Exploring Ifugao is veritably setting foot into another world. More specifically, it means climbing the steps to heaven quite literally- and figuratively too, as the highland adventure is a trip to paradise of the nippy kind.
Ascending Ifugao’s staircase in the sky and immersing yourself in its captivating culture will undoubtedly elevate your earthly journey to new heights.
Some 2,000 years before rock band Led Zeppelin released their 1971 smash hit, the Ifugao tribes in the northern region of the Philippines were already “buying” … or rather building their own “stairway to heaven,” the Rice Terraces, on the mountain slopes of the Cordillera region.
Inscribed in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List and regarded as the Eighth Wonder of the World, this ancient engineering feat was carved manually by farmer tribesmen to create cascading rice fields to provide themselves a steady supply of the staple grain.
While terracing is a common farming practice across Asia, those in Ifugao and the adjoining provinces of Kalinga and Mountain Province, are said to be the world’s most postcard-pretty (read: Instagrammable) and extensive. A 1940 plaque from the Philippines Historical Committee states that the Ifugao Rice Terraces cover an area of some 400 square kilometers, and if placed end to end, they will reach more than halfway around the globe.
As among the country’s first travel icons since the tourism industry was introduced in 1973, it has been gracing countless promotional posters, calendars, brochures, videos, and now online media contents.
As a grade schooler listening to Led Zeppelin on the jukebox, I had the impression that the tell-tale “stairway to heaven” referred to this agricultural marvel of antiquity which has become part of my travel bucket list. It would take over a decade before that childhood fascination became a reality and a favorite highland hideaway of mine.
Despite its distance from the Philippine capital, getting there isn’t as tough as many clueless wanderers think. As I would find out, the journey is just the right blend of relative comfort, roughing it out and surprises that don’t take away the element of fun and challenge.
Like a habitue who has made the province a stomping ground, I have come up with a travel guide to help first-timers navigate Ifugao like a local and enjoy nature, nature and adventure, and everything in between.
Exploring Ifugao is veritably setting foot into another world. More specifically, it means climbing the steps to heaven quite literally- and figuratively too, as the highland adventure is a trip to paradise of the nippy kind.
About a hundred meters away from the Shrine is the elementary Excitement begins with a comfy overnight ride from Manila aboard the modern buses of Coda Lines and Ohayami Trans. With paved roads for most part of the province, the road trip is a swell visual treat even by public transport. Check out their Facebook page for all the vital information you’ll need, including booking with their partner lodging facilities.
Lagawe. This eclectic town is Ifugao’s provincial capital, commercial and service center, and transportation hub to some of the municipalities. It may be wanting in panoramic scenes, but it has a rurban allure which you’ll discover if you go out of your way to smell the flowers by the wayside, quite literally.
Because of its vast flat terrain, it hosts many tourist and commercial establishments, banks, offices, shops, and others which you may need while in the mountains.
Kiangan. Reachable from Lagawe via a 15-minute tricycle ride, this town is the cradle of Ifugao history and culture, being the former provincial seat of government and among the earliest settlements.
Because of its interior location and the haste to set foot in the main cluster of the terraces, tourists often have the misfortune of missing a natural wonder hiding from plain sight. Kiangan boasts of its equally-impressive assemblage of paddies—the Nagacadan Terraces Open-Air Museum, a moderate two-hour trek with a sweeping view of smaller cascading plantations.
Guided by local tribesmen, hikers would have to walk through the rice fields, and make pit stops to enter a series of native huts which contain displays of indigenous farming implements, regalia, weaving, weaponry, literature, and vintage photographs. If it’s your lucky day, you might chance upon a brass gong ensemble doing the dinuya native dance.
The well-preserved state of the area, which has seen very minimal touch of modernity, has made it qualify in the cluster of rice terraces included in the Unesco World Heritage List.
In the heart of the town is Kiangan Shrine, a sprawling government green space to memorialize the surrender of Imperial Japanese Army commander general Tomoyuki Yamashita to the American forces on Sept. 2, 1945, thus ending the Second World War in the archipelago.
Within the vicinity is the Ifugao Museum, a regional branch of the National Museum of the Philippines which showcases the exquisite weaving, fabrics and living traditions of the cultural communities in the Cordillera highland region.
The school house where Yamashita’s actual surrender took place, and is now designated as a peace memorial.
Everything here is otherworldly; the mountainous landscape, the flora fauna, the material culture, the traditions, the belief system, the cuisine.. all inviting you to an unforgettable adventure.
