Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
EATING AND DRINKING
There are hardly any standalone restaurants of note in town; most of the best food is served in
lodges
.
People's Lodge and
Restaurant
,
Uyami's Greenview Lodge
and
Sanafe Lodge
have some good dishes, while
Banaue Hotel
is the most upmarket choice.
Las Vegas
Poblacion
T
0915 765 8736.
This popular
restaurant serving Filipino food has a smattering of
American memorabilia sitting alongside the wooden Ifugao
statuettes. Once the owner has finished rustling up dinner,
he pulls out his guitar and serenades the guests.
Daily
6.30am-10pm.
DIRECTORY
Banks and exchange
There are no banks in Banaue, but
some hotels change money. It's better, though, to bring
enough pesos. If you get really stuck, you can head for
the provincial capital Lagawe - 25km away - which has
branches of PNB and Land Bank with ATMs.
Internet access
There are several internet cafés in town -
try Clickers (daily 7.30am-8pm;
T
0926 164 6280; P15/hr)
or Fernando's (daily 7am-9pm;
T
0918 965 3564; P30/hr).
Post o
ce
The post o
ce is to the south of town (Mon-
Fri 8am-noon & 1-5pm).
3
Around Banaue
The area around Banaue offers spectacular
rice terrace
scenery, with five areas
designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Trekking
through the stonewalled terraces
and overnighting in typical Ifugao huts in rural villages is a major highlight. The most
popular trek is to the remote little village of
Batad
, which has become something of a
pilgrimage in recent years for visitors looking for rural isolation and unforgettable
scenery. Other nearby villages include
Cambulo
,
Pula
and
Banga-an
. While less
explored, the barangay of
Hapao
16km southwest from Banaue, offers stunning terrace
scenery that easily rivals that of Batad; 7km farther in the same direction is
Hungduan
,
home to spectacular spider web terraces, mainly serving as a base for trekkers climbing
Mount Napulawan (2600m).
Batad and around
BATAD
nestles in a natural amphitheatre, close to the glorious
Tappia Waterfall
, which is
40m high and has a deep, bracing pool for swimming. here are signs that life here is
beginning to change - the village now has electricity and a dozen simple
guesthouses
have sprung up - but it remains peaceful. There are several good hikes, including to
Banga-an
; ask around at the lodges for a guide. One way to head back to Banaue from
Batad is to backtrack south for about 16km to the tiny village of
Banga-an
, no more
than a few dozen Ifugao homes perched between rice terraces close to the National
Highway. You can
stay
here (see below), but it's a good idea to book ahead if you're
relying on this after a hike - your guide will probably be able to do this for you.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
BATAD AND AROUND
On foot
It is possible to walk the 16km to Batad from
Banaue.
By jeepney
Most people cut out the first 14km of the
walk from Banaue to Batad by taking a jeepney to Saddle
(daily 8.30am; 1hr; P100), from where it is a 45-minute
walk downhill to Batad.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
BATAD
Batad Pension
T
0918 964 3368,
E
batadpension
@yahoo.com.
A pleasant pension decorated with wooden
furniture made by the owner-cum-sculptor, whose little
workshop is in the back yard. The simple rooms are
brightened up with a thin layer of paint and colourful
blankets - those upstair
s hav
e great views. Guests can
also sleep in a native hut.
P500
Hillside Inn
T
0908 601 2888,
E
hillside_inn@yahoo
.com.
The basic rooms here are pretty poky, with spindly
furniture and thin plywood walls, although the restaurant
does have great views over the terraces. The menu offers
an eclectic mix of international and local dishes, including
Middle Eastern
mal
awach
, a thick pancake of thin layers
of puff pastry (P80).
P500
Simon's Viewpoint Inn
T
0930 507 7467.
This popular
guesthouse with walls covered in travellers' notes has a
selection of clean simple rooms, some with excellent views
