Banaue Rice Terraces

It has been 20 years since I last foot step in my mother’s home province, Banaue.  December 2012, I had the chance to visit the stairs to the skies.  It is a good 8 hour trip from Baguio via Nueva Vizcaya. Taking a trip here is like taking a trip back in time.  The smell of the air, the coldness of the weather, the culture, the people, and the food…the place- they take you back to an almost tranquil satisfaction.  If you are looking for adventure, fun, adrenaline rush, then this is not the place for you- at least I wouldn’t recommend it.  This would be a place to revitalize, relax, rest, and be reinvigorated- in short, I loved sleeping most of the time I was here.  The place is peaceful, so quiet and the weather so appealing for often siestas.  Sip a cup of their brewed black coffee and just watch the fabled Rice Terraces from the window- contentment at its simplest.

 

Having cofee by the window overlooking a great view of the terraces.

  

  

A trip anywhere would not be complete if you do not visit their local market.  I love visiting these places everywhere I go, if you want to see culture and current events then visit the local markets.  Since the debut of society, the marketplace has always been the real center of civilization.  Here you will see the crafts and trades of the locals.  This is where I recommend having a meal as well, all the time there will be a food establishment around the area, and here you can have a good local gastronomic experience.  



Dinner with the family enjoyed over the pinoy family-themed adobo.



For tourists or backpackers on the move and expect to do a lot in a short span of time while visiting Banaue, I recommend eating at the local carinderias or turo-turo’s.  The restaurants, breakfasts, or inns take half an hour or more to prepare their meals, so if you have plans to cover a lot of places, then refrain from eating from the above.  In the evening, don’t expect turo-turo’s to be still open late since most of them close early.  It is best to get lodging that allows you to cook and use the kitchen. 





Early morning, don't get up yet- bed is good...zzzZZZ



To experience the best views of the Rice Terraces, try to get to the viewing points before noon.  A lot of tourists flock to the view points after or during lunch.  Also, there is a bit more chance that the visibility of the terraces would be blocked by fog in the afternoon, so be there early but not too that you catch the morning mist.

    

  

Visit the local museum if you have the chance, there are so many to learn- even for local folks.

 

Always something new to learn in the museum.

 

Backpacking with my mom.



After 20 years, the land has changed and so did the people.  The Rice Terraces lost a bit of its charm, more houses and new structures have been erected in the once green scenic views.  The fields themselves look a bit dull, the magic maybe slipping away.  This is probably because not a lot are tending to these once dubbed as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”.  The new generation of locals have moved on like the times, instead of working on the fields and terraces, they have found new source of income in other industries and thus, the Rice Terraces is left unattended to and only time can tell if it would wither and die a painful death and only be remembered in literature at the backs of elementary textbooks.