Banaue is one of the major tourist attractions in Philippines. It is a mountain range that is located on the northern side of the Luzon Island in the Philippines. The most important among the list of attractions in Banaue is its Rice Terraces because it is regarded as the eighth wonder of the world. Banaue rice terraces stretch to as long as a maximum altitude of 4920 feet.
Top Loading is more fun in the Philippines
Trekking is one of the most common activities that travellers can enjoy while making a visit to the Banaue Terraces. Locals as well as tourist guides are available for assisting the visitors all along their trip within the area.
Other common attractions of Banaue include the Museum of Cordilleran Sculpture that showcases the traditional art and culture of the locals. Another major attraction is the Viewpoint which provides visitors with a spectacular view of the town and beautiful natural amphitheater.
NFA Rice in Banaue
Banaue Rice Terraces has become a popular trekking destination in Philippines over the years. In Batad, The effort to lay down those huge stones in the terraces especially with their bare hands is quite astonishing. Banaue Terraces has been declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Sufficient transportation facilities are there for the travellers to make their journey up to Banaue. Visitors can get direct buses from Manila to Banaue and the trip will take a maximum of nine hours.
Gasoline Station in Banaue
Ohayami Trans is the only Bus company that offers Banaue transportation service. It is located in Lacson Ave. (formerly Forbes) cor. Fajardo St., Sampaloc, Manila. You can call Ohayami Mobile Phone Number (+63)09276493055.
Top Loading in Banaue
Ohayami provides direct trips to Banaue. They have three daily trips – 9pm, 9:45pm and 10pm. It also has to be noted that there are no day time bus services available to Banaue, the main reason being the increased day time traffic adding hours to the overall trip. As of now, bus service or travelling by land only seems to be the travelling means to reach Banaue.
Rice terraces at Cambolo near Banaue (courtesy of Wikitravel)
If you want to drive your own car, the distance between the Balintawak Cloverleaf, in north Manila at the beginning of the North Luzon Expressway and the Welcome to Banaue sign, is about 332 km. The road is paved all the way to Banaue. Travel time can be as long as 9 hours due to the several blind curves through the mountains. Best day to travel is on good Friday of Lenten season, Christmas day and new year’s day. It will take about 7 hours only by car with a reliable driver. (Wikipedia)
Melo in Batad
Jeeps are also available from Bontoc which is also a nearby place from Banaue which will take a maximum of two hour journey from Bontoc to Banaue. Farming is considered to be the major means of employment in the province. Travellers can see most of the people doing the plantation of the rice as well as vegetables in some of the terraces during the planting season. Visitors can also visit the traditional tribes once they reach the top of the Banaue terraces after the trekking.
Accommodation is also not a matter of concern for the travellers since there are many lodges as well as hotels available in Banaue. Even the homes by locals also accept the tourists for a lesser charge especially during the peak seasons.
