Travel buddy: Are you going to dress up when we get there? Me: Not really. ALSO ME:
If it wasn’t too much of a hassle, I would carry the spear and bolo knife that go with this Igorot outfit. And yes, I did trek all the way to the top wearing this. 📍Batad Rice Terraces, Banaue
🇵🇭IFUGAO ADVENTURE PRIMER🇵🇭
✈️🛳🚌 How to get to Ifugao:
⏺ Ride a bus from Metro Manila to Banaue, Ifugao (e.g. Ohayami Bus in Sampaloc or Florida Bus in EDSA-Kamias; travel time is 10 – 12 hours depending on traffic condition and number/duration of stop-overs).
⏺ Register at the tourism office upon arrival.
⏺ Hire a tricycle that will take you to Ifugao’s tourist spots.
🏄🏝🚴 Sites to Explore/Activities:
⏺ Banaue Rice Terraces
⏺ Bangaan Rice Terraces, Banaue
📌From the main road, you can trek down to reach the village to get close to the rice terraces.
📌The trek takes about 15 – 30 minutes.
⏺ Hiwang Village, Banaue
⏺ Batad Rice Terraces and Tappia Falls, Banaue
📌The trek to reach the homestays/inns of Batad from the jump-off point (end of the concrete road) takes about 10 – 15 minutes. There is no need for a guide since the trail is pretty much straightforward.
📌The trek to get to the top view deck of Batad Rice Terraces and Tappia Falls takes about 1 – 1.5 hours depending on your pace. Locals of Batad may guide you to reach these spots.
📌If you are traveling with a large group, you can hire a jeepney instead to reach the jump-off.
📌You can spend the night in Batad and your tricycle/jeepney driver will pick you up the next day at the agreed time. Please take note that there is no cellular signal in Batad.
⏺ Hapao Rice Terraces, Hungduan
⏺ Baang Rice Terraces, Hungduan
⏺ Bogyah Hot Spring, Hungduan
📌Register and secure a guide at the tourism office of Hungduan.
📌You will be walking through the rice terraces of Hapao and Baang to get to the hot spring.
I could no longer remember how many times I’ve visited Banaue since it has always been the jump-off point of my past trips in Mountain Province and Kalinga. I first set foot in Banaue in 2008 as it was our side trip when we went to Sagada for our Anthropology class field trip in college. 📍Batad Rice Terraces, BanaueIt was the first week of January 2016 when my friend invited me on a trip to Bontoc. Right after New Year’s celebration, I immediately traveled from my hometown to our meeting place in Manila for our trip. 📍Banaue Rice TerracesWe didn’t book our ticket in advance so when we reached Ohayami Trans in Sampaloc, all the buses bound for Ifugao were already full. We hurriedly hailed a cab to Florida Bus Terminal in Kamias to try our luck. 📍Banaue Rice TerracesThe multiverse answered our prayers. A few more seats were still available. After paying for our tickets, we dined at a fast food restaurant before getting back to the terminal for our departure. 📍Banaue Rice TerracesWe arrived at the town proper of Banaue the next morning then had our breakfast at a nearby restaurant. Before going to Bontoc, we decided to have a side trip to Banaue Rice Terraces so we hired a tricycle that would take us closer to the rice fields. This photo was taken in one of the view decks.There was a handful of tourists when we arrived but the viewing areas were not yet crowded even though it was a Saturday. After exploring the view decks for quite a while, we made our way back to the terminal of vans en route to Bontoc.We spent the night in Maligcong then returned to Banaue the next day and reached Poblacion by noon. We still got loads of time to kill as we were scheduled to depart for Manila in the evening so we chartered a tricycle to bring us here at Hiwang Village.This spot overlooking these rice terraces is situated on the other side of Hiwang Village.Aside from the picturesque views of Banaue, you will also get to see native Igorot houses here at Hiwang. We got the whole place to ourselves since there were virtually no people during our visit.We then agreed to have our early dinner at one of the local restaurants at the town center before returning to the bus terminal. It may have been a short over-the-weekend trip but it was definitely one for the books. 📍Hiwang Village, Banaue
⏰⏳ SAMPLE ITINERARY:
DAY 0
8:00 PM Assembly
9:00 PM ETD for Banaue
DAY 1
6:00 AM ETA Banaue / breakfast
7:00 AM ETD for Bangaan Rice Terraces
8:00 AM ETA Bangaan Rice Terraces view deck / trek down to village
8:30 AM ETA Bangaan Village
10:00 AM ETD for Batad
10:30 AM ETD for accommodation
11:00 AM Check-in / early lunch
12:00 PM ETD for Batad Rice Terraces and Tappia Falls
4:00 PM Head back to accommodation
5:00 PM Wash up
6:00 PM Dinner
DAY 2
6:00 AM Wake-up call / trek back to jump-off
6:30 AM ETD for Banaue
7:30 AM ETA Banaue / breakfast
8:30 AM ETD for Hungduan
10:00 AM ETA Hapao Rice Terraces and Baang Rice Terraces
10:30 AM ETA Bogyah Hot Spring
11:30 AM Trek back to jump-off
12:30 PM ETD for Hiwang Village
1:30 PM ETA Hiwang Village
3:00 PM ETA Banaue Rice Terraces view decks
4:30 PM Late lunch/early dinner
6:30 PM ETD for Manila
💰💶 ESTIMATED BUDGET (for a solo traveler): Php 6,000 – Php 7,000
***Expenses may vary depending on personal consumption of food and other necessities. If traveling alone, you will solely shoulder the guide fees and tricycle transfer and tour rates.
