Backpacking Adventure to Batad Rice Terraces and Tapiya falls Part 3

A fall from this height could be fatal

After ordering our lunch,we started our hike to Tapiya falls. Pay attention to your guide, deep ravines with no safety barriers. Just remember to pay attention, stop before you take pictures and listen to your guide.

Trail to Tapiya falls

We noticed that the trail was almost downhill all the way. Some trails had 80 degrees downhill, the wooden pole sticks  helped a lot.

Majestic Tappiya Falls

After 45 minutes we arrived at our destination--- The Majestic Tapiya Falls. We stayed  here for a while to rest our body and muscle from the hike. Dandy told us that a foreigner just died  here while she was swimming. Actually last 2007 Julia Campbell an American journalist a peace core volunteer was murdered along the trail to Batad. See her story here. Along the way to Batad, Dandy our guide point the spot where Julia's body was found, but these are all isolated cases.

With the lovely Batad kids and the carabao

Stunning beauty of  Batad Rice Terraces

Hiking back to the saddle was the hardest part of the journey. Remember it's 80 degrees downhill when we came but now it's 80 degrees uphill battle. I was really tired and after a few uphill steps we took a rest. We bought souvenir shirts along the way to the saddle. We arrived at the saddle 2 hours after and I was so tired that I looked for Naproxen or any pain reliever hahaha good thing they have FLANAX... Guess what? We our guide "Dandy" awardes us  as the first tourist to conquer Batad round trip within a day. We left Batad right after we finished taking a hot bath back in our hotel and thank our guide "Dandy" for keeping us safe.

Part 1 | Part 2

Travel tips:

• Hire a guide if you want to go to Batad
• Purchase return bus tickets in advance
• Listen to your guide always
• Ask first before taking photos of people
• For Internet Connectivity I tried Smartbro plug in the device, Frustrating!. Not advisable for major downloads and streaming.
• Mobile coverage is good for Smart subscribers at Banaue. Im not sure about Globe and Sun networks. 
• Chowking fastfood is located near the jeepney terminal
• Bring Cash. There are no banks nor ATMs in Banaue (It really is a very small town!). The provincial capital, Lagawe, 25 km south of Banaue, has a branch of Philippine National Bank and an ATM. Its machine (yes, the only one in the town!) typically dispenses only a maximum of 4000 pesos for a single transaction. If you're paying a hefty service fee for each withdrawl from your foreign bank this could be very expensive. Solano, in the province of Nueva Viscaya, about 70 km away, has several banks and many ATMs. Those of BPI (Bank of the Philippine Islands) dispense 10000 pesos in a single transaction, BDO (Banco de Oro) 10000, RCBC 20000 pesos.

What to bring:

• Mosquito repellent
• Good hiking shoes or sandals
• Medicines for minor cuts, stomach aches, flu and fever
• Bottled water
• Sunscreen

Banaue Hotels and Inns

• Banaue View Inn | more info here
• Banaue Hotel |  (02) 5242513 / 5242495
• Fairview Inn |  +639194248201 / dictrebolledo@yahoo.com.ph
• Native Village Inn | more info here
• Spring Village Inn |  +639169279623
• People's Lodge | (074) 3864014 / 09195325605
• Greenview Lodge | (074) 3864021 / 09205404225
• Sanafe Lodge | (074) 3864085 / sanafelodge@yahoo.com
• Halfway Lodge | Charming restaurant with a view of the Rice Terraces. (074) 3864082 / 09196142266
• Stairway Lodge | 09164567346 / pinky_dulnuan@yahoo.com

 Batad Inns and Lodges

 For Batad Inns and lodges listed below, you can contact this person  to make a reservation.

 Contact: Maya Addug on 0917-7574411 /  0908-6012888

 Email: hillside_inn@yahoo.com

• Hillside Inn and Restaurant 
• Simon’s View Point Inn and Pizza Restaurant
• Batad Pension and Guesthouse 
• Rita’s Mountain View Inn and Restaurant
• Ramon Homestay
• Gilbert Homestay
• Foreigner’s Inn
• Cristina’s Main Village Inn, Store and Restaurant
• Samson Inn

Tourist spots near Banaue

• Hapao Rice Terraces
• Banaue Resort
• Batad Rice Terraces
• Tappiya Falls
• Banaue Museum
• Banga-an Village
• Guihob Natural Pool
• Mayoyao Village 
• Duclingan Hot Springs
• Mount Amuyao

Batad Guide

I personally recommend Mr. Dandy Umhao a Batad local  for keeping us safe all the time.  You can contact him at +639103465310.

How to get there

• Autobus leaves Manila for Banaue at 10:00pm and leaves Banaue for Manila at 6:30pm daily.        Tel no. 735806 and 735809
• Florida bus leaves Manila for Banaue at 10:45pm and leaves Banaue for Manila at 8:30pm daily.     Tel no. 7433809

• If you're in the Angeles City area (especially handy if you arrive in the Philippines via Clark instead of Manila) you can very easily take a Victory Liner bus from the Dau terminal with four departures daily beginning at 9AM (look for the bus saying Tuguegarao as the final destination). Buy a ticket only to Bagabag Junction and then at that intersection you can take the next available jeepney or bus to Banaue. If you take the first daily bus you should arrive at Bagabag by 4PM and Banaue by 7PM

Banaue Weather Forecast

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