First published: 17/12/05.

Els Slots 3.5

Rice Terraces Of The Philippine Cordilleras

Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (Inscribed)

Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras by Els Slots

My two days in the Rice Terrace Region of the Cordilleras got off to a bad start: rain was pouring down all of the first day. I didn’t get any further than the Banaue viewpoint and returned to my guesthouse soaking and with only one gloomy photo of a rice terrace that even isn’t on the list.

It kept on raining during the following night, but things didn’t look too bad the following morning. I decided to make an early start and head for Bangaan. By various means of transport, that even included climbing over a landslide that had occurred during the night, I eventually arrived at the town of Bangaan. It’s picturesque, there is no other word for it. Imagine a valley surrounded by high green mountains, with only steep rice terraces on their lower slopes, and a tiny hamlet in the middle. Or look at the photos around this post.

There’s an enormous variation in shades of green (and some brown), wherever you look. Narrow walls / paths make it possible to walk amidst these rice fields. Because it’s not the rice harvesting season only fields with seedlings are bright green in December when I visited. But there’s a lot more to these rice terraces than growing rice: their construction technique (a massive effort 2000 years ago) and also the traditions of the Ifugao people that still live here and earn a meager income from the rice (and make a bit on the side by selling souvenirs).

There are several more WH-designated rice terraces in this area. The ones in Batad are the best according to both the guidebooks and the locals. My (self-imposed) travel schedule didn’t leave room for a visit to Batad or one of the others, but Bangaan already did let me conclude that these Rice Terraces are worth every effort of getting there.

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