HomeAsiaPhilippinesLuzonIfugaoBanaue Rice Terraces, Still Breathtaking As Ever! By Marcos Detourist on May 12, 2010The Banaue Rice Terraces should never be missed when traveling in the Philippines since it’s definitely one of the most famous icons of the Philippines. Thailand or Vietnam might be the first place that most people associate with sprawling rice paddies but there isn’t any other place in the world where you can see them built on entire mountainsides forming grand terraces at a scale like the Banaue Rice Terraces. At first, I was quite concerned about visiting Banaue during the dry season due to fears of possibly seeing the damaging results of the worst El Nino the Philippines had ever had especially after discovering the rice terraces being in-scripted into the List of UNESCO World Heritage sites in danger. I was thinking of documenting how badly the terraces for my trip but as my wish of visiting the Banaue came true, my fears quickly died down. My trip was so worth it and I’m so happy that, despite the negative pressures, the rice terraces of Banaue is still a sight to behold and the people of the town have done a great job at preserving its beauty and allure. Elder Igorot Native watching over the Rice Terraces in BanaueThe Banaue Rice Terraces is included in UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. Here’s a brief description of the Banaue Rice Terraces displayed at UNESCO’s website:For 2,000 years, the high rice fields of the Ifugao have followed the contours of the mountains. The fruit of knowledge handed down from one generation to the next, and the expression of sacred traditions and a delicate social balance, they have helped to create a landscape of great beauty that expresses the harmony between humankind and the environment. sourceFrom Manila it took us 8 hours to go to Banaue by bus. Most visitors would be settled with seeing the breathtaking panoramic views of the rice terraces in the town proper but we decided to head out first to a remote barangay in Banaue called Batad, famous for its ampitheatre style terraces and Tappiya Falls. We toured Batad for the day and stayed for one night in Ramon’s Homestay. I tell you, it is not a walk in the park. It took us an hour by jeepney to reach the saddle point in Brgy. Batad from Banaue town proper and a 40 minute light trek to the main settlement in Batad then another 1 hour hike along steep trails to Tappiya Falls. Aside from the gorgeous views, what made the trip to Batad worthwhile was personally experiencing a light immersion into the local culture of the Igorots. It was nice to be in close encounters with the locals and hear stories about their lives, traditions, and customs, which is quite unique to these parts in Northern Philippines.The next day, we returned back to Banaue town proper and set out to see the image of the rice terraces illustrated at the back of the P1000 Philippine Peso Bill in one of the many viewpoints in the area. For me, it is a moment of pride personally seeing the rice terraces. Almost every civilization in the world has constructed awe inspiring man-made structures that serve as a legacy of their greatness. Although the rice terraces isn’t as grand or popular as the Ankgor Wat, Pyramids of Giza, Ancient City of Athens, Great Wall of China and the like but it was still a great feeling to be in close encounter of what our ancestors have achieved.Don’t leave yet. There’s more!Planning a trip to Batad and Banaue Rice Terraces…Back to Aliwan Fiesta 2010 plus two surprise trips in AprilFirst time in Thailand and CambodiaBucari, Leon – My first taste of LinagpangMy First Solo Backpacking Trip and First Time to PalawanOne Hot and Exciting Week in BoracayComments Lee saysMay 12, 2010 at 10:22 amGreat shots, Marcos but, I suspect you must have other awesome shots hidden somewhere else, right? Anyways, every time I see shots of the Banaue, it brings be back right away to a nostalgic memory when we had our 1-month rural medicine rotation in Batad. We stopped by the road at one point and make a 45-mniutes hike… up and down the terraces, passed by small cemeteries along the way to reach a small barrio. We stayed there for 2 weeks then, we moved to another barrio for the last 2 weeks. No electricity, no hot water, just my intern partner. We take a bath in the open (would you believe that?) and during that time I was forced to learn how to speak the Kankana-ey dialect so that I can communicate with the local people. That time, I was fluent with my Ilocano already but, I still find difficult talking with the Igorots as most