After visiting Sagada twice when I was much younger (and had stronger legs!), Banaue has always been on top of my to-go list. It also helped that I grew up thinking that the Banaue rice terraces was the "8th wonder of the world." (I guess children from different countries have different ideas on what the "8th wonder of the world" is.)
Visiting Banaue made me realize that it is more than just its famous rice terraces. It is a culture-rich heaven with intelligent and dedicated people who acknowledge that the terraces are not only a blessing but also a responsibility that they are willing to bear.
Details
Travel dates: 18-21 March 2010
Companion: joined a Backpack Photography workshop organized by Ferdz Decena (ironwulf.net) and Oggie Ramos (lagalog.com)
Budget: P8,000 ALL IN (this includes bus fare, inn, food, tours and photo lessons/tutorials)
Travel mode: 8-hour bus ride on Florida bus line
Information and travel tips
- The rice terraces is not only located in Banaue. There are rice terraces in Kalinga, Apayao, Benguet, Mountain Province and Ifugao. 2,000 to 6,000 years old, these are located 1,500 meters above sea level and cover 10,360 kilometers.
- The view of the rice terraces from the Banaue town proper is dotted with steel-walled houses that harshly reflected the sun's rays. To appreciate the magnificence of the terraces, hire a jeep or a tricycle to take you to the viewpoints. The views in Batad and Hapyao are also much better.
- We stayed at the Banaue Ethnic Village and Pine Forest Resort. Located in Apar Nga-oh, it is approximately 20 minutes from the town proper. The resort has replicas of native Ifugao houses. We even got to sleep in one! The resort also organized a cultural show where the Ifugaos shared their dances, songs and rituals with us. The resort manager's tour of the ethnic village was also interesting - we learned how the Ifugaos improved their dwellings over the years, and we got to see the tools and things that they use.
- I understand that the Banaue Hotel also organizes cultural shows for its guests.
- We toured the rice terraces in Hapao. It has steep stairs that lead down to the terraces. The hike isn't too far but there were times when walking along the terraces made my knees weak - the terraces were approximate a foot wide and in some places, you had the irrigation on one side and a 10 to 12-ft drop on the other.
- A lot of travellers also visit Batad, where the terraces form an impressive ampi-theater. My friends say that the ride over kilometers of bad road and a challenging 1-hour downhill hike was worth the view. (I have yet to go to Batad, though.)
- Hire a jeep or a tricycle to take you around the viewpoints.
- If taking the Florida bus, eat dinner first and bring snacks. There is only one stopover, which is halfway through the 8-hour trip.
- At the stopover, try the chicken mami - it was served hot, and it tasted like they've been boiling the broth for hours. It is also topped with really tasty dried garlic which you can also buy in bottles.
- It can get very cold in the bus - bring a jacket!
- Be prepared for emergencies. On the way back to Manila, our bus stopped. We were stuck in the middle of Nueva Ecija in the middle of the night with a not-so-helpful conductor and driver. The only option they gave us was to transfer to other Florida buses that are already full of passengers that you'll have to stand (or sit on your bags) the whole way back to Manila. We decided to take a jeep to the nearest bus terminal.
