Banaue Rice Terraces

More than the usual high and low rise

Wander over the world heritage site, Banaue Rice Terraces, Eighth Wonder of the World, carved from the high Cordilleras over 2,000 years ago.

Architectural highlight

Banaue sits at the foot of a truly mesmerising display. Its mud-walled rice terraces, North Luzon’s most famous sight, have a pleasing, organic quality that differentiates them from the stone-walled terraces in most of the Cordillera. World Heritage-listed, they are impressive not only for their chiselled beauty but because they were created around 2000 years ago.

The rice terraces were built by the Ifugao. Along with being the most feared head-hunters in the Cordillera, they were skilled engineers who invented a sophisticated irrigation system of bamboo tubes and elaborate mud channels to bring water to the terraces.

The well-staffed Banaue Tourist Information Center located on the main square, will give you the scoop on hiking in the area.

The Banaue Rice Terraces (Filipino: Hagdan-hagdang Palayan ng Banaue) are 2000-year old terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the Batad indigenous people. It is one of the forgotten wonders of the world. It is commonly thought that the terraces were built with minimal equipment, largely by hand. The terraces are located approximately 1500 meters (5000 feet) above sea level and cover 10,360 square kilometers (about 4000 square miles) of mountainside. They are fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforests above the terraces.

The Banaue terraces are part of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, ancient sprawling man-made structures from 2,000 to 6,000 years old. They are found in the provinces of Apayao, Benguet, Mountain Province and Ifugao, and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is a commonly visited place.

Locals to this day still tend to the rice and vegetables on the terraces, although more and more younger Ifugaos do not find farming appealing, often opting for the more lucrative hospitality industry generated by the Rice Terraces. The result is the gradual erosion of the characteristic “steps”, which need constant reconstruction and care.

The world-famous majestic grandeur of the Rice Terraces, created more than 2,000 years ago by the Ifugao people using a few primitive tools and their bare hands. There’s no easy way to see the Batad rice terraces as one needs to hike two to three hours uphill through mountain trails from the junction. But the breathtaking view of the amphitheater of terraces, steep, wooded mountains, and relatively unspoiled village life makes the trip worth it and a must.