Hiking the Rice Terraces of Banaue

When you think of the Philippines, most people envision beautiful beaches, and while the Philippines does have those, many are unaware of the incredible rice terraces of Banaue. These terraces, which are often referred to as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”, are hands down my favorite place in the Philippines. These terraces were carved into the mountains by the indigenous people, largely by hand, over 2000 years ago! If you’re in the Philippines, hiking the Rice Terraces of Banaue is a must!

How to Get There?

Ask your hotel/hostel to reserve a ticket beforehand. The earlier the better as the seats fill up fast. A one way ticket costs 470PHP or $10.

Take a taxi to Ohayami station near UST (Lacson Avenue cor. Fajardo Street). The bus departs at 10pm and arrives at 7 AM. You’ll need to arrive a bit earlier to actually get your ticket, so 9 is ideal. The bus is freezing, so bring a jacket too!

The bus back to Manila leaves Banaue at 7pm, arriving around 5am. Perfect for those with morning flights!

The Rice Terraces of Banaue

I arrived at 7 in morning, still half sleep, I got off the bus and made my way down to the local café for breakfast. Here, I met another French backpacker that had been traveling around the world for the past 6 months. We befriended one another and a local tour guide joined us afterwards. He offered to take us around the terraces for two days for $25 a piece. We agreed and after breakfast we began our journey to the top at 1,100 meters high.

It had rained the night before, so the trail was a bit wet, but still manageable. It took about two hours until we reached the 1,100m checkpoint at Batad.

Our tour guide directed the Frenchman and I to our rooms for the night and we unpacked. The room was incredibly small; there was nothing but a bed and one outlet, but the view was outstanding.

After unpacking we rejoined him downstairs and set off to begin the hike to the very top. The rice terraces were a lot steeper than I imagined. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t exhausted by the time we reached the peak.

Upon reaching the peak we took a 30-minute break and proceeded to the waterfall after. By 3pm, we finished our hike for the day and headed back to the hostel. I took a nap and rejoined the Frenchman downstairs for dinner where we had some bird and drank local wine with our tour guide and other travelers.

Day 2 in Banaue

The next day, I woke up early to the sound of a monkey. When I went outside to the balcony there was actually a monkey tied to the neighbor’s house as if it were a pet! All I could think was how in the world did this man catch a monkey and what possessed him to keep it as a pet?

Around 10, we set off into the jungle for our hike. Almost 10 minutes in, I stepped in a huge puddle of water. With no spare shoes, I had to walk with a wet foot the whole day. On top of that, it began to rain, and none of us had raincoats or umbrellas.

Two hours later we reached our checkpoint where we then hopped in a tuk tuk to be taken to our final site. The ride was scary. Not only was it pouring outside, but the road was muddy, and our tuk tuk was riding inches from the edge of the road, which was over 1,000 meters high.

About an hour and a half later, we arrived. I didn’t think anything could top the terraces from yesterday, but I was wrong. These were even better!

After seeing the terraces we got back in the tuk tuk and continued along the road for the next stop up the road. From this vantage point I came across a group of women native to the village. One of them was 90 years old!

We finished this day early and had the rest of the time to explore the city. There wasn’t much to see, so I just spent the rest of the day at a cafe until it was time to head back to Manila.

I took the bus bound for Manila at 7, arriving in the early hours of the morning.

Banaue is an incredible place and one worth at least two days. The accommodation is poor, but the scenic views are out of this world, a solid 10/10!

Best Time to Visit?

I went in September, which is excellent if you want to see them at its greenest. June to September is the best time. October and November, the fields are a bit golden. December to March it will be dull and the worst time to visit. April and May are planting season, so expect slightly green terraces, but on the bright side, there is likely no rain.

Which rice terraces do you all prefer? The ones in Banaue or Sapa, Vietnam? Let me know your thoughts?