Banaue is a small mountain town in Ifugao province, high in the Cordillera of northern Luzon. It is the gateway to the Banaue Rice Terraces — vast stairways carved into the mountainsides by the Ifugao people over two thousand years ago, and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The terraces are often called the "eighth wonder of the world," and while that is tourist-board talk, the sight of an entire mountain slope sculpted into green steps is genuinely extraordinary.
The best-preserved terraces are not in Banaue town itself but in the amphitheatre-shaped valley of Batad, about an hour away by jeepney or tricycle to the junction, then a steep 45-minute hike down into the village. Batad is the place to stay if you want to wake up surrounded by terraces. Simple guesthouses line the village, and from here you can hike further to Tappiya Falls. Back in Banaue proper, the Banaue Main Viewpoint 4 km from the centre gives a panoramic overview, and the Ifugao Ethnic Village and Hiwang Native Village give good cultural background. Bangaan, east of town, and the Hapao terraces to the west are also worth half a day each.
The Ifugao people still farm many of the terraces using traditional methods, and the culture here is distinct from lowland Filipino life. A visit during planting or harvest season (typically February to March and June to July) gives the terraces their most vivid green.
From Banaue, a three-hour jeepney ride through stunning mountain roads takes you to Sagada, known for its hanging coffins, limestone caves, and cool pine-forest setting. Combining the two makes for one of the best trips in the Philippines. Night buses from Manila to Banaue run daily, taking about nine hours.