I first set foot here at Batad Rice Terraces when I joined a biking trip organized by a travel agency in Manila. That visit transpired during the month of February. The planting season had just started so I wasn’t able to see the lovely green fields of Batad I’ve seen in pictures online. That’s why I listed this place as one of the destinations I would come back to in the future.Fast forward to the summer vacation of 2018, my college friend and I were planning to go to Romblon but then I remembered that summer has always been the perfect season for visiting the rice terraces of the north. I just got back from my trip in Balabac, Palawan and exploring the mountains of northern Philippines was the best way to take a break from beach bumming. It was April, considered as peak season in Cordillera because there are lots of tourists visiting this time of the year. Even it was a weekday, we still booked our bus tickets online before our departure date just to be sure of our slots. 📍Batad Rice Terraces, BanaueWe met early in Sampaloc at the bus terminal. It rained that night and my fingers were crossed for good weather in Ifugao. As expected, there were loads of backpackers, even foreign ones, waiting at the terminal. Thank the gods we already bought our tickets in advance. 📍Batad Rice Terraces, BanaueIfugao has always been one of the most mainstream tourist destinations in the Philippines. It’s where one can find the world-famous Banaue Rice Terraces. Yet there are other majestic clusters of rice terraces that can be found in Ifugao aside from the popular and touristy one located near the town center of Banaue. 📍Bangaan Rice Terraces, BanaueWe headed to our first stop in our itinerary that morning after having breakfast at the town proper. If you’re not down for some trek, you can view these rice terraces from the highway but I wanted to see the fields up close so a short trek down some stairsteps led us here at Bangaan Rice Terraces. The overcast sky was obscuring the sun so the trek was manageable. I would have wanted to explore the place more but we needed to allot more time for the highlight of our trip so we climbed back to the main road.Our tricycle maneuvered through the winding steep road en route to the jump-off to Batad village. The cold wind coupled with the breathtaking views of the mountains reminded me of my first visit in Batad in 2014 when I joined an organized biking event. We pedaled all the way from Banaue Poblacion up to the saddle then trekked until we reached our accommodation in Batad. It was an epic experience since it was my first time joining a mountain biking trip. I would never ever forget those moments when I had to dismount from the bicycle because the road was too steep for a newbie like me. 📍Batad Rice Terraces, BanaueUpon arrival at our accommodation, we quickly prepped for our trek to the rice terraces and waterfall of Batad. The old man who owns the lodge where we stayed lent me his ethnic outfit that he used to wear when he was still young. He even suggested for me to bring his spear and bolo knife. These precious artifacts are his possessions that bind him to his past and his culture so I was afraid I would lose them. I politely turned down his offer. Besides, they were heavy, considering that I had to carry my personal stuff as well. The spear was also way too long. 📍Batad Rice Terraces, BanaueWe commenced our trek all the way from the inn until we reached the other side of the rice terraces and view deck. It was absolutely a fun experience walking under the scorching sun wearing a loincloth, headgear and other ornaments around my neck and elbows. 📍Batad Rice Terraces, BanaueAfter our photo shoot here at the view deck of Batad’s amphitheater rice terraces, I decided to change into my usual outfit then continued our way to Tappia Falls. We braced ourselves for the seemingly never-ending concrete stairs going to the waterfall.I was only able to capture a few pictures of this waterfall since the place was crowded when we arrived. My friend took a quick dip while I just waited by a corner watching the powerful drop of Tappia Falls.We took our time as we leisurely walked the path in the middle of these rice fields of Batad going back to the lodge while we continued taking photos along the way. Our tour guide already went ahead of us since he needed to buy our tickets for our bus ride back to Manila the next day.On our way back, I noticed this dog following us. Whenever we would stop to take photos, it would also stop and wait for us. There were even instances when we were no longer sure if we’re on the right track and the dog would be guiding us where to go.Considering we’re on higher elevation nestled within these majestic peaks surrounding Batad, it started getting dark early as the sun was about to set behind these mountains. We stopped for a breather at this spot before finally walking the last leg of our trek back to our accommodation with our dog guide. When we reached the lodge, I was about to give it some food for being of service to us but it quickly disappeared.The inn where we were staying also serves food. We washed up while waiting for our dinner to be cooked. After eating, we were already resting and dozing off on the bed. It was already dark when I fell asleep. I was then awakened by the sound of the rain and the cold temperature lulled me to sleep again. 📍Batad Rice Terraces, Banaue
📜✏️ Tips/Reminders:
📌Make sure you arrive early at the bus station in Sampaloc or Kamias since the bus gets full quickly. You can also buy tickets in advance. Ohayami Trans offers online booking on their website.
