Nine years ago I went to Sagada. On the way to Sagada, you will pass by Banaue. The famous province or rice terraces. My recent travel to Banaue is quite different compared to my other travels. I went to Banaue with my friend who is experiencing some troubles in his life. My friend said that he feels that Batad, which is a town in Banaue, is his happy place and he would like to go there. However, he does not want to go alone because he feels that time that he cannot process whatever he is feeling. He was able to convince me to tag along with him.
We left Manila on a Thursday night. We booked a ticket at Ohayami Trans a week before the scheduled date. Ohayami Trans is located in Sampaloc, Manila. We arrived in Banaue at around 8:00AM. Upon, getting down the bus, there are a lot of locals offering ride going to Sagada or Batad. You should be a bit cautious about this because some of them charged extremely high. We opted to ride a tricycle that will bring us at the end of the road where the trek going down the village of Batad begins.
We stayed at Ramon's Homestay in Batad. The Ramon Homestay in Batad offers a traditional Ifugao hut where tourists or guests can stay. Our overnight stay in the house costs P 1,800.00. I think they charge higher during peak season but since its lean season it was offered to us in a discounted rate. The hut where we stayed has three beds. There is no electricity in the hut. There is no light or electric fan. One of the staff gave us a flashlight which served as our light during the night. There is a separate toilet and bathroom that guests can use. Aside from the traditional hut, Ramon's Homestay also has rooms with toilet which is at P900.00 per night. Ramon Homestay gives you a perfect view of the rice terraces.
The first thing we did when we reached Ramon's Homestay is to eat breakfast. While waiting for our breakfast to be served, we talked to a tour guide for our itinerary. The guide told us that we can go to the viewpoint at 11:00AM and then to Tappiya waterfalls. There are different view decks in Batad where you can see the whole rice terraces. There are two view point which are located at the highest part of the rice terraces. We chose the viewpoint which is much nearer Ramon Homestay and which has the same path going to Tappiya waterfalls.
Going to the viewpoint and Tappiya waterfalls is a test of stamina and endurance. The trek is not easy. you have to go up and down the rice terraces.
However, even though how tiring the trek can be you will be rewarded by jaw-dropping view.
Our trip to Batad was really short but it was definitely worth it.
