About Buscalan
Immerse with the unique culture and tradition of the mountain people and be awed with the natural beauty of one of the least explored provinces of Cordilleras – Kalinga!
An off-beat travel destination, the province of Kalinga offers beyond what most expect. And where’s best to experience the place aside from its provincial capital Tabuk? Tinglayan is one!
A sleepy town southwest of Tabuk, Tinglayan is dotted with panoramic rice terraces and surrounded by verdant mountains including the legendary Sleeping Beauty, a mountain range consisting of Mount Patukan, Mating-oy Dinayao and Mantingoy. The range is called as such because its silhouette resembles that of a sleeping woman.
Tinglayan is also home to tattooed women and warriors that are common in all of Kalinga, particularly the tribes of Bangad, Basaso, Botbot, Dananoao, Tinglayan and Sumadel. There are 20 villages or barangay that make up the town and the most prominent is the village of Buscalan where the great Whang-Od (Fang-Od), the the oldest and last surviving hand-tap tattoo artist lives. Tourists endure the one-hour trek to this village to meet and/or get a tattoo from this legendary woman.
But more than Whang-od, there are more in Tinglayan that will surely delight nature and adventure lovers. Check out the rice terraces of Buscalan-Loccong, Bugnay, Tulgao, Dananao, Luplupa, Padjao and Ambato Legleg; trek to Palan-ah falls and Hotsprings in Tulgao West; bike the trails of the town; or hike the great Sleeping Beauty.
Choose the road less traveled. Explore Tinglayan and bring home a whole new Cordillera experience!
How to Go to Buscalan/Tinglayan
The town of Tinglayan can be reached from either Tabuk in Kalinga or Bontoc in Mountain Province.
Via Tabuk
To date, the Tabuk route is the most convenient since there is no direct trip from Manila to Bontoc.
From Manila, Victory Liner has daily trips to Tabuk from Kamias Terminal. It is a 10 to 11 hours ride via NLEX – Maharlika Highway passing through the provinces of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya and Isabela, fare is around P680 (as of 2014).
From Tabuk, catch a jeep or bus to Bontoc or Tinglayan across Saint William’s Cathedral. The ride passes through Tinglayan, travel time takes approximately three (3) hours and fare is around P130 (as of 2014). Get off at Bugnay if you take the Bontoc jeep, otherwise you will have to transfer to another jeepney going to Bugnay if you take the Tinglayan jeepney.
If you are coming from Tuguegarao, there are jeepneys and vans available in the city for an hour ride to Tabuk, jeepney fare is around P60. Last trip is around 4PM.
If you are going to Buscalan, proceed to the junction to Buscalan and trek for an hour to reach the village.
Via Bontoc
If you are coming from Bontoc, jeepneys and buses are available to Tabuk that pass through Tinglayan. First trip is at 7 AM and last trip at 11AM. This is a scenic route, passing by the rice terraces of Sadanga, Betwagan and Bugnay.
If you are going to the village of Buscalan, ask to be dropped off to the junction to Buscalan and trek for an hour to reach the village.
Coda Lines Corporation has a daily trip from Cubao HM Terminal to Bontoc. The bus leaves daily at 8PM, 9PM and 10PM, arriving Bontoc after eleven hours of the next day, regular fare is P760. For more inquiries, contact +639771860548 and +639394677863, or visit their Facebook page.
Going Around and Away
Public buses and jeepneys from Tabuk to Bontoc and vice versa pass through the town of Tinglayan via the Tabuk – Lubuagan – Tinglayan – Sadanga – Tocucan – Bontoc Road. The road is in good condition. The trips though are limited with the last trip at around noon for both route.
From Poblacion, there are double track trails going to the villages of Dananaw, Tulgao, Butbut and Ngibat that are accessible mainly to two-wheeled vehicles. The other villages including Buscalan can only be reached through human trails.
Where to Stay in Tinglayan
There is no big hotel or resort in Tinglayan, only small inns and lodges that offer basic accommodation and homestays. To date there are only three commercial accommodations, one in the village of Luplupa and two in Poblacion.
- Luplupa Riverside Inn Luplupa, Tinglayan, Kalinga Rate: P250/person/night Contact: +639177501204
- Sleeping Beauty Inn Poblacion, Tinglayan Rate: P200/person/night
Homestay is the only accommodation option in the village of Buscalan. Just ask around and the locals will direct you to one. Rate is as low as P175/person/night.
What to Do in Tinglayan
- Get a tribal tattoo from Whang-od in Buscalan Village, tattoo rate varies and usually starts at P300 for a small one
- Visit the only surviving Kalinga warrior Fa’wad Accad in Luplupa
- See the rice terraces of Buscalan-Loccong, Bugnay, Tulgao, Dananao, Luplupa and Ambato Legleg
- Don’t miss their coffee!
