-4563166. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: Noon. Clean, very affordable, friendly staff, great food. Single/double with own bathroom. ₱800.
- 5 Mountain Hotel, Halsema Highway, Poblacion (next to the Tourist Office). Cheap and basic single/double rooms. No power outlets but will charge anything for free. Close to D Rising Bus Lines terminal. ₱120/₱240.
- 6 Walter Clapp Hotel, Loc-ong Road, Poblacion. ₱250.
- Ayadwa Cafe and Resto. Single room. ₱200.
Connect
[edit]Go next
[edit]There is a faster way to get to the East Coast without going all the way down to Baguio. There is a daily bus from Bontoc to Cervantes which departs from the market at 9:30AM. It costs ₱100 and 2 hours to get to Cervantes from Bontoc (May 2011). Once at Cervantes, you can take a van to Tagudin, which is in between Vigan and San Fernando (La Union). The ride is another 2 hours and goes over the Bessang Pass. It costs ₱150. Once at Tagudin, it is relatively easy to hop on a bus going north or south. An air-conditioned Partas bus heading from Tagudin to Vigan costs ₱153 and takes 2 hours.
There are regular jeepneys to Sagada.
| Routes through Bontoc |
| END ← | N  N
|
→ Banaue |
| La Trinidad ← Buguias ← | S  N
|
→ Lubuagan → Bangued |