Twosome Travelogue: philippines

Weekend Well Spent at Batad Rice Terraces - Ifugao

Flooded rice paddies, stairs step down the Liwang Rice Terraces

Did you know that the indigenous people of Ifugao took more than 2,000 years to build the Ifugao rice terraces? They are the highest, best built and most extensive in the world, according to the Philippines Historical Committee. The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras were declared National Treasures and likewise protected by the National Cultural Heritage!

But the world is changing...

Cities grew rapidly as rural populations relocate in search of jobs. With few left to work in the fields, some of the terraces were abandoned and began to deteriorate. Good news is that, in the last decade, the local government put in place programmes that will help restore and conserve the landscape. The better news is, the results are evident!

How to get to Banaue, Ifugao from Manila

I found this map through Google images and really find it helpful to locate Banaue from possible jump-off points such as Baguio and Sagada.

This image is from http://websushidesign.com/blog/uploads/food-travel3/batad-sagada/sagada/sagada-guide/map.jpg

Direct Night Bus via Ohayami Trans

This bus company is not as famous as other "go-to" provincial buses of the locals, but it is the only legal bus company that provides direct trips from Manila to Banaue. Their bus station is located in Fajardo street near UST. Note that this location is inconvenient if you're coming from the airport. I've attended school in UST so I can somehow attest that this area is not so safe for travellers; it's dark and many pickpockets wander around.

Travel Time from Manila to Banaue: 11hours (including the terrible traffic in A.Bonifacio and Balintawak area)

Cost: 470.00 pesos /person/way

Quality of Buses: Old, some of their buses looked 30 years old; Not all buses have wi-fi as opposed to the information from their website.

Service: During peak season, it's best to book your tickets at least a week in advance. Based from our experience, there were a number of foreign backpacking tourists who had no option but to sleep in the terminal because the buses were already full and cannot accommodate them.

What I also do not like about Ohayami is their terrible customer relations. They will reply to you in a snap if your question relates to the payment options or anything related to money. But if your query is to confirm if you can get a good seat, or make a request to be seated next to your buddies, they will left you hanging.

Our 2-Day Itinerary: Batad Rice Terraces

Batad Rice Terraces - very pretty on every angle :)

Must read! :)

There are many rice terraces in Ifugao, but the most famous are those of Banaue, Batad, Hapao and Hungduan. We thought that they all look the same so we just chose one. We picked Batad!

Day 0

9 pm: Call time, Ohayami Bus terminal in Fajardo
10 pm: Manila to Banaue night bus

Day 1

9 am: Transit from bus terminal to town; breakfast
10:30 am: Asked around for tours or do-it-yourself options for Batad
11 am: Tricycle ride from town to Batad Saddle (passing thru Liwang Rice Terraces and Batad Junction(jeepney drop-off point))
12 pm: 1 hour trek from Saddle to Batad Town proper, where the lodges are located
1:15 pm: Check in at Hillside Inn
2:30 pm: 1 hour Trek to rice paddies and Tappiya Waterfalls
3:15 pm: Swimming in Tappiya Waterfalls
4 pm: Trek back to Hillside Inn
6 pm: Dinner
7 pm: Sleep!

8-foot high pilapils, mornings in Batad with Kalash <3

Soaking it up at the stream banks while eating Sugo peanuts! (This is near the falls)

Day 2

7 am: Breakfast
7:30 am: Trek around the terraces, Batad Village and Hanging bridge (not worth the trek)
10 am: Trek back to Hillside Inn
11 am: Freshen up; pack up for check out
12 pm: Lunch and tambay with view
12:45 pm: Trek back to Saddle (under the noon sun!)
2 pm: Tricycle to Banaue Town proper
3 pm: Snacks, wifi, walk around the town and wifi again
7 pm: Bus to Manila via Ohayami
5 am: Back to Manila!

Travel Tips and Cost

Best time to visit: Summer (April, May)
If travelling during weekends, book your return bus tickets in advance; request (and demand) to sit beside your buddy.
Bring good shoes, preferably trekking shoes, for walks from Saddle to the terraces, terraces to Tappiya falls, to view decks. Running shoes is fine but some paths may be rocky and uneven, so your call.
You can trek around Batad without a guide, easily. If going to Tappiya falls, take the huge landslide as your reference point and follow the path that leads to it. Locals are polite and speak good English. Asking them for directions won't hurt. Be ready for the repeat question, "You have/want guide?"
Water and food are very expensive in Batad; lodging is cheap.
If the bus is late, you have to take a tricycle to Saddle point or hire a private jeep; there's a jeepney going to the Saddle for 50php, but no trip timetable is available. The locals seemed unsure too when we asked them. (see Total Expenses below for cost of tricycle ride to Saddle)
Outside Batad: Banaue Tour Map

Searched through Google (but maps are found anywhere in town) https://chrisdizontravels.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/amuyao-89831.jpg

Total Expenses (Excluding food)

Round trip bus for 2 pax = 1,940php
Tricycle to Saddle = 500php (2-3 persons only because the road around the junction area is very steep)
Lodge = 200php/night - Hillside Inn (room with view of Batad Rice Terraces); common bath with hot shower
Trek to Tappiya falls, Batad village and terraces, Hanging bridge = FREE
Tricycle back to Banaue Town = 500php
Total = 3,080php for 2 pax

Notes on (expensive) food and water in Batad

65php/liter of water (we saved a little here since we had spare Aquatabs from our last trek in ABC, Nepal)
1 serving of chicken curry and organic rice: 180php
Batad coffee: 40php
Tapsilog (not widely available): 150php
1 small bowl of sinigang: 170php