Banaue is the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage listed Ifugao rice terraces of Northern Luzon. The Banaue environs are visually beautiful, high in the mountains, sometimes shrouded in mist and cool rain. The rice terraces are a fabulous testament to the inspired agricultural engineering of the Ifugao people. Some of these terraces were constructed 2000 plus years ago, and all are still in use today.
The best time to go is between February and May end, when it is least likely that the views will be obscured by low level clouds.
Tourists come here to enjoy the scenery, to gaze at it from one of the many view points, to trek through it, or to wake up in it. I remember how awed I was by the scale of these rice terraces on my first visit some 10 years ago. I have been to or through Banaue more than 50 times since and often take the scenery for granted now.
Hapao and Hungduan Rice Terraces
The junction of the road leading to the Hapao and Hungduan rice terraces, is about half way between Banaue town proper and the View Point. There are some regular Jeepneys that ply the route, or you can hire a tricycle or your own jeep to get there. This narrow road winds around the mountains with some great views of rice terraces. The only accommodation is the Native Village Inn at Uhij, about 9 km out of Banaue. This accommodation is traditional native huts. The Native Village Inn is situated high up on a mountain with stunning views over the Hapao rice terraces. There is road access to it. Many short or long treks can be started from here. From here you can also take transport to take you to the unique spider web terraces of Hungduan. For more information about exploring and touring the Hapao and Hungduan rice terraces, I suggest you go to the Native Valley Inn web site, which is an excellent site about this region. You can find their web site.
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