📌It is recommended to hire a tricycle to get to Ifugao’s tourist spots since public jeepney trips are quite scarce and the schedule is not fixed (e.g. Jeepney trip to Batad is only once a day).
📌Do not forget your jackets and windbreakers. Always check the weather first if you will be visiting Ifugao. Expect rain during monsoon season (June-February).
📌Once you alight at the bus terminal in Banaue, it’s advisable to buy your return ticket.
📌You can join organized events online to save on time and cut on costs.
📌You can also hike Mt. Napulauan and explore Hungduan’s waterfalls. Just coordinate with the town’s tourism office.
📌Always observe the LNT principles.
☎️ Contacts:
📌Tricycle Driver/Tour Guide in Banaue: Kuya Jhun Segundo (09356259946) – he can guide you to Batad Rice Terraces and Tappia Falls. He can also take you to Hiwang Village, Bangaan Rice Terraces and Hungduan.
📌Lodge in Batad: Rita’s Mount View Inn and Restaurant (09265117056)
We woke up before sunrise and started our trek back to the jump-off where we would be picked up by our guide. By 7:00 AM, we were already on our way to Banaue town proper to have breakfast. 📍Baang Rice Terraces, HungduanIt was a long ride from Banaue Poblacion to our first destination that morning as we were on our way to visit another municipality of Ifugao. A lot of tourists mistook this group of rice terraces that we were about to see as part of Banaue but these are actually already under the jurisdiction of another town. 📍Baang Rice Terraces, HungduanWe stopped by the tourism office of Hungduan to register first and use the restroom before proceeding to the jump-off for our trek. 📍Baang Rice Terraces, HungduanWe were welcomed by our tour guide at the view deck of Hapao Rice Terraces then continued our way to Baang Rice Terraces and Bogyah Hot Spring. 📍Baang Rice Terraces, HungduanThe sunny weather was perfect for our photo session along the rice terraces of Hapao and Baang. We took our time trekking as our guide shared some interesting stories about the way of life in Ifugao. 📍Baang Rice Terraces, HungduanThere were a couple of local kids swimming at Bogyah Hot Spring when we arrived. We just stayed for a few minutes. Too bad we couldn’t afford to swim since we’re pressed for time. 📍Baang Rice Terraces, HungduanWe went back to the jump-off and bid goodbye to the feel-good town of Hungduan. I noticed that some of their lodges and homestays were situated in the middle of rice terraces. Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up in the morning with views of these terraces and mountains while sipping your cup of coffee? I’ll definitely come back to spend the night here. 📍Baang Rice Terraces, HungduanAfter our adventure in Hungduan, we proceeded to Hiwang Village. It’s been more than two years and not much has changed since my first visit. We didn’t take any photos at Hiwang though and just rested for a while before continuing our journey. 📍Baang Rice Terraces, HungduanOn our way back, we stopped by this viewpoint along the highway to get some pictures of Banaue Rice Terraces. The last part of our itinerary was visiting the view decks of these famous rice fields to see them up close.Unfortunately, there were too many people when we arrived. It wasn’t really much of a big deal. After all, I’ve seen these terraces countless times. We just opted to buy upland rice from the town’s market before returning to the terminal to wait for our assigned bus going back to Manila.
***For other destinations in Cordillera, you may visit this link.
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