Banaue and Batad Rice Terraces
The easiest was to get to the famed rice terraces of the Philippines is by bus. I booked our bus transport well in advance at ohayamitrans.com and paid just over $42 for both my son’s and my roundtrip transport. These buses do sell out so if you’re on a tight schedule, I highly recommend you book the bus transport as soon as possible. The bus leaves from a basic bus terminal in the north of Manila. Try to have dinner before you arrive to the station. We found very few choices of places to eat. The one place I did find grossed me out and we ended up leaving hungry.
Now for the bus. Be prepared. It will be the coldest nine hours of your life. The AC is cranked to full max and there is no adjusting of it. One must endure the cold temps all nine hours. I wore leggings, a thermal coat, put an airline blanket over my head and covered my body with another one. The bus makes three stops en route for toilet breaks and food. The only food I managed to find was ramen noodles which my son and I lapped up like starved dogs.
Finally at 7:00 a.m., we arrived in the town of Banaue. We had to pay admission to the park area and went to a hotel restaurant to eat and organize our sleeping gear. After breakfast, we took a walking tour of the town and snapped a few photos.
Many people come to this region to hike from terrace to terrace, but we didn’t have two weeks to do that so we were at the mercy of the local “taxis.” I believe he charged me $120 for both my son and me to be shuttled to Banaue and Batad rice terraces in the back of his pick up that lacked suspension. It was a loooooong day.
Seeing the rice terraces was truly amazing. I see why they are often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World.
In order to get to the Batad Terraces, the drivers park and one must walk about a mile to the site. Beware of “friendly” locals who offer to carry your bag or guide you. The former will likely steal your stuff and the latter will want a hefty tip. Despite the path being difficult, I refused my “guide” several times. She finally got the hint and disappeared.
There was a construction project going on above us. As the workers worked, rocks fell down the hill blocking our access to the other side. In order to cross, the work came to a cease. A man came down with a shovel, dug a very narrow path for us and we proceeded to the other side. When we were safe, the work recommenced and within minutes our path was again covered in rocks. On the return, the scene was repeated.
We arrived back in the town of Banaue around 3:00 p.m. My son and I ate a good meal at the hotel restaurant where we started our day. I rented a room for $10 for four hours to allow us to shower (electric showers) and catch a few hours of sleep before heading to the bus stop to get back on the cryo-bus back to Manila.
~Bella