- Trek to Palan-ah falls and Hotsprings in Tulgao West
- Take home some local products such as coffee, local wine and knives
- Go mountain biking
- Hike the great Sleeping Beauty, trekking usually takes eight (8) hours
- Go white water rafting in Chico River
- Explore Tabuk, Balabalan and the other towns and attractions of Kalinga
- Head to the neighboring Mountain Province and visit the attractrions in Bontoc, Maligcong and Sagada
Sample Overnight Itinerary and Budget in Buscalan (Via Tabuk)
Day 0 Manila to Tabuk
1930H: Departure from Victory Liner Kamias to Tabuk
Day 1 Tabuk to Buscalan
0600H: Arrival in Tabuk, heavy breakfast
0700H: Catch a jeep or bus to Bontoc or Tinglayan
1100H: Arrival in Bugnay, trek to Buscalan
1230H: Arrival in Buscalan, find homestay, lunch
1330H: Free time, tattoo session, see the rice terraces, etc
1800H: Dinner, socials, lights out
Day 2 Trek down
0530H: Call time, see sunrise in Padjao Rice Terraces
0630H: Breakfast
0700H: Trek back to Bugnay
0830H: Catch a jeep back to Tabuk or Bontoc then Sagada
*Estimated budget P2500
Other Tips
- In compliance to the new municipal ordinance, all tourists are now required to pay eco-cultural fee of P75 per person
- Relative to the new ordinance, all tourists are also now required to have a guide with fee as follows:
- P1,000 per day for one guide (1 to 5 tourists)
- P2,000 per day for up to two guides (6 to 10 tourists)
- P3,000 per day for up to three guides (11 to 15 tourists)
- P4,000 per day for up to four guides (16 to 20 tourists)
- No ATM in town
- Best time to go is during dry months from December to May
- Mobile signal is weak to non-existent
- There is no restaurant in Buscalan but you can order food from where you are staying
- Tattooing schedule is on first-come-first-served basis
Updated: 05-Nov-2015; 15-Jan-2016; 25-Mar-2018
Anyone travelling to buscalan, bontoc, sagada and baguio on dec 26 to 29 or 30? Will be travelling alone. See you! ☺ [email protected]
Hey.. Can we join you? We’re planning to go there on same date.
good day!! i’ll be going to buscalan this coming Nov.26 for my thanksgiving break .. any advise? we really don’t know the place .. first time to treck and do mountain stuff.
hoping to see kind comments and info! thanks a lot!
hi bro pwede makijoin? 26 din ko plano pumunta
go lang!! kitakits sa tabuk oh sa victory liner?!
Ask ko lang po magkakano rate ng guides?
Mag-isa lang ako na pupunta
1k po per day, so very advisable na my kasama po kayo 🙂 punta po kami next week 🙂
ah ok thanks…sayang pajoin sana kaso last week of november ako pupunta
Hello! Anong exact date kayo punta?
anyone going to buscalan in December 2015? Can I come along? :). Im going to sagada on 11/28 and will also go to buscalan. You can email me at [email protected]. Thanks!
Hi everyone!
I will be in Baguio on Nov.26 and planning to visit Buscalan by Nov.28. I’m also traveling alone, hoping I could join those who are going on that date. Kindly text/call me on my mobile phone number 09057685698 or email me [email protected] thanks!
aw sayang…departure ko from manila nov 25 ng gabi
Hi which dates will you be going to buscalan on dec?
Hi! Guys can you please help me. I will be travelling on nov. 13 from manila. What is the best time to go there? Do i need to hire a travel guide for hiking? Please help me. Thank you so much.
9pm po, so you can catch the 8am bontoc van
[…] next day, we woke up early and started our journey from Mount Polis to Bontoc and onward to Tinglayan on our first day, then to Lubuagan down to Tabuk on our second day. How did our ride went? As […]
Thanks for the blog Sir…
Btw, are the guides number updated/ still working? I’m planning to visit on November with a friend?
thanks
Charlie’s number is updated. 🙂 0998 188 8697
thank you… hope to be there 🙂
iHi angel, I’ve read your blog and I’m a fan of it by the way. You’re blog is so updated and the information are so complete. I would like to ask for your assistance because I’m really clueless when it comes to places in Luzon. My girlfriend and I are planning to Visit Apo Whang-Od this April and we are planning to boom our flights this October. By the way we are from Cebu City. Can you help us how many days it would take for us to go to Apo Whang-od and also we are planning to Go to Mt. Pulag after going to Buscalan or go to Sagada. I really need help in plotting out itinerary from Manila to Apo Whang od then from there to Mt. Pulag and or Sagada. Hoping you could help us out. Thank you!!
