Banaue

Banaue is a town on the Cordillera mountain range in the north of the island of Luzon, in the Philippines. It is mainly visited for its stunning rice terraces, which are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Getting there

BUS Many bus companies and tour agencies have trips to Banaue. There are 3 ways to get to Banaue from Manila. Manila direct to Banaue. Manila to Baguio to Banaue, or the Manila, Bontoc, to Banaue trip. Each has its own interest. Autobus (Tel. No. +63 2 740-79-59), Dangwa Transco (Tel. No. +63 2 410-1991), Florida Bus Line (Tel. No. 02 731-53-58 or 02 743-3809),and Victory Bus Line (Tel. No. +63 2 833-0218)

Manila to Banaue - 2 bus companies (Florida & Autobus) have 1 trip daily which leaves Manila at around 10 pm. Bus fares are P450 for Florida and P400 for Autobus. Both buses have terminals in Sampaloc Manila in the España area near the Sto. Tomas University. You can take the train to Legarda station then a pedicab to any of the two stations (fare: P20). The same buses have daily trips back to Manila daily at 6:30 pm for Autobus and 8:00 pm for Florida

Manila-Solano, Nueva Vizcaya-Banaue - buses heading to Tuguegarao (e.g. Baliwag transit, Victory, etc.) pass by the town of Solano. Several jeepneys ply the Solano-Banaue route or the Solano-Lagawe, Ifugao route. From Lagawe, one can then take another jeepney to Banaue.

Manila-Tarlac-Solano-Banaue - buses heading for Baguio pass by Tarlac. Vizcaya liner plies the Tarlac-Solano route at 5 am.

by car - The distance between the Balintawak Cloverleaf in north Manila at the beginning of the North Luzon Expressway and the Welcome to Banaue sign is 332 km. The road is paved all the way to Banaue. Travel time can be as long as 9 hours due to the several blind curves through the mountains.

Traveling around

Jeepneys (converted jeeps/bus) and trikes (little motorcycles with side cars) are easily available around Banaue. Vans can be hired with driver/guide. Expect to hike some to great places to see that are not on the roads.

There is a public jeepney plying the Banaue to saddle point (start of trek to Batad village)route daily. See Get Out, below for more info.

See

• Rice terraces. Sometimes called the "Eighth Wonder of the World", the 2000 years old Banaue rice terraces are a UNESCO World Heritage site, and while many are still in use today, the outer rims are showing signs of deterioration. They were created by the Ifugao (local native people), in a massive engineering project to cover the sides of the valleys (probably 200 meters from floor to rim) for several miles, irrigated by means of mountain streams and springs that have been tapped and channelled into canals that run downhill through the rice terraces.

• Museum of Cordilleran Sculpture , 011-63-919-774-8507, The Museum of Cordilleran Sculpture was founded by George and Candida Ida Schenk over 30 years ago, and evolved from a small antique store in Manilla, into dream to preserve a culture that is slowly dying. There are over 1,000 pieces in the collection of the Museum, ranging from large-scale, carved wooden Bululs, masks to smaller scale figures, textiles, utilitarian objects, and composite objects

Things to do

• Marcial Cuison (074-386-40-42) , +639185225049, Banaue , Ifugao, GV Florida transport Booking Office( Banaue-Manila ), transportation(jeepneys,van for hire /Accredited Guides and tour arrangement w/in banaue,ifugao/ e-mail at m_dcuison@yahoo.com for tour arrangement and rates.

Eat

• Native Village Inn, Uhaj, Near the village of Uhaj, 9 km from Banaue, +63916 405 6743, . Lodge-type restaurant with fireplace, 50 seats, thatched roof. On a mountaintop overlooking the Hapao Rice Terraces. Western and Filipino dishes. Moderate prices.

• Sanafe Lodge & Restaurant , +63 74 386 4085, 6am - 9pm, Banaue Trade Center, Indoor and al fresco dining on a wide veranda with great views.Filipino, Asian & Western dishes. Set meals start at Php140.

• Ilob Village Inn, Poblacion, Banaue, 1 km from bus terminals, Native ifugao house with restaurant. Sorounded with rice teracces. You can also request to see the actual show for the Ifugao culture.

Drink

Native rice wine or sugarcane wine at all inns and lodges.

Sleep

The grand old lady, Banaue Hotel, is probably the priciest option you'll find but offers regular cultural shows in the evenings (Ifugao dance and music) that are also open to non-guests. The pool is small but a nice place to hang out when you're tired of trekking up and down rice terraces.

Closer to town, there are a multitude of hostels and guesthouses offering much more reasonably priced accommodations.

• Banaue Hotel & Youth Hostel Tel. (632) 8121984/8103655/8103703 (6374) 3864087-88

• Fairview Inn Tel. (6374) 3864002

• People's Lodge & Restaurant (internet cafe also) Tel. (6374) 3864037

• Spring Village Tel. (6374) 4037

• Terraceville Inn Tel. (6374) 3864094

• Cozy Nook Inn Tel. (6374) 3864003

• Greenview Lodge Tel. (6374) 3864022

• Halfway Lodge Tel. (6374) 3864082

• Native Village Inn, Uhaj , +639164056743, Uhaj village, 9 km from Banaue, This is a unique lodge where guests sleep in native Ifugao houses.

• Banaue Homestay, Poblacion Banaue Ifugao

• Sanafe Lodge and Restaurant , 6374-386-4085, next door to the market, Nice balcony at the back with pleasant views. Basic but comfortable rooms, plus a dormitory.

• Banaue View Inn, (6374) 386-40-78

Buy

Many kinds of carved woods.

Get out

• Batad. While the rice terraces of Banaue are mud-walled, those of Batad are stone-walled. They form an amphitheatre and are an impressive sight. Fifteen km. on bad roads, followed by a 40 minute downhill hike, but worth it. There is a public jeepney plying the Banaue to Saddle Point (start of trek to Batad village) route daily. Banaue to Saddle Point is around 2 to 4 pm while the Saddle Point to Banaue jeepney is around 9:30 am to 10:30 am. They may take extra trips during the peak season (e.g. Holy week). Head on to the Banaue public market and ask around. Fare is P100 to P150 for tourists while the locals pay P45.

• Bontoc and Sagada. By hiring a van in Banaue (ask in your hotel) you can visit these two centres as a day trip. Bontoc is a busy town but has an excellent museum of Ifugao culture. Sagada has the impressive Sumaging limestone cave (take a change of clothes and leave your best shoes in Banaue), burial chambers and hanging coffins. En route to Bontoc you pass the incredibly beautiful Bayo terraces.

• Hapao. A half-day trip from Banaue. More terraces. Steep steps lead down to some, giving easy access for a close-hand inspection.