Ifugao’s Terraces

The Ifugao rice terraces are unimaginable any time of the year, however they're at their best one to 2 months before harvest, after they become bright inexperienced before step by step turning gold. Around planting time, the terraces withstand a barren, naked look that's additionally appealing. In Banaue, the simplest viewing amount is from June to July (before harvest) and February to March (cleaning and planting time). In Batad, that has 2 plantings a year, the field’s are at their greenest from April to May and October to November. this can be now not set in stone, though: with the weather patterns ever-changing over the past few years, the simplest time for planting has decrease inevitable, thus build enquiries beforehand if you've got your heart set on observation the lifeblood of the Philippines grow.

Five Ifugao rice terraces are enclosed on the UNESCO Word Heritage list: Batad, Bangaan, Mayoyao, Hungduan and also the Nagacadan terraces close to Kiangan. Of those, Batad’s are the foremost celebrated, however Mayoyao offers Batad a last its cash. Mayoyao is accessible from Banaue (three hours), or Santiago (five hours) in Isabela Province.

Hemmed in on all sides by dramatic rice terraces, Banaue is directly accessible from Manila and may generally get engulfed by guests. It's arduous in charge them: the native mud-walled rice terraces area unit pleasingly completely different from the stone-walled terraces in most of the Cordillera. World Heritage listed, they are spectacular not just for their chiseled beauty however as a result of they were introduced around 2000 years agone by the Chinese.

The Ifugao folks, once headhunters, designed the terraces and were as skilled at carving wood as they were at carving terraces. Their lapidarian bulol (sacred wood figures) are a Philippine icon, albeit a misunderstood one: bulol are rice guardians, not rice gods, as several would have you ever believe.

While Banaue remains the cultural and business center of Ifugao culture, it’s simple to go away the crowds behind by escaping to remote villages like Cambulo and pula that have their own incredible rice terraces.