You can reach me through my email at [email protected]
Very informative to promote local tourism in the area. I’m from the said town & reading all praises and good words to our town makes me wants to go home & rediscover the place as a tourist.
Hello,
I am planning to go from manila to buscalan in december. Is 3 days enough for the trip or would people recommend 4?
Which route is the quicker way to get to Buscalan, via Tabuk or via Bontoc?
Also is there anything else to do in the area?
Thanks
hello! just wanted to share our guide’s contact number.
His name is Moses Atuban: 0935-919-5784
Our group were already booked to Francis Pain weeks ahead but when we arrive at Tinglayan, he already left with his other group. They were already in their route to Buscalan and we can’t contact him anymore.
The people from Sleeping Beauty Inn were kind enough to look for guides that can accommodate us. Luckily, Kuya Moses and his current group are still in Luplupa Tinglayan by that time. We called him and he happily accommodated us.
**For Francis Pain, we met him the following day. He apologized for not being able to handle us despite the fact that we already booked a schedule with him. We were disappointed of course, but we were already very thankful because we have a very kind and accommodating guide.
Hi Kathy,
How was the weather and road condition nung pagpunta nyo sa buscalan? Punta din kc ako dun this coming sept. 24..
Thanks!
Francis
Hi! Im planning to visit buscalan this coming november =) do you still have the contact number of Sir. Francis Pain
Hi! pupunta po kmi ng buscalan this aug. via baguio, try po nmn sakyana nag last trip papuntang bontoc.safe nmn po ba pag gbi na makarating and may mga homestay nmn po ba around town?Thnaks for answering in advance.
Hello. Great post. Can I use your photos for my report in school? I’ll be sure to credit you as the owner of the photos and I will, of course, cite your website. 🙂 Thank you so much.
Very informative article. Your pictures seem as alive.
Hi there! I recently had a tattoo from Whang Od last Apr13, 2015.There’s a jeep that you can take going to Buscalan directly that leaves Bontoc at 2.30pm. You may reach Charlie, a local guide at 0998.1888697 to assist you with accommodation if you need to stay overnight.
Wow what a great scenery! The image quality of your article is very good.Thank you.
wla nman pong NPA dun…..
Informative post!
How long is the travel time from Bontoc to TInglayan and how much is the fare?
Thank you!
Hi Darlene,
Forget Tinglayan. Just catch the jeep from Bontoc to Buscalan. I was advised there was a 10am trip, we took the 2nd and last trip instead that leaves Bontoc at 2:30pm. (Fare is PhP80-100/person) As soon as you get off the jeep in Buscalan, your trek to the village where Whang Od lives would start na.(btw, it took me 45mins)
I’ve heard a Tour Guide named Francis is famous from other bloggers but I wont recommend him since according to a friend, they were ask to start their trekking from Bugnay instead which was an additional 4-5km. You may reach Charlie instead, a local and a neighbor of Whang-Od @0998.1888697.
Sorry, I mean forget Bugnay. Go straight to Buscalan If you dont want to add additional 4-5km trek.
Hi gina, where us d buscalan jeep located in bontoc?
im not sure of the street name. you’ll pass by the market and an overpass tho. just ask the locals, they’ll tell you anyway. 😉
I hope you find the time to reply, since I have been trying to get some information but have been getting no luck.
I am trying to figure out how to reach Whang Od starting from Manila
My main concern is safety, my companion claims there is an existing danger of NPA assaults on the road from Manila until Buscalan.
Could you give me your honest opinion on this?
Furthermore, since most blogs are pretty outdated compared to this one, are the roads still dangerous or is it more like “adventurous” than dangerous?
I hope to meet Whang Od this april, I am leaving in about 3 weeks..
Thank you for your time, I hope you will have the time to reply.
Same concerns esp about NPA! I’ll visit this May
Just been there last june 12.the roads from tabuk to tinglayan are good. There’s no need to hire a travel guide because on your way to tinglayan you will see handfuls of breathtaking sceneries and The weather is fine and sunny.
Hi Ms. Ann, How was the weather? Planning to go there July 3.
We have a trip there this coming July 25-26. You might want to join?
When are you going to Buscalan? I am going there on Friday – Saturday. Leaving Manila tomorrow, Thursday at around 3-4PM. Reply to this comment if you want to join me. 🙂 Solo traveler.
hi! if you’re still up for it then i want to join your group if you don’t mind. here’s my number 09054533698. thanks!
Great post!
Excited for this weekend trip! Thank you for this informative article