Kiangan is a personal favorite and I often spend the night here at the artsy Ibulao Ibulao, a quaint residence-guest house built on the rock cliffs whose interiors can easily outclass a typical hotel room. Something to look forward to are its home-baked bread, upland organic coffee, international-style gourmet dishes and indigenous delicacies, which you can feast on in their gallery-like living room.
Tinoc. A 90-minute epic drive from Kiangan will take you to this town which is the site of the Highest Point of the Philippine Highway System at 2,428.66 meters (7,968.07 feet) above sea level. A forlorn rough road not too long ago, this after-drive destination sits at the outer edge of Ifugao near the boundary of adjoining Benguet province.
Punctuated by a literally breathtaking view deck and gazebo, it affords you a mesmerizing vista of the sea of clouds, the meandering road below, and an icy temperature of 10 degrees Celsius. If only for this, the long and heart-pounding drive is definitely worth the trip.
Banaue. The tourist hub of Ifugao, it needs no long introduction, being the most popular place to marvel at the stairway to heaven which is in the radar and bucket list of many Filipinos and foreign travelers.
The natural gravitation is to go to the iconic Viewpoint, a 10-minute drive away from the town center, for snapshots, a quick bite, souvenir shopping, and an unhampered view of the “poster image” rice terraces.
But despite its immense popularity, the terraces in this part of town are ironically not in the Unesco Heritage List due to some issues. But worry not, as the ones in the villages of Bangaan and Batad are within the elite Unesco inscription, and they beckon the lovers of the outdoors to immerse in its natural and communal bounty.
You can hike in the outskirts and admire the smaller terraces clusters in the villages of Tam-an, Aguian, Hiwang and Uhaj which have equally enchanting panorama. For a consummate sojourn, you can also dip in the refreshing icy water of Tappiya Falls and Guihob pool which are within the town’s tourist circuit.
For a seamless excursion around Banaue, feel free to request your hotel staff who are always willing to go the extra mile to make your exploration memorable.
Hungduan. About an hour southwest of Banaue is this rustic municipality known for Punnuk Festival, an intriguing ritual to celebrate a bountiful harvest and mark the start of a new planting season. Held at the Hapao River within the Unesco-listed terraces, its highlight is the guyyud or tug-of-war game of men and women garbed in their colorful ethnic garb while dipped in the rushing water.
The movable feast begins with the dumupag, where the owner of the widest track of terraced rice farm announces the start of the celebrations which is often held on the third quarter of the year. Punnuk was named by the Unesco as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in recognition of its inimitable tradition and location.
The once-obscure ritual became an internet sensation a few years back when then Department of Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo joined the river tug-of-war, and became a sought-after activity where wanderers can get their feet wet, quite literally.
Another intangible heritage which you must get a feel of is the age-old epic poem called “Hudhud” which is chanted by women during the important stages in the tribal life cycle, such as birth, wedding, harvest, communal gatherings, peace pacts among tribes, and burial ceremonies.
With advance notice to the municipal government or community leaders, local chanters can put together a brief program where select stanzas of the “Hudhud” can be performed.
Hungduan will also delight mountaineers not only with its challenging terrain, but also its crucial role in the closing months of World War 2 where Gen. Yamashita and his troops made the mountains of Napulawan and Nabigihan their holdout after suffering successive defeats in the hands of Filipino guerillas and American troops.
Mayoyao. Two hours of endless twists and turns to the east of Banaue will take you to this bucolic township which is also host to another grouping of Unesco-listed terraces, and a plethora of under-the-radar attractions.
I have set foot here twice, and I always make it a point to swing by Mt. Nagchajan View Deck and Shrine which marks the site of the last major battle of World War 2 in August 1945. The plateau, which has a commanding view of the Chumang Rice Terraces, serves as motoring caravan pit stop, and a venue for socio-civic events, which include Lenong Festival which celebrates the victory of Filipino troops over Japan.
Because of its rugged and frontier atmosphere, it is best to orbit the town onboard a motorcycle in swinging by Khohang Garden and A’pfaw Mahencia Falls right below, and the Mayoyao Hostel and Viewpoint, which are ideal sites for roughing it out and sleeping under the stars.
At this point, you have covered much of Ifugao’s must-see highland municipalities and you can head back to Manila via the province’s backdoor passing through Aguinaldo and Alfonso Lista towns, and the Cagayan Valley Road.
Climbing the Ifugao’s stairway to heaven and immersing in its alluring culture will surely give you a new high in your earthly journey.
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