Buscalan Village Tinglayan Kalinga Travel Guide (Itinerary + Tips)

Background

Buscalan village is a distant village situated in the municipality of Tinglayan, Kalinga, Philippines. It is home to the Filipina national tattoo artist and living legend named Apo Whang-Od.

Before and after the pandemic both local and international tourists visit the Buscalan village in Kalinga province just to get inked by the last and oldest traditional hand-tap tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od. She is a part of the Kalinga Butbut tribe with rich culture in the lush Cordillera mountains and rice terraces. Apo Whang-Od was born on Feb. 17, 1917 and presently she is 107 years old.

In the past years, due to his old age Apo Whang-Od has successfully immortalized Kalinga Butbut tribe tattoo artistry and tradition by training twenty girls in the process of hand-tap tattooing. Today, these girls are considered the successor of Apo Whang-Od’s brilliant skills in traditional hand-tap tattooing. Moreover, because of Apo Whang-Od, it put Buscalan village and Kalinga province on the map in the past decade bringing numerous number of tourist every year. Despite the fact that Kalinga is one of the less-visited provinces in the Philippines, living legend Apo Whang-Od made it a tourist spot.

“Batok” is a Tagalog word that means hand-tapped tattoo. On the other hand, “mambabatok” is a Tagalog word which means person who practices the art of traditional hand-tap tattooing. Apo Whang-Od signature tattoo composed of three dots that represent herself and her blood-related successors. So if you want to have a traditional tattoo in your body then visiting Buscalan village should be on your top priority.

Name: Buscalan Village
Location: Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga
Features: panoramic views of the Cordillera mountain range, rice terraces and rivers.

My trip to Buscalan Village

My friend named Missy invited me to join an organized trip going to Buscalan village. The event date is scheduled for January 15. Presently I have never been to the province of Kalinga so the following day I decided to join the trip hosted by Green Outdoor Tribe. I file a vacation leave in the office for two days and pack up my necessary things to bring prior to the event.

It was Monday evening around 9 pm when I arrived at our assembly place in Mcdonald’s Kia Theater Cubao, Quezon City. As we waited for the other group members to arrive, we ordered some food at Mcdo and have dinner. When everybody has already arrived at the assembly place, we go inside the private van and the van heads to our main destination which is Buscalan village.

Past 5:30 am when we arrived at Banaue, Ifugao. It was so cold there and we had a quick picture taking at the famous Banaue Rice Terraces. Past 6:45 am when we arrived at Bontoc, Mountain Province. For this reason, we have our breakfast at a small restaurant named Pines Kitchenette and Inn. Their food and quality service are so affordable at only 100 pesos. All I can say is wow, their breakfast food is super yummy and delicious. It makes me want to visit this restaurant again in the near future. After our breakfast, we roamed around Bontoc municipality and ordered some food for our lunch and dinner.

Afterward, our van left Bontoc and drive towards Buscalan village. The road going to Buscalan village is very scenic and unforgettable that I can’t close my eyes for a second because I want my brain to absorb and remember the stunning view of the Cordillera mountains, the greeny rice terraces and the pristine Chico River. On the other hand, the road trip is dangerous because of the high cliffside part and lots of twists and turns that make other members of the group vomit and become dizzy. The long road is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Nevertheless, we arrived at the Buscalan village jump-off point around 8 am. We got out of the van and we saw several foreigners from the United States. For this reason, I take pictures of them as a remembrance of how popular this place is among the foreigners and locals. Our group have a short walk and we started taking pictures of the beautiful village and the surrounding mountain.

At 8:30 am our group registered and secured our local guide. After that, we start the trek going to the village. The first part is we walk for a few meters on flat ground and then we descend a 500-meter pathway. Although the descent is not very steep the trail is slippery, so we need to be very cautious. After descending, the trail becomes flat and later becomes a continuous assault on the mountain slope. As a result, our group takes several stops along the trail. We drink our bottled water inside the bag and rest for seven minutes.

