lumiang burial cave - sagada (philippines) - 6 photos
Many ancient wooden coffins are stacked at the mouth of the Lumiang Cave in Sagada (Philippines).
When the person died at very old age, their coffins were decorated with geckos, the symbol of long life for the Kankanaey indigenous people living in the region.
Laying coffins in caves or hanging them on cliffs is an ancient pagan tradition that is rarely followed nowadays. Indigenous people have converted to Christianity and are now burying their dead in cemeteries.
The Lumiang Cave is approximately 1.5 Km, a short walk from the center of Sagada.
If you do the highly recommended Cave Connection tour with a local guide, you will enter by the Lumiang cave and exit at the entrance of Sumaguing Cave.
Due to the very dangerous drop-offs at the Lumiang cave and the complicated maze of passages to reach the connection with Sumaguing Cave, it is recommended to take a local guide. No-one will stop you if you venture in the cave by yourself, but it is genuinely dangerous. The cave guides in Sagada are very well organized and very professional, and the caving tours are very affordable and totally worth it.
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