There’s always a reason why people travel. I travel to get inspiration from the people I met and the places I visited. I love to learn about other people’s cultures and try everything local.

Let me borrow the words from the article the author wrote on Tripzilla.com: too often these days, traveling has become all about ticking off that particular location or activity off a bucket list of some sort. In the process, the very essence of travel has been lost. Rick Mereki’s video reaches out to every traveler, making them realize the importance of the journey and to learn and grow from experience at every new destination.

And that is exactly how I experienced Banaue. We got lost in Hungduan and relied on the local’s hospitality. I promise you, getting lost and finding yourself is one of the best things that happened to me on this trip.

Banaue is not your typical vacation spot to enjoy. There are no malls, ATMs, and taxi. Transportation is hard that locals take hitchhikers whenever they have space in their trucks or vans. Sometimes, people are rude that they throw a bucketful of water on your driver for no reason at all (we think that the tour guides were annoyed that we toured the town with the tricycle driver over getting a guide). But generally, the bayanihan spirit is very much alive in Banaue. If you’re used to the city comforts, prepare to rough it up.

Traveling from Baguio to Banaue

I’m scared of traveling at night, so I am grateful for taking the ONLY day trip from Baguio to Banaue which leaves from the KMS Lines Bus Terminal at 8 am, 6 hours of travel time. Fare is around ₱400.

Our ride is a red van that has seen better days. The ticket seller asked me to check out the van first before paying for the ticket in case I don’t want to go through it. I told her, if the van works and doesn’t break down in the middle of the road, it’s a go. She must’ve pegged me as one of those fickle travelers. But to those choosy passengers, please take note that you will be riding a non-air-conditioned rusty van with a betel nut-chewing Igorot driver.

Hey, we survived, so no worries.

When we arrived in Banaue, the first thing on our list is to reserve seats at the KMS ticketing booth for our trip back to Baguio. We got the same driver on our way back which is cool since friendship forged in 6 hours road trip will make strangers bond closer. I’m no longer shy to inform the driver to make a stop that has a comfort room free of charge.

Where we stayed

People’s Lodge and Restaurant

On our first night, we stayed at People’s Lodge and Restaurant. The lodge is run by a tiny old lady that goes by the name, Mrs. Terrado, who’s favorite fashion statement is wearing colored glasses and woolly beanies that badly remind me of Mr. Bean’s girlfriend in the animated series, Irma Gobb.

She gave us a price of ₱700 per night but when we arrived, she charged us ₱800. We shrugged it off since we have an awesome view of the mountains and background music from the little creek below but we have to go through a labyrinth of stairs and turns to reach our room–which feels like going to a stock room.

The next complaint is that the service sucks! They charged us ₱5.00 for a cup of hot water, electrical sockets are only available at the restaurant and the serving girls are rude. Their food is okay but when it comes to their coffee, you pay an exorbitant amount only to get an unpopular name 3-in-1 instant coffee and a cup of hot water. Never mind hot chocolate when you are handed an unopened Milo sachet and a cup of hot water. It’s a rip-off! We shared our experience with our trusty tour tricycle driver and he wasn’t surprised; he heard the same sentiments from a lot of tourists.

Stairway Lodge and Restaurant

On our last night in Banaue, we stayed at Stairway Lodge and Restaurant which is a good change from People’s Lodge’s hawk-eyed tour guides and bad customer service. It costs us ₱800 per night but we are very well accommodated. We got a good view from our room, a private bathroom with extreme temperatures (hot like boiling hot lava and cold like Arctic) and a good night’s sleep. Electrical sockets are still in the dining area, no sockets can be found within the rooms.
Both lodges have common rooms and common comfort rooms but we opted for the private option.

With regards to the socket issue, Mrs. Terrado (People’s Lodge) shared that there was once a fire broke out in the town center which prompted the lodges to have all sockets installed outside the rooms and within the walls of their restaurant. I think this is their lame marketing strategy to increase sales or they are telling the truth.

Getting around

We scoured the town at night looking for a decent tricycle driver who wouldn’t rip us off. Our hunch led us in meeting Ifugao native, Kuya Benson Tid-ong.

We negotiated that we want someone to tour us the following morning to see the terraces viewpoints. He gave us a good price of ₱300.00 for 2 for the whole morning trip. I feel that it is not enough but went along with it. We went to see a couple of viewpoints, bought scarves, and found a cute Ifugao skirt at one of the souvenir shops.

The highlight of the trip is the 1,000 peso bill terraces angle in Aguian View and one of the viewpoints where there’s a group of Ifugao women dressed in their full regalia. Always have extra cash handy for impulsive buys and tips to the Igorots at the viewpoints.

Banaue travel tips

• There are no ATMs available, bring extra cash; the closest ATM is in Lagawe which is 25 km from Banaue and Solano, Nueva Vizcaya, 70 km away
• If you are traveling from Baguio, be sure to bring a non-wheelie case to avoid the inconvenience of heavy-lifting
• Pack your power banks, charging your gadgets can be challenging if guests are fighting for available sockets
• Weather can be unpredictable, bring a jacket and umbrella in case it rains
• Whenever you want to have your picture taken with an Igorot, you are obliged to give a tip
• Igorots converse English fluently, they don’t speak or understand Tagalog
• Be prepared to hitch rides on random strangers’ cars if you wander beyond the busy district area where there’s no tricycle or public transportation readily available

Stairway Lodge and Restaurant
Banaue, Ifugao 3601, Philippines
Owner / Manager: Pinky Dulnuan-Padua
Phone: +63 916 456 7346

Benson Tid-ong (tricycle tour)
Phone: +63 936 324 2747