Banaue Rice Terraces Eighth Wonder of the World

6:21 AM  ,  

The Banaue Rice Terraces are 2000-year old terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the indigenous people. The Rice Terraces are commonly referred to by Filipinos as the "Eighth Wonder 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 ft) 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. It is said that if the steps are put end to end it would encircle half the globe.

Contrary to popular belief, the Banaue Rice Terraces are not part of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras. Ancient sprawling man-made structures from 2,000 to 6,000 years old, other terraces are found in the provinces of Kalinga, Apayao, Benguet, Mountain Province and Ifugao.

Interesting places in Banaue:
* Batad rice terraces - home to the spectacular tiered
* Mayoyao rice terraces - is harvested here in abundance
* Kiangan rice terraces - known for their size and visual impact

Banaue Accommodations
Accommodation is no problem, there are several inns in town like the Banaue View Inn, People's Lodge, the Banaue Hotel and other lodging houses with reasonable rates. Some private homes also accept tourist and transients for a lesser charge during peak season.

Possible ways to go to Banaue:
From Manila there are air-conditioned buses that go straight to Banaue, The trip takes about 9 hours. The Dangwa Transit have daily trips to Banaue Rice Terraces. Their terminals are located along Dimasalang St., Sampaloc, Manila and Aurora Boulevard, Cubao, Q.C. Also plying the Banaue route is Auto Bus with terminals at España Blvd corner G. Tolentino St., Manila. The bus leaves at 10 PM daily and arrives at about 7:00 AM. From Baguio City, there are also buses going to the Banaue Rice Terraces. The trip will pass through the provinces of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya then to Ifugao.