Flower Power in Atok: A guide to Benguet's Verdant and Offbeat Tourist Scene

Atok, known during the Spanish period as Chontog (Ibaloi for Mountainous), is a 4th-class municipality in Benguet Province. Often passed by tourists off to Sagada and Mountain Province, Atok has recently became popular for people who like to escape the hustle and bustle of Baguio City for a couple of hours and enjoy a scenery lush with flowers and cabbages.

Our wandering feet took us to Northern Blossoms Farm famed for seemingly endless fields of flower, perfect for the gram or for just chilling out. The farm is owned by the Ganayan Family and they harvest and sell the flowers in their shop in Dangwa, Manila. The shop is also named the Northern Blossoms Flower Shop.

Mt. Pulag is visible from this view.

The entrance fee of the farm is PHP 300/person. This includes a tour guide, wantusawang coffee, bread (pwedeng wantusawa pero nakakahiya kumuha ng marami 😉), and a stroll in their flower carpets. The farm is filled with Snapdragons, Larkspurs, Matthiola, Sunflower, Riceflower, and of course the Cabbage Roses.

Rows of Cabbage Roses ready for picking

In full bloom

We visited Atok around March and it was just the perfect time. According to our tour guide, weather had rose to just a little bit warmer, comfortable enough for walking and visiting tourist spots. Indeed, the best time to visit Atok is around January to April as Cabbage Roses are in full bloom during these months.

One whole day ( or half a day, depends on you) is enough to spend appreciating the flowers and the view in Northern Blossom Farm. But if you find some extra time to spare, you may visit other tourist spots around Atok.

For this one we headed to Brgy. Sayangan Hall, which is just a five-minute walk from the farm. They offer two tours; Circuit 1 and Circuit 2. For Circuit 1 (PHP 1,100 good for 5 pax) you can visit Sakura Park, Lourdes Grotto, and Halsema Highway Highest Point. As for Circuit 2 (PHP 1,500 good for 5 pax), it features same spots plus Mt. Timbak. All circuits include a guide and car transport. You may call Ate Madz at +63 930160 4886 for reservations and inquiries. It's best to call Ate Madz first for proper guidance and commute instructions.

We chose Circuit 2 and recommend you to do so. Mt. Timbak is a stunning view and you can see the entirety of the municipality from atop the mountain. Sunrise is a good time to climb and appreciate the soaring sun amidst the rolling sea of clouds. It is also worth-noting that Mt. Timbak is the third highest peak in Luzon but that the climb is friendly enough for non-climbers. Booyah! That's what I call a win-win situation.

View from the top. The climb's so easy that my friend is just wearing slippers😜

Halsema Highway Highest Point

Cabbage fields view from the Lourdes Grotto

Sakura Park

We toured Sakura Park, Lourdes Grotto, and Halsema Highway Highest Point in quick successions. We just spent a couple of minutes to admire the spots and take photos. We felt that Circuit 1 will not be worth the trip because one can quickly go in and out of the specified spots of the tour. Hence why we recommend Circuit 2. Also, the "Sakura trees" in the Sakura Park are still saplings and it may take years for them to grow into impressive ones that likens that in Japan.

Here's how to commute to Atok from Baguio City:

1/ Head to Dangwa Bus Terminal and take any of the buses bound to Bontoc, Sagada, or Besao. Fare is PHP 85 for aircon and PHP 75 for non-aircon buses. There are also express vans bound for same destinations. Fare is PHP 150. The travel takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

2/ Ask the driver to drop you off at the "Blossom Farm", if you plan to head to Northern Blossom Farm first. Or the Atok Municipal Hall, if you plan to take the offered tours of Brgy. Sayangan first.

Some Helpful Tips for traveling in Atok:

1/ Bring extra cash as we could not find any atm machines in the area.

2/ Book and buy your ticket going back to Baguio in advance. If you weren't able to, then ask your guide where to wait for the bus or van en route to Baguio. Both have different waiting stations. In our experience, you would have the best bet to catch seats in the bus than the van.

3/ Always, always, respect the local's culture and practice "leave no trace."

Stay Curious,

Sai D.