Maligcong Rice Terraces

Maligcong lies half an hour above Bontoc in Mountain Province, outside the UNESCO listing that covers the Ifugao clusters but built to the same standard - terraces faced entirely in dry stone, climbing the slopes around a village at around fifteen hundred metres where the mornings are genuinely cold and the fields hold mist until late. It has become the quiet alternative to Banaue for people who want terraces without the tour traffic: the walk from the village along the fields takes a couple of hours, a longer trail climbs Mount Kupapey for the classic sunrise view over the terraces with cloud below, and another goes up Mount Fato. A handful of homestays in the village provide beds and meals, and that is the extent of the infrastructure. Jeepneys from Bontoc run only a few times a day, which shapes any itinerary here more than anything else.

What you actually see

• The stone terraces - dry-stone walls up the whole slope.
• Mount Kupapey - the sunrise climb above the sea of cloud.
• The village - Maligcong's houses among the fields.
• The field paths - walking routes along the terrace walls.

When to go

April to June for green; December to February for flooded paddies and the coldest, clearest mornings. Sunrise from Kupapey means starting in the dark.

Honest expectations

Jeepneys from Bontoc are few and stop early. Accommodation is homestays with shared facilities and no heating - nights are cold. Trails are steep and slippery when wet; guides are worth taking.

Nearby

Bontoc and its museum are half an hour below; Sagada is about an hour on.