Jellbell travels the world: The rice terraces of Batad [Part 3]

In El Nido, I met fellow travellers who had just come from Banaue/Batad. They showed me pictures of the amazing rice terraces (which I had originally intended to go but chickened out due to the long overnight bus) and I asked myself: Were the rice terraces worth extending my trip and paying a new return ticket for? When would I have the time and flexibility to do this again? Would I come back to the Philippines? What if the rice terraces failed to impress? I didn't have to dwell too long as the answer was an unequivocal JUST DO IT.

Too many times, we ponder and wonder when making decisions, and we let our imaginary fears, often overplayed due to hearsay from others, scare us into giving up the task. Truth be told, most of these people, while having our best interests at heart, have not even been to that particular destination before. That is not to say that the place will be 100% safe; as with every new place you venture to, it is important to do lots of research and practice caution and vigilance. I am trying to get into a zone of feeling comfortable enough to make my own call and not let other people's judgement deter me from doing what I want to do. It's not easy, but I hope to get there someday.

Once I got back to Manila, I took a taxi to the Ohayami bus terminal on Lacson Ave. to buy my bus ticket. There are 2 bus companies servicing the Manila-Banaue route (the other is Dangwa/Florida located in Cubao); I chose Ohayami as the bus station seemed nearer to Makati. It was pretty ridiculous, as my taxi to and fro cost almost as much as the overnight bus. But since I had decided to go, I wanted to secure the tickets and be assured that I won't end up sitting on the makeshift seats on the bus ("extra foldable seat" along the aisle). Which turned out to be a good move as I managed to snag one of the last few tickets at the back.

There were 2-3 toilet stops along the way but I refrained from drinking water so I didn't have to keep going to the toilet. In fact, I had a pretty enjoyable ride and managed to catch some sleep along the way.

My sweet neighbour on the bus. She thought I was local and started rattling to me in Tagalog (I suspect she was complaining about the foreigners behind us who couldn't stop yakking throughout the night). Somehow, that faux pas started a conversation, and she shared that she had just found a factory job in Kao-shiung, Taiwan and would be leaving her 1-year old kid and husband in Banaue in the hope that the money she makes will give all of them a better life.

8 hours later, we arrived in Banaue.

Locals going about their day.

I checked with the tourist information counter for room availability and tour options to Batad. I did not get any useful information so I settled down at the cafe and ordered myself a hot drink first. Shortly afterwards, a "tour guide", who's this one dude who speaks reasonably good English, approached me to make arrangements for my trip. I decided to get a personal guide at an agreed fee of 2,000ps (S$62) for the entire day to save the transport hassle plus I wasn't entirely confident about trekking alone.

My guide was a young lad in his 20s named Jason. He popped by the lodge next door, secured a single room for me (bargained from 300ps to 250ps) and after a short rest, we started our day trip to Batad by tricycle.

At S$8 per night, this is definitely the cheapest single room I've ever stayed in.

Two picturesque view points along the way.

After 45min of bumpy ride, we arrived at Batad Saddle, the gateway to the rice terraces. It was downhill all the way so you can only imagine that the return would be much much harder.

A sneak preview of the Batad rice terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is said that the rice terraces were carved into the mountains by the Ifugao tribe 2,000 years ago, mainly by hand with minimal equipment.

Jason very thoughtfully brought chocolate and sweets for the village kids.

An Ifugao (traditional) hut

A close up view as we descended into the village.

With my guide, Jason.

One could also make the trip down to Tappiyah waterfalls, but the steps were rather steep and taxing on the knees. Once again, I was thankful for a good guide who lent me a hand from time to time.A few brave souls swam in the frigid waters but I did not relish getting wet so I just sat there to enjoy the spray from the falls.

On our way back to the village - a bird's eye view of the rice terraces.

I was super tired and hungry from the trekking and wanted my lunch! The walk along the rice terraces could get pretty nerve-wrecking at times as some paths were narrow and one wrong step could lead to a 10-metre drop into the paddy fields.