The overnight bus was slightly glacial (the aircon), the sharp winding curves were dizzying, but the morning sunshine that awakened me wriggling its rays through the green mountains was breathtaking. I was aboard a Florida Liner bus from Manila to the town of Banaue in the rice terraced countryside province of Ifugao, the Philippines.
After a quick breakfast and a teeth brush at one of the world’s more magnificent sinks, our group hired a jeep to transport us an hour away where we would begin about a one hour perspiring hike to our intended destination: Batad Rice Terraces. We passed the final corner of the hike and presented in front of us was a formation of endless terraces of rice formed directly into the mountainside in the shape of an amphitheater, a world away from anything I had ever seen in my life.
I got that speechless feeling, the kind of beauty that struck me from within. The different hues of yellow and green, the varied array of rice fields at different stages of cultivation, and no two of the terraces were the same in shape.
The Batad rice terraces changed in elevation correlating with the mountain, a small valley, a ridge, or whatever was naturally in place. I feel into a daze and after taking 100 photos, I shook myself back to my senses and it was time to make the trek to the bottom, where we would spend the night in a traditional style Batad hut.
The sophisticated Batad rice terraces system, that was built over 2000 years ago, is an amusement to explore. Small streams of water flow from the top, filtered into one terrace and on to the next, linking the fields together. Ancient and perfect stepping stones are placed on pathways to create natural staircases from different levels. The entire system of terraces is extremely peaceful and works so well together using only natural gravity as it has throughout antiquity.
20 minutes anaerobic ups and downs through terraces and one reaches the turbulently hammering Tappiya Waterfalls just accross the ridge from the Batad rice terraces. After a day of hiking, the refreshing water provides a splendid relief from the forsaken drenching heat of daylight.
At night the moonlight softly blankets the entire environment and the stars add to the serenity. My stomach was filled with the organically grown local rice as I crawled into my sheets. Amidst the silence, I could hear the faint sound of water running and an occasional cricket. The tranquility at the Batad rice terraces is so ideal that it is truly unblemished for drifting into a deep slumber within seconds.
At the rise of dawn I was awake for some moring exercise. The climb to the top of the terraces was worth the effort with astonishing views spanning the valley. From the very highest terrace filled with golden riced grass I began to count levels as I carefully made my way downwards, hoping not to slip and meet my end. When I reached the bottom I had descended 116 levels of rice terraces.
If you ever get a chance to visit the Batad rice terraces of the Philippines, take it!
-Migration Mark
Wonderful tale Mark. The first time I saw rice terraces (these were the ones in Banaue) I could only gape. It was a truly amazing sight.
P.S. Lucky you got to ride Florida bus. I didn’t know about them til I got back from Sagada. :p
Thanks Kat, I think the terraces are one of the coolest places I’ve ever hiked, yes the Florida bus is really convenient!
I’m envious! I didn’t see the Tappiya Falls!
I didn’t know about the Florida Bus either, Kat. Did they offer this just recently? In 2005, we took a bus (forgot the name argh) with a station in España.
Now I remember! It’s Autobus. I heard they recently closed operations. At least there’s Florida. They have better bus seats, IMO.
I got a once-a-day jeepney from Banaue to the point where you can first start hiking. Met a guy who had gone to town to buy an entire travel pack full of San Miguel for his family’s guesthouse. I don’t think he was planning to hike from that first point, since the jeepney went a little further for a few more pesos, but he decided to join me and show me a short cut. I ended up staying at their place for the night and he showed me around and Tappiya fall. It is indeed a great place. If you go there again, take the hike our of there that goes to a small place back on the main road, I think it’s called Bangaan. You’ll hike through some amazing scenes and through an even more remote hamlet in the bush, and then hit the road. A great time. I even got lost for an hour in the bush at one point.
Beautiful photos Mark! I’ve never been to Banaue but the pictures remind me of the area around Sapa, Vietnam.