Kabayan Mummies

The Ibaloi people of Benguet practised a form of mummification for their dead over several centuries before the Spanish arrived: the body was washed, seated, and slowly dried with smoke and heat over weeks or months, then placed in a carved wooden coffin in a cave in the surrounding cliffs. Dozens of these caves are known around Kabayan, with Timbac, high above the town near the Halsema highway, the best known and most visited. The mummies are tattooed, remarkably preserved, and remain the ancestors of living families - they are not exhibits. That distinction governs the visit entirely: permits and guides are arranged through the municipality and the community, some caves are closed, photography is restricted or forbidden at several, and rituals precede entry at some sites. The National Museum has declared them a National Cultural Treasure, and the caves have appeared on watch-lists of endangered sites after thefts and damage.

What you'll find

• The cave burials - wooden coffins set in the cliffs.
• The preserved bodies - tattooed ancestors in seated positions.
• The Timbac caves - the highest and best-known site.
• The Kabayan valley - Ibaloi villages and terraces below.

When to go

December to May for safer mountain roads. Timbac sits above two thousand metres and is genuinely cold; the road up is rough and often needs a hired vehicle or a long walk.

Good to know

Access is permission-based and not guaranteed - these are ancestral remains, and communities close sites at will. Photography is restricted or prohibited at several caves. Guides are compulsory, and reaching Timbac is a serious trip.

Nearby

Mount Pulag's trailheads are in the same municipality; Baguio is four to five hours down the Halsema road.

Key facts