JOURNEY TO BATAD RICE TERRACES
Our first destination in our Cordilleras Trip is located in Banaue, Ifugao, known for its amphitheater rice terraces known as the “Batad Rice Terraces”. A Unesco World Heritage site built by the Ifugaos centuries ago.
BATAD VILLAGE
The village is an hour away from Banaue by trike or by van. Reaching it is like seeing a hidden wonder since it is located within the mountains and can be reached by going along a pathway covered by lush greenery. Upon arriving at the village, we trekked for a few minutes until we reached a wide space where the rice terraces showed its wonder.
We stayed at Simon’s Inn and Restaurant which offers a great view of the amphitheater rice terraces. They offered regular rooms or you can stay in one of the Ifugao’s Traditional Houses called “Bale” like we did.
After eating our lunch, we proceeded to the viewing deck which we’re told shows a different perspective of the terraces. We hired a local to guide us around the village but according to a tourist that we had met, she didn’t get any and was still able to explore the area with ease. Some parts of the terraces were already paved so everyone could easily cross them, just be careful when climbing higher or descending as the steps going up and down are steep and you need to extend those legs of yours.
THE BATAD RICE TERRACES
After an hour and a half, we reached the highest point in the amphitheater rice terraces. It shows a 360-degree view of greens, steps, and the surrounding mountains. We were very tired from the climbing and the heat of the sun but the view made us forget it all. The view was amazing! Seeing the vastness of the terraces made us wonder how the Ifugaos made them without modern tools and what made us more amazed is that it is located on the slope of the mountains. Our trip going to Batad was almost 8 hours because of the traffic we faced in the nearby province but after seeing all of these, we can say that it was all worth it.
Tappiyah Falls is also located in Batad, one of the wonders you can explore near the village. Unfortunately, we didn’t go as it started to rain when we were there and our guide told us not to push through because of a possible landslide that may occur on the trail going down.
THE NEXT POST WILL BE ABOUT OUR ADVENTURE GOING TO THE VILLAGE OF BUSCALAN, KALINGA TO LOOK FOR APO WHANG OD. DON’T FORGET TO CHECK IT OUT TOO! 🙂
TRAVEL GUIDE & TIPS
LOCATION:
- Batad, Ifugao, Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines
HOW TO GET THERE:
a. By Public Transporation:
- From the drop-off, vans are available for you to rent and they will drop you to the saddle (the last point a vehicle can go through) but it is expensive. Tricycles are cheaper.
- From the saddle, there’s a pathway leading to the village, trek until you reach the entrance to the Batad Rice Terraces.
b. By Travel Tours
- Check these BATAD TOURS VIA VIATOR.
POWER PACK:
ACCOMMODATIONS:
- Batad Top View Point Homestay and Restaurant
- Simon’s Inn and Restaurant
- Hillside Inn and Restaurant
- Batad View Inn and Restaurant
- Batad Pension and Restaurant
NOTES:
- Bring extra water when you start your trek, there is little to no shade in the area.
- You can explore the area without a guide.
- Some of the steps are high so be careful when going up or down the terraces
- Leave No Trace. Let’s keep the site clean and natural
© CHASEJASE
