I just want to take a minute and appreciate these glorious picturesque. I'm surprised I buried these treasures so deep into my drive and memory lane. Anyway, these shots were taken way back our second uni-trip and it was one for the books. Banaue Rice Terraces are something you should see before you die. Total bucket list worthy.
I won't bore you with narratives and guides and pretentious whatevers. Mainly because I don't exactly remember much from this trip because I was with the group tour. I won't be able to cite a comprehensive travel guide but I'll be able to share the experience through these photos.
Go ahead and scroll down. I hope these pictures inspire you to visit the famous Banaue Rice Terraces of the Philippines.
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| You see these flat rice paddies cut in the mountain? Those are man made and are dating from way way way way back, done by our ifugao ancestors. Amazing, right? These, as well as the pyramids of Egypt are example of feats of engineering from pre-technologies. |
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| Straight out of Twilight. But no, it's in the Philippines. |
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| Beautiful imperfections of Mother Earth. |
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| Before, there were no stand out houses in the midst of the picturesque Rice Terraces. Houses are mainly made of thatched roofs and thus, completely blend in with the environment. However, because of the efficiency of GI roofs, the natives owning the lands/the rice paddies are switching from traditional house to modernized ones. Look at the effect. |
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| This is me, Diane and Arvin for the mandatory picture with the Rice Terraces. |
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| L-R: Eliza, Niki, Charie, Kat, me, Arvin, Sig and Diane. |
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| This is the traditional house of Ifugaos in Hiwang Village. |
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| When you go to Banaue, this is a must try! Ride on top of jeepneys cruising speedily along steep mountains. It definitely is a scare but it's so thrilling most of us ended up riding on top instead of the safety of inside. If I can't emphasize this enough, again.. MUST TRY BEFORE YOU DIE! |
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| Hot Spring in Happao Rice Terraces. |
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| Another one of the must dos in Banaue, take a dip in the cold, raging waters of the river. We had our lunch in here while my playful classmates had fun in the waters. Beware though, they said the stones are slippery. |
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| After the splash sessions of my classmates, we went back to the "bayan" or the center to get change and settled for the day. We saw a native that allowed us to take a picture with them. They're so welcoming and friendly. As a courtesy, we gave lola some cash. |
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| In Banaue, do not expect luxurious accommodations. It was so far from the city that the only accommodations in there are homes converted into lodging types. Take these for example. This is the boy's room. They had the entire house to themselves. Us girls were separated in 4 per room in a hostel. It was simple but comfortable though. and the view made up for all of it! |
We have been to the Banaue Rice Terraces, to the hot springs in Happao Rice Terraces and the Hiwang Village and saw traditional houses of Ifugao. However, there are still places that I would want to visit for next time: (Click the links below.)
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| RIDE ON TOP OF THE JEEPNEY |
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| BRING EXTRA CLOTHES AND TAKE A DIP INTO THE HOT SPRINGS OF HAPPAO RICE TERRACES |
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| DRESS LIKE A LOCAL IFUGAO AND POST WITH A REAL ONE |
I do not know if you want to or not (because me I did not try it.) The locals of Banaue are always chewing Moma or Nganga. It is a habit that makes people from Banaue to feel warm. It is basically Betel leaf/seeds with lime powder. Because of nganga, most people in Banaue have stained teeth and always spits. Click this here to know about NGANGA.
So that's it for my Banaue Photo Diary. When I get a chance to come back to this place, I will make it a point to update this post into a Travel Guide. For now, this is it!
Check out other photo diaries of our Banaue-Sagada tour! Click links down below!
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