Afterward, we continued the hike going to Buscalan village. As I go up I have a short talk with our local guide regarding the trail we walk on. According to the local guide, before the concrete stairs and path walk was made the hike to the village takes a minimum of two hours. So our group is lucky because the hiking experience is a little easier and safer compared to several years ago. In fact, we reached the village after only fifty minutes of hiking.

We take a quick rest at the small house and after that, we go to our homestay which is located on the second floor. Then we leave our bags at the house and we explore the village. A few moments later, I realized that Buscalan village is more than just a tattoo enthusiasts’ destination, it’s an interesting tribal community with rich culture tucked in the lush Cordillera mountains and rice terraces. On the other hand, I noticed that there are no restaurants in the village, only a few local stores and souvenir shops selling Buscalan shirts, coffee, and bag tags.

We continue to roam the village and we spotted Apo Whang-Od’s house. We snapped photos of the house and we saw a small lovely dog named Luna. After that our local guide directed us to Apo Whang-Od and I finally see the legendary tattoo artist who made Kalinga province a tourist destination. Even though she was old already, she looks strong and fair. Some of the group members have a tattoo session with him and some just take pictures of him. After the tattoo session is done, we have our group picture along with national artist Apo Whang-Od.

At 12:20 pm, we returned to our rented homestay and we had our lunch. After our group lunch, we relax for a little time and prepared for our second tattoo session with the grandnieces and successors of legendary Apo Whang-Od. It was 1:45 pm when the second tattoo session started. I noticed that the needle is made of a pomelo thorn and there are a lot of traditional and meaningful designs to choose from. A small and simple design costs 300 pesos.

While waiting for other to finish their tattoo session, we sip a freshly brewed Buscalan coffee which is so mouthwatering. Then Gina (one of the group member) told us this is her first time to get inked and he has low pain tolerance when it comes to the needle. Nevertheless there’s no turning back and she finished the tattoo session in forty-five minutes. Meanwhile other group members have a compass tattoo design in their body.

According to the locals there, it was more than a decade ago when Apo Whang-Od had trained her bloodline successor named Grace Palicas and Elyang Wigan to continue her people’s tattoo artistry and tradition. Apart from this, Apo Whang-Od also trained eighteen young girls to immortalize the Butbut tribe’s craft and tradition. Presently these girls are the emerging tattoo young artists of Buscalan village. We finish our tattoo session with the grandnieces of Apo Whang-Od at 4:20 pm. Finally we got inked in Buscalan village.

Then we prepare and cooked our dinner. It was 6 pm when we have our dinner with unlimited rice and almost fully loaded dishes. After done eating, we have our socializing time. We drink some beer, gin and emperador and we share some thoughts about the tattoo session. One member said that she found this more painful than her dog tattoo. Moreover we talk about our current work and life inside the busy city of Metro Manila. We were laughing and joking while sharing different perspectives and thoughts. Past 10 pm when we go to our room and have a goodnight sleep.

We woke up around 5 am in the morning and we have our breakfast at 6:25 am. We drink the free brewed coffee of Buscalan and after that we roam the village. Our group take lots of pictures of the remote village and we even give donations to the locals there. We wash up around 9:15 am and we check out at 10:10 am. Our group bid farewell to the locals and we started to descend all the way back to the main road where our driver was waiting for us. After twenty-eight minutes of descending we finally reached the main road and the van left Buscalan village at 10:56 am.

The van headed to our side trip destination and we arrived at Sagada, Mountain Province past 12:30 pm. We take our lunch there and we satisfy our meat cravings. Then we explored Sagada famous tourist spot like Blue Soil Hills, Sugong Hanging Coffins, Echo Valley and the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin. After exploring the beautiful town of Sagada, the driver of the van take us to Baguio City where we buy souvenirs and strawberry jam. Around 5:25 pm when our van left Baguio City and I saw one of the most beautiful sunsets of my life.

