Philippines Travel Photography and Picture Guide | Asia

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Cordillera Administrative Region (Banaue, Batad, Sagada)
		Rural Bus Stop: Every now-and-then in the northern Philippines, you come across a random bus stop where you can get questionable meal that has been sitting out for a while. We usually opted for plates of the local rice.
		Breakfast in Banaue: Guesthouses in Banaue have breakfasts with a Philippino flavor, complete with banana pancakes and fresh fruit. They even have banana catsup to accompany the local eggs.
		Mountain Refreshments: The Batad Rice Terraces can only be reached by a 10 kilometer hike into the mountains. Halfway along this steep mountail trail, in which no vehicle could possibly pass, you find thatch huts where local children sold only one product - heavy glass bottles of Coke!
		Rice Terraces: "The Batad rice terraces cluster is considered an engineering marvel and a rare man-made landscape because of its ampitheater-like form and almost vertical terrace ponds. The Batad rice terraces have been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a Living Cultural Landscape. Let's help Batad maintain its beauty and traditional landscape through controlled development."
		Batad Rice Terraces: Constructed over thousands of years, the rice terraces are still in use today. The terraces, also known as the "Banaue Rice Terraces," have recently been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, so they have a good shot of being preserved well into the future.
		Batad Rice Terraces: Another view of the rice terraces
		Batad Rice Terraces & Village: Yet another view of the rice terraces
		Batad Rice Terrace Climbing: We were told by a fellow Philippine hiker that there was a spectacular waterfall nearby. In order to get to this waterfall, we actually had to climb across the rice terraces and then climb some dangerous terrain.
		Batad Waterfall: You can only imagine how I felt after hiking in a mountain rainforest for hours and surprisingly coming across the most beautiful waterfall that I've ever seen. The water was actually that color. Amazing!
		Banaue Guesthouse View: (Left) This is the view from the guesthouse we stayed at in Banaue for only a couple of dollars a night. I miss the sound of the rushing river while eating breakfast on the porch. Wow! Batad Waterfall: (Right) I had to post more pictures of this beautiful waterfall. It looks like it came straight out of a movie set in paradise, doesn't it?
		Batad Waterfall: (Left) That little speck in the water is me, taking a well-deserved swim! Swimming at the Waterfall: (Right) Here I am again!
		Jeepney: We often rode on jeepneys, which are vehicles that are unique to the Philippines. The jeepneys originated after WWII, when the US left behind thousands of jeeps which were then altered with long backs that make them like large taxes. In the cities they are brightly colored and are quite a spectacle.
		Rooftop Passengers: If you read the last description carefully, you'll see that I said we rode on the jeepney. That's right, since the back was filled with other passengers we climbed up top and rode on the roof. At first it was quite frightening, but I soon found it exciting and didn't want to get down.
		Spelunking in Sagada: We were told by another traveler that we had to go to Sagada for the caves. I expected caves like we have in the US, with paths and lights and ropes. This wasn't the case here, as he hired a guide and went through the cave, at times up to our chests in water!
		The Hotel From Hell: After an 18-hour bus ride on the way to Puerto Galera, we were stuck in a the very rough city of Batangas, with nowhere to go and nowhere to stay. We were at the mercy of the locals, who "persuaded" us to stay in this luxurious hotel.
Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro
		Outrigger Boat: I have never been to a tropical locale like Puerto Galera. The water is crystal clear and the beaches are sandy white. The colorful outrigger boats are the main mode of transportation on the water. We took a boat like this off the island to go snorkeling in a UN protected coral reefs.
		Beaches of Puerto Galera: (Left) Can you imagine spending a day swimming in this ocean and relaxing on this beach? Puerto Galera is truly paradise.

Encarta map of the Philippines: See an excellent map of the Philippines

Philippines Travel Information: Lonely Planet Destination Guide: Lonely Planet's guidebooks are second to none. Go here to read their on-line edition

Philippines.com: A portal site for information related to the Philippines

Breathtaking Sagada: Information on the hanging coffins and limestone caves of Sagada

The Philippine Star: Manila's fastest growing newspaper is now online

Batad Rice Terraces: A photo essay on the Batad rice terraces

Puerto Galera.net: Puerto Galera is one of the best diving spots in Asia

Lycos Destinations: Philippines: Philippines travel information

Flags Of The World: Philippines Information about and history of the Philippine's flag

Do you have any questions or comments about this page? Please let me know!

Click here to read a long email I wrote from the Philippines! (A new window will open)

Time Visited: February 1999

Main Cities Visited:Manila, Banaue, Sagada, Puerto Galera

Modes of Transportation: Ferry Boat, Outrigger Boat, Bus, Taxi, Jeepney, Roof of Jeepney, Airplane

How I Ended Up There: We had almost two weeks off for Chinese New Year, so we went into the unknown...

Memorable Foods: Chicken Adobo, Banana Catsup, Banana Pancakes, Corn Ice Cream, Rhum

What I Liked: The awe-inspiring rice terraces of Banaue, colorful jeepneys, caves in Sagada

What I Disliked: The choking pollution and urban sprawl in Manila

Where I Stayed: Hostels, guesthouses

Philippines in Five Words: struggling, exploited, unexpected, relaxed, varied

My Thoughts: I first visited the Philippines over the Chinese New Year holiday while studying in Hong Kong. This was my first true adventure, as I traveled with two friends and never had an itinerary or any expectations. Basically, we chose the Philippines because we heard it was quite beautiful and is a fun place to explore. I can whole-heartedly agree with that!

We flew into Manila and traveled north to the town of Banaue, where we saw the impressive rice terraces of Batad. From there we headed west (on top of a jeepney) to the town of Sagada, where we went hiking and caving. We then made our way back down south (an 18-hour bus ride over the world's worst roads!) to the tropical paradise of Puerto Galera, which has some of the best coral reefs in the world. It truly was a great vacation!