Banaue

From Wikitravel

Jump to: navigation, search

Banaue is a town on the Cordillera mountain range in the north of the island of Luzon, in the Philippines.

[edit] Get in

BUS Many bus companies and tour agencies have trips to here. You Have 3 ways to get to Banaue from Manila. The Manila direct to Banaue. Manila to Baguio to Banaue trip, or the Manila, Bontoc, to Banaue trip. Each have there own interest. Autobus (Tel. No. +63 2 735-8096) Dangwa Transco (Tel. No. +63 2 410-1991) Florida Bus Line (Tel. No. 02 731-5358 or 02 743-3809) Victory Bus Line (Tel. No. +63 2 833-0219)

[edit] Get around

Jeepneys (converted jeeps/bus) and trikes (little motorcycles with side cars) are easily available around Banaue. Expect to hike some to great places to see that are not on the roads.

[edit][add listing] See

  • Rice terraces. These rice terraces are 2000 years old, and many are still in use today. They were created by the Ifugao (local native people). It was a massive engineering project. The terraces cover the sides of the valleys (probably 200 meters from floor to rim) for several miles.

Sometimes called the "Eighth Wonder of the World", the Banaue Rice Terraces begin at the base of the mountain range and extend several thousand feet upwards. The terraces have been named a Unesco World Heritage Site. It is said that their length, if put end to end, would encircle half of the globe. Built 2,000 years ago, the rice terraces manifest the engineering skill and ingenuity of the sturdy Ifugaos. They are irrigated by means of mountain streams and springs that have been tapped and channeled into canals that run downhill through the rice terraces.

The rice terraces once stretched northeast to Cagayan and as far south as Quezon. However they are now slowly being abandoned and showing signs of deterioration. A severe 1990 earthquake damaged some of the terraces' irrigation systems, while El Niño triggered droughts that led giant earthworms to erode the terraces' soil. Furthermore, the rice variety most suited to the area's cool climate is not a high-yielding crop; because it takes so long to mature, some Ifugao families have abandoned their land in the rice terraces in favour of land that reaps faster rewards.

An Ifugao Terraces Commission was created in 1994 but has since been superseded by the Banaue Rice Terraces task force, which was closed in 2002.

Note that I had the benefit of a native guide (my spouse). There is only one bus (evidently) going to Banaue, and it leaves around 11pm from Manila, arriving in Banaue after sunrise. If you don't know where you are going it can be tricky to find the bus terminal. If possible you may want to arrange this leg of your journey through your travel agent before you leave home. I did not use the local hotels, but it is possible their staff could direct you also if you prefer to "play it by ear".

The Banaue rice terraces are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit][add listing] Buy

[edit][add listing] Eat

  • Native Village Inn, Uhaj, Near the village of Uhaj, 9 km from Banaue, +63916 405 6743, [1]. Lodge-type restaurant with fireplace, 50 seats, thatched roof. On a mountaintop overlooking the Hapao Rice Terraces. Western and Filipino dishes. Moderate prices.

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit][add listing] Sleep

The grand old lady, Banaue Hotel, is probably the priciest option you'll find but offers regular cultural shows in the evenings (Ifugao dance and music) that are also open to non-guests. The pool is small but a nice place to hang out when you're tired of trekking up and down rice terraces.

Closer to town, there are a multitude of hostels and guesthouses offering much more reasonably priced accommodations. Banaue Hotel & Youth Hostel Tel. (632) 8121984/8103655/8103703 (6374) 3864087-88 Fairview Inn Tel. (6374) 3864002 J & L Lodge Tel (6374) 3864042 People's Lodge & Restaurant (internet cafe also) Tel. (6374) 3864037 Spring Village Tel. (6374) 4037 Terraceville Inn Tel. (6374) 3864094 Cozy Nook Inn Tel. (6374) 3864003 Greenview Lodge Tel. (6374) 3864022 Halfway Lodge Tel. (6374) 3864082

  • Native Village Inn, Uhaj, Uhaj village, 9 km from Banaue, ☎ +639164056743, [2]. This is a unique lodge where guests sleep in native Ifugao houses. 850 pesos.  edit

[edit] Get out

This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!

Retrieved from "http://wikitravel.org/en/Banaue"