What‘s Included

Reviews

• It's like seeing the Ifugao Rice Terraces with your best mates

  Jeff W,

  Oct 15, 2024

  5.0

  If you're short on time while in Manila but want to take in the wonders of the Ifugao Rice Terraces, then this is the tour for you. We cannot say enough about the team of people who looked after us – from Edmond who drove us from Manila to Banaue and back again, Michael who expertly piloted his Jeepney from Banaue to Batad and back again, Jonathan our guide extraordinaire and took us into the rice terraces themselves, Beatrice who looked after us at her homestay in Banaue, and Simon, who did the same with the help of his daughter in Batad. I am mentioning these people by name because I feel like we became good friends with all of them. And behind the scenes, making sure everything was ok, was JP. He checked on us regularly via WhatsApp (before, during and after), which was so appreciated. And then to the tour itself! We got to see the rice terraces of Banaue (Beatrice’s place looks right over them), Bayninan, Bangaan and Batad (the latter two being UNESCO World Heritage Sites along with their villages). We explored the rice terraces of Batad as well as a hike out to the Tappiyah Waterfall. Guide Jonathan was awesome assessing our fitness levels and tailoring the pace of the hikes accordingly. He also assessed weather conditions to a tee (it rains a lot this time of year) to make sure we got the best photo opportunities. A big part for us though, is that we were trialling a drone for the first time. The team just absolutely embraced and encouraged us using the drone, and helped with suggestions which led to some amazing footage. We just had so much fun! A big thank you to all at VagabondPinas. You guys absolutely rock!

• Great experience but needs to provide more details/be more organised

  Fiona L,

  Apr 25, 2024

  4.0

  We enjoyed this tour a lot; we had a lot of amazing experiences such as riding on top of a jeepney (like a local), visiting Tappia Waterfalls and experiencing the rice terraces of Batad and Banaue. Detailed feedback/suggestions are below: - Our driver (Jay) was prompt and arrived early to greet us at hotel. He was friendly & was happy to be flexible with the drive (in terms of stops for lunch or toilet break etc). The van was clean and very comfortable. - Banaue Homestay B&B - nice accommodation ran by a very friendly lady, she also took upon herself to go through what to expect for the next day instead of local guide (when local guide didn't show up for orientation at 5pm) - Local guide (Effy) was knowledgeable and was lovely to have him around showing us the area and explain to us what we were seeing and how plantation works - Batad Simon's Inn was fine, although our room had a side window that could not open, so room was a bit hot/stuffy with the curtains down (to keep bugs out as there were no flyscreens). As there were no flyscreens, bugs were hitting curtain in the dark trying to fly into the room. Shared toilets and showers were OK, although other guests left rubbish after them in the shower which was a bit unpleasant, and toilet paper was not readily available (but luckily we brought some tissues with us). - After we booked this tour, we were messaged by the tour operator with items to bring. We suggest to clearly state that the towel to bring is for showers as they are not provided in Batad (we brought a towel for swimming which we ended up using for showers), and to bring own toilet paper.

• Long drive - but WORTH it!

  Sarah B,

  Nov 28, 2019

  5.0

  Wow!! What a great visit to the rice terraces! JP was an excellent guide/driver, and we also spent one day with another local guide. The ride was long, and pretty windy up in the mountains (if you get car sick, take some medicine with you!), but it was totally worth it. The day we had exploring the villages and terraces was so rewarding! Unfortunately we were advised not to stay in Batad on the 2nd night due to rain and risk of landslides blocking the road, but we appreciated JP's concern for our safety/getting back to Manila. The home stay in Banaue was very welcoming, and the food was really good. The homestay did not have Wifi/cell coverage, and it had shared toilets/showers, which can be a deterrent for some people, but it was fine for a couple of nights - It was nice to escape the city! The rice terraces themselves were incredible. We were so glad we made the trek to see them!