of them does not understand Ilocano dialect. It was an experience I will never forget… climbing up and down the terraces. I think, I still have pictures to share next time we meet. Lee saysMay 12, 2010 at 10:34 amBTW, Marcos, I have a book which lists 10 Wonders of the World and, the Banaue rice terraces was not included in that list. I was so disappointed with that book as they only feature the one in Vietnam. Luckily, a webpage listed Banaue Rice Terraces #3 and 2 Pinoys posted disappointed comments. Check it out, here’s the link to that site: chymera00 saysMay 12, 2010 at 5:13 pmCool Lee. I was actually very amused hearing the locals speak Kankana-ey, I don’t know if it was just our guides but their accent sounds similar to Italian. In jest, I would sometimes think to myself that they could be well blended in a Super Mario game with Mario and Luigi … or as if they were trying to sell me pizza, pasta or some Italian dish.Yeah, I saw the link you posted and the comments by fellow Filipinos. I guess, rice terraces appeals to more foreigners if it was in an exotic place they recognize. The photos of other rice terraces look really interesting too, in fairness.Will be posting more photos and journals about my trip to Banaue and Batad. hazel Hammadon saysFebruary 8, 2012 at 5:13 pmAhm.. actually its not kan kaey … its tuwali the local dialect of batad… ahm.. viewing this photos its make me sad because im from banaue but never been to this place,,, nakakahiya mang aminin but its the relity.. people from other places come to see this beauties but i… from that place never see it in personal.. actually im a shame of it,… pinag yayabang q sa classmates q pero aq mismo d q nakita.. ahayyy Posting of new comments is disabled temporarily.Connect with Marcos on:Detourista.comMarcosDetourist.comFacebookInstagramTwitterDetourista.comDiscover more travel guides and blogs about the Philippines and beyond by Marcos DetouristChoose your next destination: Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Lee saysMay 12, 2010 at 10:22 amGreat shots, Marcos but, I suspect you must have other awesome shots hidden somewhere else, right? Anyways, every time I see shots of the Banaue, it brings be back right away to a nostalgic memory when we had our 1-month rural medicine rotation in Batad. We stopped by the road at one point and make a 45-mniutes hike… up and down the terraces, passed by small cemeteries along the way to reach a small barrio. We stayed there for 2 weeks then, we moved to another barrio for the last 2 weeks. No electricity, no hot water, just my intern partner. We take a bath in the open (would you believe that?) and during that time I was forced to learn how to speak the Kankana-ey dialect so that I can communicate with the local people. That time, I was fluent with my Ilocano already but, I still find difficult talking with the Igorots as most of them does not understand Ilocano dialect. It was an experience I will never forget… climbing up and down the terraces. I think, I still have pictures to share next time we meet.
Lee saysMay 12, 2010 at 10:34 amBTW, Marcos, I have a book which lists 10 Wonders of the World and, the Banaue rice terraces was not included in that list. I was so disappointed with that book as they only feature the one in Vietnam. Luckily, a webpage listed Banaue Rice Terraces #3 and 2 Pinoys posted disappointed comments. Check it out, here’s the link to that site:
chymera00 saysMay 12, 2010 at 5:13 pmCool Lee. I was actually very amused hearing the locals speak Kankana-ey, I don’t know if it was just our guides but their accent sounds similar to Italian. In jest, I would sometimes think to myself that they could be well blended in a Super Mario game with Mario and Luigi … or as if they were trying to sell me pizza, pasta or some Italian dish.Yeah, I saw the link you posted and the comments by fellow Filipinos. I guess, rice terraces appeals to more foreigners if it was in an exotic place they recognize. The photos of other rice terraces look really interesting too, in fairness.Will be posting more photos and journals about my trip to Banaue and Batad.
hazel Hammadon saysFebruary 8, 2012 at 5:13 pmAhm.. actually its not kan kaey … its tuwali the local dialect of batad… ahm.. viewing this photos its make me sad because im from banaue but never been to this place,,, nakakahiya mang aminin but its the relity.. people from other places come to see this beauties but i… from that place never see it in personal.. actually im a shame of it,… pinag yayabang q sa classmates q pero aq mismo d q nakita.. ahayyy