Three hours later we had our dinner at Leeza’s Restaurant in Sison, Pangasinan. It was 12:45 am when we arrived in Metro Manila. We bid goodbye to each other and I came home past 2 am. Thanks be to God for guiding us and keeping us safe all the way. It was an unfogerttable experience to meet and greet the living legend Apo Whang-Od. Also another bucket list was unlocked. I will truly miss the scenery, the cold weather and the brewed coffee of Buscalan village. All in all the long trip is all worth it.

Sample 2-Day itinerary to Buscalan Village (by private vehicle)

Day 0
8:30PM – Meetup at Mcdonald’s Kia Theater Cubao, Quezon City
9:30PM – ETD going to Buscalan village

Day 1
5:30AM – ETA Banaue Rice Terraces
6:30AM – ETA Bontoc, Mountain Province, breakfast and buy food
7AM – Departure going to Buscalan village
8AM – Arrival at Buscalan, register, secure guide and start trek
9AM – Buscalan Village, go to homestay and relax
10:30AM – Meet and greet Apo Whang-Od, picture taking and tattoo session
1PM – Lunch
2PM – Explore the village and another tattoo session
5:30PM – Dinner and socials
9PM – Lights off

Day 2
5AM – Wake up call, breakfast
6:15AM – See the sunrise, photo-ops
8AM – Tidy-up and pack up
9AM – Start descent
10AM – Back at the jump-off point
10:30AM – Departure going to the sidetrip (Sagada)
12PM – Lunch time
1PM – Open time, explore Sagada
5PM – Arrival at Baguio City, buy souvenirs
5:45PM – ETD to Manila

Disclaimer: the above itinerary may change depending on the situation like weather conditions and participants pacing.

Things to bring on your visit to Buscalan Village:

Water and tumbler
Snacks
First Aid Kit
Pocket money
Extra set of clothes
Jacket
Alcohol
Hiking sandals
Valid ID and vaccination card
Camera and powerbank
Personal medications
Scarf, cap, umbrella
Toiletries like bath soap, toothbrush and small towel
Plastic bag for your trash
Waterproofing for gadgets if rainy season
Sunblock (optional)

How to Go to Buscalan Village

By commuting from Metro Manila

Option 1:

1. From Victory Liner bus station in Quezon City, ride a deluxe bus bound to Tabuk, Kalinga. The travel time is almost eleven hours.
2. Then from Tabuk city ride a jeep going to the municipality of Tinglayan and drop off at the junction near the Buscalan village jump-off point.

Option 2:

1. From Coda Lines Terminal in Cubao, Quezon City, ride a bus going to the municipality of Bontoc in Mountain Province. 
2. From Bontoc municipality, ride a jeep bound to Buscalan village jump-off point or tourism site. 

Note: The daily trip schedule of the Coda Line bus bound to Bontoc municipality is 9 pm.

By commuting from Bontoc, Mountain Province

Option 1:

1. From Bontoc, there’s a tricycle terminal near Cable Cafe & Restaurant in Poblacion, Bontoc. One of the tricycle drivers is Jayson. You can contact Jayson from this cellphone number 0930-307-6300. The tricycle fare range from 1500 to 2000 pesos and it’s good for a day tour roundtrip from Bontoc to Kalinga and vice versa. If overnight the tricycle fare range from 2500-3000 pesos. 
2. Then from Buscalan turning point trek for thirty minutes or more going to the house of Apo Whang Od.

Option 2:

1. Ride a jeepney from Bontoc going to Bugnay. The travel time is one hour and the jeepney fare is around 200 pesos. But please take note that you need to wait for a long time maybe one hour or more to make the jeepney full and started going to Bugnay. (but it all depends)
2. From Bugnay ride a motorcycle going to Buscalan. The motorcycle fare is 150 pesos.

By commuting from Baguio City

1. From Baguio City, ride a bus going to Bontoc, Mountain Province.
2. Then from Bontoc municipality ride a jeep or bus going to Tabuk, Kalinga and drop off at the village of Bugnay. The approximate travel time is one hour and thirty minutes.
3. From Bugnay village, ride a jeep or motorcycle going to the municipality of Tinglayan and alight at Buscalan Village jump-off point.
   
