Among the most unique of the Philippines’ offerings is mountainous Ifugao province, located in the northern part of the “big island” of Luzon. In addition to being greener, mistier and significantly cooler than the rest of the tropical Philippines, Ifugao is home to the Banaue Rice Terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
According to some anthropologists, the Banaue Rice Terraces are the oldest existing example of human agriculture, and date back more than 5,000 years.
The town of Banaue, your base for exploring Ifugao province
I cannot recommend highly enough that you make the trek to Banaue Rice Terraces, which involves a 10-hour bus ride from Manila to the town of Banaue, pictured above. As “cool” as the rickety town looks, the region’s primitiveness is sad — I’m told these houses don’t hold up well in the earthquakes that sweep through here on a relatively frequent basis. Even more disturbing? The fact that I heard Justin Bieber’s voice blaring out of one of them.
A traditional dance performance at the Banaue Hotel
I traveled to Banaue Rice Terraces with Ivan Henares, the Philippines’ most popular travel blogger, and as a result enjoyed a complimentary stay at a government-run hotel in the Banaue Town Center center. The night of our arrival, we were treated to a dance performance by local children in the lobby of the hotel, since it was too late to make it to Banaue Rice Terraces.
The Banaue Hotel is the only hotel-style accommodation in Ifugao province
The hotel, unimaginatively named “Banaue Hotel,” is the only actual hotel property in all of Ifugao province, and a popular base for tourists visiting Banaue Rice Terraces. The hotel is situated just above Banaue’s town center and provides spectacular views of the town, particularly in the morning, when the sun is strong enough to burn through the haze that usually rolls over the hills of Ifugao province.
Once you’re on you way toward the terraces, the conventions of civilization begin to fall away, in some cases quite literally
The Banaue Rice Terraces are only around 12 km away from Banaue’s town center, but this number is deceptive. The “roads” leading to Banaue Rice Terraces are muddy and poorly maintained, to say nothing of the homes and businesses that sit along the road. Due to the treacherousness of these roads, travel times are extremely slow. This is good if you’re a photographer — you don’t even have to ask to stop for photos!
You’ll take a “Jeepeney,” the most popular form of public transport in the Philippines, until the vehicle can’t make it anymore
You’ll more than likely travel to Banaue Rice Terraces in a “Jeepney,” like the ones pictured above. The most popular form of public transport in the Philippines, the Jeepney is something of a cross between a Jeep and the “tuk-tuk” you find in much of the rest of Southeast Asia. Jeepeneys are spacious (they can accommodate as many as 60 locals at a time) and can drive on extremely rugged terrain. If Ifugao province has gotten a lot of rain in advance of your visit to Banaue Rice Terraces, however, the Jeepneys might have to stay behind.
You’re likely to complete at least part of your journey toward Banaue Rice Terraces on foot
In this instance, you’ll have to complete the rest of your journey to Banaue Rice Terraces on foot like Ivan, myself and our tour guide (who was also named Robert) did. The walk is extremely beautiful, albeit long, muddy and hilly. If you aren’t in great shape, you might want to rent a pair of walking sticks like Ivan did. Depending on how far your Jeepney makes it, you can expect to walk between 1-2 hours to get to Banaue Rice Terraces, each way.
The Philippine government is working overtime to improve infrastructure in Ifugao province
As you’ve probably already gathered, getting to Banaue Rice Terraces is a strenuous, time-consuming process, which owes itself to the poor infrastructure of Ifugao province. Ironically, the government has long held back development of the region, fearing that making it too modern might somehow make it less of a draw to foreign tourists visiting Banaue Rice Terraces. This has been, as Robert explained to me, to spite locals, whose lives are still extremely difficult, in spite of how much money tourism brings the region. As of December 2010, when I visited, there wasn’t a single school bus in Ifugao province, which meant that some students had to walk as far as two hours each way to and from school. Thankfully, that appears to be changing.
The so-called “amphitheater,” the main attraction of the Banaue Rice Terraces
The difficulty of getting there notwithstanding, the Banaue Rice Terraces are really something to behold. Even if you aren’t able to wrap your mind around the fact that it’s been continuously farmed for almost five millennia, the sheer scale of the terraces (perhaps best illustrated by the main “amphitheater” shown above) is positively awe-inspiring. The Banaue Rice Terraces are definitely worth the long trek it takes to reach them, although the fact that you have to make the same long trek back to Banaue Town is a bit of a buzz-kill, I must admit.
Robert Schrader is a travel writer and photographer who’s been roaming the world independently since 2005, writing for publications such as “CNNGo” and “Shanghaiist” along the way. His blog, Leave Your Daily Hell, provides a mix of travel advice, destination guides and personal essays covering the more esoteric aspects of life as a traveler.
