Orange Picking in Sagada has always been on the bucket list for our kids ever since they tried and enjoyed the Strawberry picking experience in Benguet.
Some people think it’s corny and a tourist trap, but for children, tactile experiences like this can be unforgettable. Learning first hand where Sagada oranges come from also gives them a better appreciation of these fruits.
Here’s a photo essay of our Sagada Orange Picking experience at Rock Farm Inn…
ROCK FARM INN
Batalao, Sagada, Mountain Province
Telephone: +63 905 554-5950
Operating Hours:
Sagada Orange Picking is available starting at 7 am
Cafe de Bodega is open until 9.00pm for food, and 10.00 for the beverage.
Note: You can just walk-in to do the Sagada Orange picking experience.
SAGADA TRAVEL GUIDE 2017 Series:
• SAGADA Itinerary DIY: The Road to Sagada (2017) @FordPhilippines
• YOGURT HOUSE SAGADA: Best Breakfast Place in Sagada! (2016 Review)
• GAIA Sagada Cafe: That Famed Cafe in “That Thing Called Tadhana” (Review)
• SAGADA CELLAR DOOR: Agadulay’s Kitchen Igorot Dinner and Sagada Craft Beer Experience! (A Review)
• LOG CABIN: A Cozy Retreat in Sagada (A 2016 Review)
• LUMIANG TO SUMAGUING CAVE: Conquering Sagada’s Cave Connection!
• SAGADA DEATH RITUALS: On Hanging Coffins, Panag-Apoy and Echoes of Old Igorot Traditions
• SAGADA’S MARLBORO: Basking in a Sea of Clouds at Kamanbaneng Sunrise Peak! (Photo Essay)
• SAGADA ORANGE PICKING Guide at Rock Farm Inn (Photo Essay)
• BIYAHEROES: The Best Online Bus Booking Platform in Manila! Try it!
You need to register and pay the P50/head entrance fee in exchange for eating all you can inside the orchard for 30 minutes.
You don’t technically “pick” the oranges; the proper way is to use garden sears to cut the stem.
Sagada Orange Picking is open as early as 7am and is only from November to December, during the harvest season at Rock Inn, Sagada.
Our kids are orange and dalandan monsters, so they enjoyed every minute of the activity.
Some trees are low enough for little kids to reach the oranges and cut them off.
There are different orange varieties in the farm–Ponkan, Satsuma, Hamlin, and Washington Level, located in zoned areas of the orchard.
You can eat as many as you want and just throw the peels on the ground, which serve as a fertilizer for the trees.
The boys really had a lot of fun. They just got as many oranges as they could (even if some were not that sweet).
Do note that you have to pay for all the oranges you picked that were not eaten. The price ranges from P60-P120/kg depending on the variety.
Sagada Throwback (March 2014)
Our first visit to Sagada was in the last week of March 2014. We stayed at Rock Inn for our first two nights where we learned a lot about this popular destination in the highlands.
The house is homey, like a rustic Bed & Breakfast with super laid back service.
There are plenty of open spaces designed for kids to play.
The rooms are simple with flat wooden beds and wooden flooring.
Towels and simple toiletries are provided.
The toilet is spacious and clean with hot and cold water.
Cafe Bodega Menu 2014: Lunch and Dinner Page, Farm Rice Special | Sandwiches, Yogurt, Drinks | Buffet at “The Bodega
We would usually eat breakfast and dinner and Cafe Bodega, which is their in-house restaurant.
Note: Prices could have increased by P10 to P30 per dish.
There is a play area for kids and a big TV where they can watch cartoons.
Sweet Potato Fries (115)
Most restaurants here serve Camote fries, which is abundant in the area.
Pinikpikan (P220)
You can eat home-cooked traditional dishes like the pinikpikan with etag.
Roasted Vegetable with Yogurt Dressing (P155)
They serve fresh vegetables from the farms around Sagada.
Farm Rice Bacon & Egg (P195)
I remember how excited we were to eat this mountain rice mixed with colorful vegetables and topped with bacon and egg.
Farmers Stew (P150)
This sotanghon soup is so good, especially on cold Sagada nights.
In the evenings, the dap-ay is the go-to place for a bonfire and meeting the other Rock Inn guests and community.
Tocino (P170)
Breakfast is simple with a bit of meat, vegetables, and scrambled eggs.
Longganisa (P170)
We usually order one of each rice meal and divide the meat among the kids.
Tinapa (P160)
I suggest ordering what local fish is available during breakfast.
I love the fish tinapa that pairs really well with their own vinegar.
Banana Pancake (P120)
They also serve the classic pancakes if you want a more comforting breakfast treat.
French Toast (P105)
A slice of tasty bread turned into French toast.
Yugi was still in Rache’s tummy when we first visited Sagada in 2014.
The Rock Farm Inn is the best place to stay during the orange picking season.
It’s just a bit far from the town so you ideally have to have your own transportation if you intend to visit the different restaurants downtown. But it is nearer to the jump off point of the sunrise watching at Mt. Kiltepan or Marlboro Country.
I suggest booking one night at Rock Farm Inn to enjoy the Sagada Orange Picking and to do the sunrise watching the day after you arrive. You can then transfer to another inn nearer the town for the rest of your trip.
The Sagada Orange Picking is a great activity for the kids, but it does feel like a tourist trap because you’ll be forced to buy whatever you pick. We made a mistake of teasing the boys to have an orange picking contest, and we ended up paying for all those oranges.
ROCK FARM INN
Batalao, Sagada, Mountain Province
Telephone: +63 905 554-5950
Operating Hours:
Sagada Orange Picking is available starting at 7am
Cafe de Bodega is open until 9.00pm for food, and 10.00 for the beverage.
Note: You can just walk-in to do the Sagada Orange picking experience.
SAGADA TRAVEL GUIDE 2017 Series:
• SAGADA Itinerary DIY: The Road to Sagada (2017) @FordPhilippines
• YOGURT HOUSE SAGADA: Best Breakfast Place in Sagada! (2016 Review)
• GAIA Sagada Cafe: That Famed Cafe in “That Thing Called Tadhana” (Review)
• SAGADA CELLAR DOOR: Agadulay’s Kitchen Igorot Dinner and Sagada Craft Beer Experience! (A Review)
• LOG CABIN: A Cozy Retreat in Sagada (A 2016 Review)
• LUMIANG TO SUMAGUING CAVE: Conquering Sagada’s Cave Connection!
• SAGADA DEATH RITUALS: On Hanging Coffins, Panag-Apoy and Echoes of Old Igorot Traditions
• SAGADA’S MARLBORO: Basking in a Sea of Clouds at Kamanbaneng Sunrise Peak! (Photo Essay)
• SAGADA ORANGE PICKING Guide at Rock Farm Inn (Photo Essay)
• BIYAHEROES: The Best Online Bus Booking Platform in Manila! Try it!
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Disclosure: We paid for our stay at Rock Inn, our meals, and orange picking experience. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.
P.S. It’s hard to contact them so please be patient. They usually don’t answer calls but they do reply within a 24-hour period.
P.P.S. Budget about P1,000 per meal.
Thank you for this, I always find your posts so inspirational. You are right, only we can make it happen for ourselves, living this right now! Thanks for sharing it.