Banaue Rice Terraces, Sagada, and Mt. Pulag are three of the famous tourist spots in the Cordillera region. I usually see them on the post cards before but please don't calculate my age. Honestly, traveling to these gorgeous spots is a bit challenging because of its geographical location; seven to twelve hours are needed just for transportation. In the contrary, let's proceed to the reason why you should visit the Cordilleras, especially the Province of Ifugao. Here are a few of the photos I captured during our visit for you appreciate the magnificence of nature hidden in this region.
This travel was organized by Jae from Take Five Outdoors, my Mt. Guiting-guiting buddy. Met at the Trinoma and traveled more than nine hours (including stop over) to Batad, Ifugao. After the challenging road trip was a twenty minutes sweaty trek to the place we stayed overnight. The time that I got off the van, I was astounded by the surroundings and ambiance; everything is luscious green, fresh air, and a cool weather.
After an hour rest at the hotel, we proceeded to our first destination, the stunning Tappiya Falls. Getting there was certainly a full of fun and adventure because the trail has a combination of forested mountain slopes, so tourists need to trek through a jungle trails, walking on the pilapil, and the most challenging part was walking on a cemented stairs with more than a hundred steps.
1. Batad Rice Terraces
The amphitheater like rice terraces of the Cordillera region captured the eyes of the world in 1995 as it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site List and Batad Rice Terraces is one of the five spectacular rice terraces of Ifugao. It was less than a thousand years when the people of Ifugao mastered the agricultural practices and than includes the creation of the terraces. This agricultural landscape is a living proof that the early civilization already had the knowledge on how to improve their crops by adapting on the natural factors through terracing. READ: BATAD RICE TERRACES
2. Tappiya Falls
From afar, the sound of the rushing and crystal clear waters flowing on the river are very noticeable. Like what I saw online, Tappiya Falls is truly a description of natures beauty. It is surrounded by trees and plants making a more calm ambiance in the area. The river is abundant with boulders and towering limestone that added an excellent shapes on the frames. The pressure of the water falling creates a wide pool on the ground with a relaxing cool waters perfect for your tired muscles.
We stayed by the falls for more than thirty minutes and left because the rain started showering. That time, going back to the hotel was more challenging because of the stairs and the wet and slippery trails; we even stopped by one of the stores because it was raining hard. We met different people while walking on the trails and we were all amazed by the spectacular surroundings. READ: TAPPIYA FALLS
3. Banaue Rice Terraces
The next day, before going back to Manila, we passed by Banaue Rice Terraces another world class beauty and one of the scenic in the country. It is one of the UNESCO Heritage Sites in the Philippines and is printed on the back of a twenty peso bill. Like Batad, the rice terraces here are perfectly created; the rice boxes and pathways are parallel. The wind is fresh and the ambiance is really cool. It is evident that ancient people who created this world class site has an advance thinking about agriculture and how to use the rich soil of the mountains.
