The main reason to go to Fidelisan village is to visit the majestic Bomod-ok falls. However, when I got to the village itself, the lack of tourist infrastructure reared its not so ugly head. There were no signs pointing to the falls at all. I kept moving in circles around the village hoping to see a sign where the falls is but no luck. In one of my passes, the guy who asked me whether I needed the services of a guide was watching me. He asked me again if I want a guide this time since I obviously cannot find the falls on my own. I finally relented and hired him.
He wasn’t really the talkative type of guide. He was just leading me to the falls that’s all. I tried to liven up the hike with a few questions. This is what I found out. He works on the field just like the everyone else. Most of the kids here study, but the school is not in the village itself. It is beyond the ridge where I got off the jeepney in the first place. Wow, imagine that having to climb up the mountain every single day from young. No wonder these guys don’t even break a sweat climbing up the mountain.
We passed through amazing rice terrace scenery, where we go down the mountain towards the falls. This hike reminds me of the hike to Tappia Falls in Batad. In fact, the layout of the place is extremely similar. To the left is a steep slope of rice terraces ascending to the sky. The falls were also beyond the terraces which we needed to clear first.
We had to hop across several freshly planted paddies to get to the falls. This time my footing was more secure unlike the previous hike in Batad where I slipped and got one foot into knee deep paddy/mud. The hike to the falls is also nowhere near as strenuous as the hike to Tappia Falls. Not before long, we started to hear the sound of water thundering down the mountain. We have finally reached the falls.
The name of the falls is Bomod-ok Falls, it is commonly known as Big Falls in Sagada, since there is a much smaller falls in Sagada itself. I didn’t really get to see the smaller falls in Sagada but I can be assured that Bomod-ok Falls is much more impressive. The falls thunders down to the icy cold pool below. This is already the start of the dry season so the water isn’t as impressive. The best time to visit this place as with any other falls, is right after a storm.
The falls at the end of a natural gorge. The water below the flows outwards where some of the water is then used for irrigation. At the top of the falls is a pipe which my guide says is for the water needs of Fidelisan Village. Easily missed, there is smaller thinner falls which is much closer to the wall of the gorge. The water comes more like a thin shower giving it a veil like appearance. Bomod-ok is really very impressive, and probably one of the more impressive waterfalls I have seen.
The surrounding area of the falls is, as expected, damp. The water from the falls splashes onto the rocks nearby nourishing mosses and other plants in the area. As I was taking photos nearby but I suddenly lost my footing and slipped onto the wet rock! Fortunately, I didn’t hurt myself or my camera. Only then did my guide warn me that it is very slippery. No, really?! Oh well, at least I didn’t get hurt. I still continued taking photos but much more carefully this time and then finally relaxing for another thirty minutes to the fresh water sprinkling all over the place.
What is the best thing about this place? When I went there, my guide and I were the only ones there! It is very rare that you get a place this nice all to yourself. I guess I was quite lucky that I went there before school was out. Then again, this place also doesn’t seem to be in the tourism radar yet. I’m pretty sure that locals know about this place but this is like their biggest secret just waiting to be discovered. Dare I say the Fidelisan is the makings of another Batad?
[xmlgm {http://www.worldwanderings.net/kml/Sagada.kmz} zoom=14]