Batad Rice Terraces

Batad is one of five terrace clusters inscribed by UNESCO as the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, and it is the one that appears in every photograph because of its shape: the terraces curve around a natural bowl in a continuous amphitheatre, tier upon tier of stone-walled paddies, with the hamlet of Batad sitting in the middle of them. They are Ifugao work, built and maintained by hand over centuries and irrigated by a system of channels fed from the forest above - the forest is part of the engineering, not scenery beside it. Reaching the village means a road to the saddle and then a walk down, twenty minutes to an hour depending on where transport stops, and there are guesthouses in the village for those who stay. Trails continue to the Tappiya Falls below and over the ridge to Bangaan and Cambulo. The listing carries a live concern: fewer young Ifugao farm the terraces, and unmaintained tiers collapse.

What you actually see

• The amphitheatre - terraces curved around the bowl.
• The stone walls - dry-stone retaining built by hand.
• The hamlet - Batad village in the middle of the tiers.
• The irrigation channels - water led down from the forest.

When to go

April to June for full green before harvest; December to February for the flooded planting season and mirrored water. The dry months make the trails safest.

Honest expectations

Everything here is on foot and steep - the walk in and out is the main physical demand. Guides are expected and worth taking on the terrace paths. Accommodation is basic guesthouses with limited power and hot water.

Nearby

Tappiya Falls is below the village; Bangaan and Banaue's viewpoints are on the same road.