The Banaue Rice Terraces (Hagdan-hagdang Palayan ng Banaue) is a 2000-year-old terraces. It had been carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the Batad indigenous people. And also the Banaue terraces constitute part of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras. An ancient sprawling human-made structures from 2,000 to 6,000 years old. Found in the provinces of Apayao, Benguet, Mountain Province, and Ifugao, UNESCO has declared the terraces a World Heritage Site. Ifugao, a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Covers a total land area of 251,778 hectares. The province of Ifugao, a mountainous region characterized by rugged terrain, river valleys, and massive forests, has its capital in Lagawe. It borders Benguet to the west, Mountain Province to the north, Isabela to the east, and Nueva Vizcaya to the south.
In addition to that, the Banaue Rice Terraces are a National Cultural Treasure of the Philippines. Moreover, it has been- considered to be the 8th Natural Wonder of the World by many Filipinos.
Although, there have been rice terraces in the mountainous regions of Ifugao and northern Luzon Island for over 2,000 years.
The terraces were first constructed as a practical solution to the problem of growing rice on land. Which falls away in front of you at vertigo-inducing angles.
The terraces soar to around 1500m above sea level. And, since they are located in one of the most remote parts of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon. And it takes a bit of a trek to get there. Moreover, it’s most likely the main reason to deter the usual cavalcade of couch-bound tourists.
Banaue Man-made Beauty
However, a business traveler in search of a little refreshment for the soul may find the effort well worthwhile.
The most popular place to look at the rice terraces is called the Sunrise Viewpoint. Where local Igorot tribespeople poses for photographs and sells wood carvings.
But it is also possible to set out on foot along the pathways across the rice paddies, their banks scattered with scarlet wild flowers that contrast spectacularly with the vivid green of the rice plantings.
It is best to hire a guide if you want to adventure yourself in the rice terraces as you might get lost otherwise. These mountain hikes can take hours but the views of the terraced valleys are breathtaking and in one or two places there are waterfalls and natural swimming holes where one can ease away the aches and strains of the hike.
The rice terraces here were declared in 2009 free from any genetically modified organisms. Farming in the area is carried out much the same way it was carried out hundreds of years ago.
The Banaue Rice Terraces are just the most notorious terraces in northern Luzon but there are other notable ones that are worth visiting: the Batad Rice Terraces, Mayoyao Rice Terraces in Mayoyao, Hapao Rice Terraces and Kiangan Rice Terraces.
The terraces can be visited any time of the year. But the best time for a visit is between February and March when the cleaning and planting time occurs. And between June and July when the harvest occurs.
At the nearby Batad Rice Terraces, the best time to visit is between April and May and October to November.