Batad

Batad is a village in the Cordillera Administrative Region of the island of Luzon in the Philippines.

Understand
Batad is a village of fewer than 1500 inhabitants, situated among the Ifugao rice terraces. It is perhaps the best place to view this UNESCO World Heritage site.

The village has two principal parts. The main village down in the valley, and the upper portion where the lodges are.

There are no roads or vehicles in Batad; everything that goes in or out of the village is carried by the people who live there. There are some concrete stairs, but apart from that, the roads of Batad are the walls of the rice terraces, many of which can be walked on.

Get in
No road leads all the way to the village.

A jeepney from Banaue ( for tourists, updated May 2024) will bring you across the Saddle and down on the road to Batad. The road is not completed yet, so you have to walk the final bit (20 minutes). Some transportation might also stop at the Saddle (30 minute or more walk downhill to Batad) or at the Junction ( for locals, 30 minute walk uphill to the Saddle). There are two jeepneys in the morning and one at about 3PM from Banaue.

If you can't get a public jeepney get a tricycle from Banaue to the end of the road to Batad (past the Saddle). You will be quoted up to. Try not to settle for this fare but ask around. There are often tricycles headed to the junction to pick up returning travellers, especially after 10AM when there are no more jeepneys out from Batad. They may agree to fares as low as, although to  is more likely. Make sure to agree on where you'll be dropped off. They might say Batad, but then drop you off at the side of the road at the Junction which is up to an hour hike uphill to the Saddle and then downhill to Batad.

Alternatively, you can also book a tricycle from the Municipal Tourism Office in central Banaue to Batad. As of January 2020, the fare is one-way from Banaue to Batad and  for both ways with the tricycle driver waiting for you after your day trek around Batad is over.

You can also hike into Batad. There is a long hike that starts north of Banaue and passes through Cempola, or you can hike in from Bangaan. The trails are mapped on openstreetmap.org but it is probably still a good idea to hire a local guide in Banaue.

Get around
Since no road leads to Batad, there are no motorized vehicles to be found anywhere in the village. This means, of course, that one must get around on foot. (It also means that one can enjoy a delightful respite from the ubiquitous din of tricycles and jeepneys.)

It is not always obvious how to find your way through the rice terraces and it might even require some very mild climbing at times. Locals will be happy to point you in the right direction; they might also be wanting to guide through the various interesting places for.

See
Visitors will pay a environmental and heritage fee at a booth on the path leading to the village.



Buy
There are no real stores to be found within the village proper, but overlooking the village is a cluster of lodges. Here you can buy indigenous souvenirs such as wood carvings, coffee, and rice wine.

Eat
The various lodges offer "foreigner food" (pizza, western breakfast, etc.) in addition to basic Filipino meals. Expect to pay at least.

Drink
Expect to pay a premium for bottled beverages. A small bottle of San Miguel or a litre bottle of water may well cost. It is also possible to buy locally made rice wine.

Sleep
There are lodges overlooking the village proper, providing basic rooms with shared bathroom for around per person.



Go next
Make sure to be back at the end of the road by 9AM to catch the only jeepney back to Banaue. You can also walk all the way up to the Saddle and downhill to the junction to catch a bus to Solano via Banaue that passes at about 10:30AM.

You may also continue on to the village of Cambulo, a difficult 90-minute trek away.