Philippines: A Journey to the Eighth Wonder

Batad is a village in northern Luzon and a province in the Philippines, and has one of the best examples of the thousands-of-years-old rice terraces dug into the mountainside. From Manila, you have to take a bus, then jeepneys (basically tin-like vans with no shocks or other safety devices) up mountains overlooking cliffs to the town of Banaue. From Banaue, the hike into Batad takes about 2 hours, but the reward is breathtaking. There are rice terraces that go higher than you can possibly imagine. The indigenous Ifugao people, some with their bodies bent permanently at 90-degree angles from years of picking rice, still do what their ancestors have done for centuries. There is no electricity, and due to the height of the village, you're in the clouds once darkness hits. All you can see are the few villagers' fires burning, and all you can hear are the chickens, pigs, and wild animals getting ready for bed. It's an amazing place that's worth every effort.

Quick Tips:

There is no other way of going up north (not to my knowledge anyway) without having to first land in Manila. And that is one crazy city! We arrived there at 1am and there was so much traffic!!! Patience is definitely needed... and make sure you leave lots of time to get anywhere cause it takes awhile. Getting out of the city was fun - lots of food along the way so no worries about that. We went down South to the beaches as well (Puerto Galera), and we definitely suggest not walking too far into the "non-tourist" areas, at least not without a few people with you. We were followed by several men with machetes at one point. Mind you, this was also during the time the US declared war on Iraq and the Filipinos weren't too fond of Americans (and unfortunately, there's no way to tell the difference between Canadians and Americans!).

Best Way To Get Around:

Best way to get around Manila is probably by taxi or jeepney. We didn't quite figure out how the jeepney stops worked in Manila, but taxis were pretty reliable and fairly cheap. To get out of the city, there are several bus stations. Again, make sure you ask and ask and ask and ask before boarding because 10 people may tell you to get on 10 different buses! We just tallied up the votes and got on the bus with the majority of votes. We kept getting dropped off in different areas of the Philippines... often in the middle of nowhere, and buses/jeepneys were often late or didn't actually exist, but we managed to get everywhere with these public modes of transportation.

We just picked a random guesthouse, Simon's Lodge, which was exceptionally clean and very cheap. It was a simple wooden structure, built on stilts on the side of the mountain. Our rooms had windows that looked out onto the magnificent rice terraces. For only $1 per person, we got two nice rooms between the three of us. They were very simple, with just a bed and a table and chair, but it served the purpose. At that time, they were about to install electricity, which I hope has not happened, as that made our trip all the more special. We were given candles to use around the guesthouse, which made everything a challenge! We had so much fun trying to do "everyday" tasks. Since we were high up in the mountains, it got really dark after 6pm. There wasn’t even a moon since the entire area is enveloped in the clouds. Since it was dark so early, candles were necessary for doing everything from opening the door (which was especially fun since they were padlocks with the tiniest key – try opening a padlock and balancing a lit candle at the same time!) to brushing your teeth, etc. We had to use candles to go the bathroom (maybe it was a good thing we couldn't really see, since they were shared "camplike" bathrooms!). Again, try doing that while holding a candle!! It was also a lot of fun figuring out how to walk with a candle and not have it blow out! Simon, who owns the place, was an amazing host and a great person to talk to with regards to the history of Batad and the rice terraces. This was a great place to stay and we’d do it again in a second!

We just ate at Simon's Lodge. It had good, cheap food, and everything you could possibly want, including pizza. This part of the Philippines was supposed to be known for its coffee, so we ordered some. It was STRONG, and beware - they make coffee by putting the grinds in the cup and adding water, so we got quite an unexpected mouthful.

We wished we had stayed longer!! We hiked all over the rice terraces in Batad, which take a lot longer than expected, as each "terrace", or "step", is about 12 feet high, and to climb these, there are about 10 to 12 little stones built into each "step". There's also a waterfall opposite Simon's Lodge, but we didn't manage to get there before it started getting dark, and we had to hike back to the Lodge, as we didn't feel like falling into the rice paddies (they're full of leeches!). We stopped and watched some of the villagers planting rice. They plant and harvest about four times a year. The men plant and use oxen to prepare the soil, while the women are responsible for harvesting. The harvesting is extremely hard for these people, and the older women show the stress, as they are all permanently hunched over. The villagers still live in thatched-roof huts and cook with fires. Chickens and roosters abound, as do a few other creatures that we didn't want to get near.

How to get there:
Banaue is the main city in this rice terrace area of northern Philippines accessible (to my knowledge) solely by jeepneys. You may be able to get a bus, but going by jeepney is a lot more fun! To get to Batadm you need to hop on a jeepney; then a trike, which is a semi-motorcycle with a side car attached; and then hike for an hour or so. However, it's worth the effort - there's a reason why Batad's been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site!

What to do in Banaue:
There's no charge to go to Banaue or Batad. If you don't want to walk too much, then Banaue is where you should stop. They've got great local hostels and restaurants. We ate a marvelous breakfast overlooking a scenic and calming view of the rice terraces for very little money. Any of the local places serve pretty much the same thing. On Saturdays, there's a lively local market selling everything under the sun, except sunscreen. That's one thing to note - buy sunscreen while you're in Manila, or bring it with you. All we could find in Banaue was a face lotion with SPF 720. Let's just say we don't think there was any SPF in there.

How to get to Batad:
Remember, this is still a developing nation, and part of "developing" means needing a lot of patience and using a lot of persistence! We asked about 10 different people and workers in shops how to get to Batad and when these buses/jeepneys would be going there - and got 10 different answers. Eventually, we just went around to different vehicles until we found one that went in the right direction. We went through some treacherous roads full of potholes and areas that looked like recent landslides, and then ended up at the foot of the road into Batad, which is a little village in the middle of the mountains. I think we then took a trike partway, which is also a scary thing, as these things weren't built to go at high speeds downhill. We almost flipped a few times!! It's all part of the fun and adventure! We then had to hike about an hour and a half, but were greeted by an amazing view of the thousands-of-years-old rice terraces!

The one warning is that the children in this village have come to expect foreigners to give them stuff. Although very cute, they are also very persistent and will follow you for miles saying one word over and over: CANDY!

We really enjoyed walking around and speaking with the villagers. Simon, the owner of the lodge we stayed in, was very friendly and spoke English quite well. We spent a lot of time talking with him. It's quite sad, though, as the young people have all moved away, and many of the rice terraces are now grown over and unused, as there aren't enough workers, nor is rice as profitable as it once may have been.

Batad is truly one of my favourite places on earth, and I've been to a few places. Go and see for yourself. It is definitely a wonder.