Banaue

Banaue is a town in the Cordillera mountain range in the north of the island of Luzon, in the Philippines. It is mainly visited for its stunning rice terraces, which are designated a National Cultural Treasure.

By bus
Getting to Banaue directly might take a lot of effort if you're not taking a direct route from Metro Manila. There are few possible ways to get to Banaue &mdash; Manila - Banaue, Manila - Baguio - Banaue, Manila - Baguio - Bontoc - Banaue.


 * From Sagada: Coda Lines has three daily trips from Sagada en route to Manila at 10:30AM, 2PM, and 3PM, with an extra trip at 4PM on special days. The fare to Banaue is for semi-deluxe buses and  for deluxe buses, with air conditioning in both classes. The bus trip between Sagada and Banaue usually takes about 3 hours and is an alternative to the hassle of having to exchange jeepney routes at Bontoc or dealing with an overcrowded ride.
 * Manila-Solano, Nueva Vizcaya-Banaue ifugao - buses heading to Tuguegarao (e.g. Baliwag Transit, Victory, Florida Transport) pass by the town of Solano. Several jeepneys ply the Solano-Banaue route or the Solano-Lagawe, Ifugao route. From Lagawe, one can then take another jeepney to Banaue.
 * Manila-Tarlac-Solano-Banaue - buses heading for Baguio pass by Tarlac. Vizcaya liner plies the Tarlac-Solano route at 5AM.
 * Banaue to Bontoc or Banaue to Solano (Philippines). many Jeepneys or Minivans.
 * Dangwa buses from Manila
 * Coda bus line from Quezon City at 8PM or 9PM, takes 9 hr.
 * Coda bus line from Quezon City at 8PM or 9PM, takes 9 hr.

By 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.

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

There is a public jeepney plying the Banaue-to-saddle-point (start of trek to Batad village) route daily. See Get Out, below for more info.

See
Upon arriving in town, tourists are expected to pay a environmental fee at the Municipal Tourism Office, which also arranges tours and guides.

Buy

 * Many kinds of carved woods.

Eat
Most guesthouses also offer food. They don't differ much in terms of quality and price, so it's best to decide based on atmosphere and views.



Drink
Native rice wine or sugarcane wine at all inns and lodges.

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.



Connect
There are several internet cafés around the town, the rate ranges from to  per hour.

Go next

 * Solano
 * Batad. While the rice terraces of Banaue are mud-walled, those of Batad are stone-walled. They form an amphitheatre and are an impressive sight. 15 km on bad roads, followed by a 40-minute downhill hike, but worth it. There are a number of hostels and guest houses in the small village there, overlooking the rice terraces.  If weather and time permit, Batad is probably a better place to spend the night than Banaue.  There is a public jeepney plying the Banaue to Saddle Point (start of trek to Batad village) route daily. Banaue to Saddle Point is around 2 to 4PM while the Saddle Point to Banaue jeepney is around 9:30AM to 10:30AM. They may take extra trips during the peak season (e.g. Holy week). Head on to the Banaue public market and ask around. Fare is  to  for tourists while the locals pay.
 * Baguio - A major town that several bus route through on their way north from Manila. Ohayami Trans has a daily trip to Baguio at 5:30PM and takes about 9 hr for + fees
 * Metro Manila - Ohayami Trans has a daily trip to at 7PM and takes about 9 hr. Alternatively, you can get a jeepney to the junction just before Solano and catch a Manila bound bus - the bus will take around 8 hours but if you get a jeepney at 06:30 you can be in Manila by 5pm.
 * Bontoc and Sagada. By hiring a van in Banaue (ask in your hotel) you can visit these two centres as a day trip. Bontoc is a busy town but has an excellent museum of Ifugao culture. Sagada has the impressive Sumaging limestone cave (take a change of clothes and leave your best shoes in Banaue), burial chambers and hanging coffins. En route to Bontoc you pass the incredibly beautiful Bayo terraces. Make sure that your driver has the correct licenses before leaving however, as there are checkpoints in and around Bontoc and without the correct licenses you may be forced to turn around before your destination.
 * Hapao. A half-day trip from Banaue. More terraces. Steep steps lead down to some, giving easy access for a close-hand inspection.