Surrounded by lushness greenery and fresh air, the Banaue Rice Terraces overlooking Batad Village in the northern Philippines is the perfect vacation getaway if you want a break from the buzz and hustle (and pollution) of the city!
The rice terraces are some 2000 years old, carved in a staggered manner into the steep hills following their contours by the indigenous people of Ifugao, using their unique agriculture system sourcing irrigation from the mountain tops. The breathtaking view of the mountains and the terraces may delude you to believe that they are the "Stairways to Heaven"!
The terraces though still in use today, are being threatened by modernisation due to increasing influx of tourists, degradation when farmers switch to commercial crops enlisting the use of pesticides/herbicides or the younger generation migrating to the cities for better opportunities and livelihood.
The journey to Banaue is a 9-hour drive from the capital, Manila. But what is 9 hours compared to a day of euphoria and joy?
