Banaue

Set in northern Luzon, the rice terraces of Banaue are among the country's most striking sights and have been called "The Eighth Wonder of the World." Built by the ancient Ifugao tribe, this series of stepped terraces were carved out of the mountains by hand over 2,000 years ago. An agricultural marvel, these terraces still produce rice and vegetables, though these days a huge portion of Banaue's revenue comes from tourists who travel up to 12 hours from Manila to witness this awe-inspiring landscape.

Though not as dramatic as its neighboring rice terraces, Batad is well worth a visit as a side-trip from Banaue. Local villages dot the landscape, and the friendly villagers are accustomed to tourists hiking to the scenic Tappiyah waterfalls and stopping to buy traditional woven cloth and handmade knives.

Experiences

A handpicked selection of experiences endorsed by our experts. If you can’t see what you’re looking for, let us know, as our extensive network of local contacts can open many doors.

Hiking

The village of Batad is perhaps the best place to view the region's rice terraces, although it requires a roughly 40-minute trek to access from the main road. Getting around on foot is recommended, as it affords the visitor a feel for how massive and expansive the surrounding terraces are.

Ifugao Tribal People

Meet the people whose ancestors engineered the rice terraces and learn about the ways in which they continue to work the land as their forefathers did centuries ago. The older Ifugao still wear their traditional dress, which consists of a feathered headdress and woven red fabrics.

Local Specialties

Have dinner at a casual local restaurant chosen by your guide, where you can dine family-style on Philippine specialties such as adobo (crispy chicken or pork slow-cooked with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaf, and black peppercorns); pansit (a Filipino version of Chinese stir-fried noodles); or lumpia (spring rolls). Make sure to pair your dinner with a couple of bottles of the de facto national brew, San Miguel.

Rice Terraces

Banaue is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famed for its amazing, emerald-green, mud-walled rice terraces — some 20,000 hectares of them created by hand labor over 2000 years ago by the Ifugao tribal people. Your guide will lead you to the best viewpoints to take in and photograph the spellbinding terraces and steep hillsides, before taking you to the more remote terrace sites of Hapao and Hungduan, which are also UNESCO sites.

Tappiyah Falls

While in Batad, hike into the hillsides surrounding the town to the picturesque Tappiyah Falls for a cooling swim at its base.

Philippines Regions

Explore in-depth information, experiences and highlights by navigating to specific regions using the links below.

Multi-Country Specialists

Philippines Goes Well With

Malaysia

Taiwan

Hong Kong

Japan

Why Remote Lands?

Exclusively Asia

With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.

With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, in the continent that our north American founders Catherine and Jay have adored and explored for decades, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.

Travelogues

An Asia-focused magazine brought to you by Remote Lands - a platform for adventure, luxury, and authenticity from experts and explorers around the continent.

Gods of Rice: Banaue Terraces Are Out of This World

Author: Jay Tindall

The Philippines’ spectacular Banaue rice terraces are over 2000 years old, and home to the Ifugao former headhunters. The perfect place for an exhilarating and exhausting adventure.

Read Article

Home of the Ifugao: Discovering Tribal Banaue on the Trek to Batad

Author: Annapurna Mellor

Photographer and writer Annapurna Mellor travels deep into the largest island in the Philippines to explore the mountains of Batad and the culture of the Ifugao on a Banaue adventure.

Read Article