Ok they arent totally unique as China has some but these hanging coffins are highly unusual and you can see them from a view point behind the church or if they weather is OK youcan get down into the valley. The hanging coffins are drilled onto steel posts cut into craggy cliffs with the ritualistic ‘smoking’ chair to coil the departed into the foetal position to fit their tiny wooden box and leave this world in the position they entered, for me unique and well worth the visitto Sagada for these alone..
To me this appears to be the premier attraction of Sagada. At least since I've done my part of spelunking in Niue and elsewhere. Others might prefer the cave traverse. The coffins offer a striking sight of macabre beauty, at least when hit by rays of the afternoon sun. To get there is a mostly easy 30 min walk, passing the church and cemetery on the way down to the viewpoint.
There was a super typhoon that was affecting most parts of the country when we visited Sagada which made the weather colder than usual (I would like to believe so) and the trails wet and more dangerous than usual. We visited Echo Valley to see some hanging coffins but getting to the point where we can actually see some was a bit dangerous as there were no hand railings that you can hold on to for dear life and the trail was muddy and slippery. We went to one of the caves where we can get a closer look at the hanging coffins, this time there were parts where there were hand rails that you can hold on to. It was a good dose of Sagada mummy history culture (not sure if that's the right term) and it had that creepy factor to it. The view en route to where we went was spectacular, that was my consolation for this trip.
Sagada is a special city, full of surprises. The hanging coffins are one of them. Such an interesting culture and history, in the middle of this beautiful area with the gorgeous mountains and rocks. If you go to the most famous spot, it's totally worth it to trek down the hill, enjoy nature and see the river and the caves from there.
Sagada reminded me of being in Yangshuo, the small town just off of Guilin,China.Both these areas are over run with the Lonely Planet types making the area seem like a backpackers haven. I stopped to purchase some barbecue meat products from a street vendor roasting chicken heads on a stick ad chatted with her. I asked what made this particular town so popular and she said...the Lonely Planet. If you are a fan than this place is great! I found all the other little towns along the road to Banue just as interesting if not more!
We saw these on the eco-tour which was a 3 hour walk around, varied and an easy pace although those with dodgy knees might want to bring walking sticks. the guide Mario was informative and helpful. We found him at the tourist office.
Amazing how people in the old days have such culture and beliefs. The engineering of hanging the coffins and putting them in the cliffs where crazy also. The forest and the cliffs were beautiful. Make sure to do the full echo valley tour, so that you'll be able to see two more caves... the one with the underground river and the one they call crystal cave. :)
Booked a walking tour once we arrived in sagada, the guide will bring you to the hanging coffins plus a few other attractions. The coffins are an interesting sight. You can probably do this tour by yourself if you had information and a map. Be careful of taking photos of the local people as one farmer threw a stone a a member of our group for taking his photo.
We took an Eco Tour. It was a long walk up and down the mountains. View is very calming and beautiful. Felt uncomfortable seeing the hanging coffins, though.
Going there requires a bit of strength to endure a 30 minute trek to get near the hanging coffins but a really great way to learn about the rich history and culture of our country.