   
   
   

Reminders and Tips:

• I highly advised you to join an organized trip for only 3500 pesos or less per head going to Buscalan village for a hassle-free trip and accommodation. The inclusion in the Buscalan organized tour for 2 days and 1 night is roundtrip private van transportation (Manila-Kalinga-Manila), homestay, two hosted meal (lunch and dinner), registration fee, tourism fee, local guide fee, toll fee, drivers fee, parking fee, unlimited brewed coffee, and bag tag. Meanwhile, the exclusion is all things not mentioned above like tattoo sessions, personal food and restroom fees.

• At the jump-off point or the tourism office, you will be asked to fill out an individual registration form and have to show your vaccination card and a valid ID. Also, you are required to register your group and your time of arrival so you can get your local guide and appointment slot with Apo Whang-Od. Please take note that all tourists are required to get a local guide per group and your guide will be the one to book your slot with Apo Whang-Od. The tattooing schedule is on a first-come-first-served basis.

• Make sure to pack light only and get yourself a porter for hire if you have so many things to bring up in Buscalan village. 

• Standard health protocols should be properly observed at all times.

• It is important to follow the Leave No Trace (LNT) principles at all times to make sure the place you’re visiting is clean and good.

• Bring trekking sandals that are thick and have a strap. Personally, I prefer the Sandugo brand because it is durable.

• Cellphone signal in Buscalan village is so weak and there is no Automated teller machine (ATM) so bring sufficient cash and pocket money before the trip. Also, take note that the nearest ATM machines can be found in Bontoc municipality.

• For the Buscalan tattoo homestay kindly call or message Gaspar B. Laguinday (Gaspar Laguinday homestay). Mobile number is 09994805012 and 09067368404. 

• The price for a homestay are ranging from 200 to 400 pesos per night and per head. Inclusive of unlimited rice and Kalinga brewed coffee.

• Your host or tour organizer can cook food for an additional fee. However, if you’re on a tight budget better bring your own food and cook there.

• There is no guarantee that you’ll meet Apo Whang-Od on your first day since your group turn will depend on your timestamp order or time of arrival at the tourism office in Buscalan village.

• The price of each tattoo varies depending on the size, details, and design. The price ranges from 300 pesos up to 2000 pesos. The sun and moon design is 500 pesos and above depending on the size of the tattoo.

• You can only get an Apo Whang-Od’s signature tattoo after getting a traditional tattoo from any of their artists. However, there are some days when Apo Whang-Od is down for some tattoo session.

• Please remember that aside from Apo Whang-Od, Grace and Elyang her successors are allowed to ink the meaningful three-dot signature tattoo.

• As of today, Buscalan village is open for all local and foreign visitors.

• Last but not least, I highly advise you to visit Buscalan village on weekdays because it’s not crowded there. Our group went there on weekdays (Tuesday and Wednesday) so we had a greater opportunity to meet and greet Apo Whang-Od (the last traditional tattoo artist of Kalinga).
  
  
  

Notable fees in Buscalan Village:

• The guide fee is 1000 pesos per day for a group of 5 people.
• The registration fee is 75 pesos per person.
• Photo session with Apo Whang-Od is 50 pesos per head.
• Pambatok stick made of bamboo and citrus thorn is 100 pesos per piece.
• The support stick is 20 pesos per piece.
• The signature tattoo of Apo Whang-Od (three dots) is 100 pesos.
• The dog tattoo is 300 pesos.
• Ref magnet is 50 pesos each.
  
  
  

I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference. It was not the place nor the view that made it so special, it was the people we met along the way. Overall, I hope this Buscalan village travel guide has been helpful to you and inspired you to try visiting the village and meet Apo Whang-Od. Moreover, don’t forget to share this with your friends, groups and colleagues if ever you plan travelling to Buscalan village in Kalinga. God bless you in all your future travels. Thanks for reading.