The Breathtaking Ifugao Rice Terraces

The Philippines is home to a slew of amazing places that aren’t all sand and sea. If you’re planning to visit the northern part of the Philippines, you’ll find Banaue and Sagada, both incredible and odd in their respective ways.

After traveling nearly 10 hrs through the night from Manila along endless winding mountainous roads, we finally made it to the Banaue welcome sign. From there, we were blessed with majestic views of sun rays draping over the iconic lush green rice terraces.

What a way to begin the day and ready ourselves for the adventures that lay ahead 

Banaue is recognizable for its rows upon rows of rice terraces, which were carved into the Ifugao Mountains by the indigenous tribes over 2000 years ago. Sagada, on the other hand, is all about inner beauty, with its sprawling networks of caves, which are home to centuries-old hanging coffins.

If you’re looking for a stunning local experience, the north of the Philippines is where you want to be.

In Banaue, you can see the lush, green rice terraces in all their glory – it’s almost as if they’re stairs made for a giant. Even in the centre of town, you’ll get the sense you’re in a cauldron of rice rows; that’s all you see both near and far.

Look how happy I am
Do you know that Banaue rice terraces has
been described as the eighth wonder of the world?
Kristian and I
Can you see the mini rainbow?
Love this shot by Kristian

To be honest, these terraces stretch like stepping stones to the sky – some reaching an altitude of 1500m (4920ft). It is considered as one of mankind’s greatest engineering feat. If the terraces were laid end to end, they would stretch half way around the world.

Although a bit far from Manila, it is one of the most awesome destinations in the Philippines. Visitors never regret spending time and resources to see its beauty and grandeur. One cannot but ponder how the Ifugaos made it all using just their bare hands.

Jacquelou Colitoy is one of the founders of buzzsetter.com. She is a Nurse by profession and has been blogging since 2008. At the age of 20, she started exploring instagrammable places, discovering fascinating cultures, trying various cuisines, and taking amazing photos from local and international travel destinations.
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