Philippines Tour
Terraces of the Cordillera

Arrive in Manila and transfer from the airport to your hotel. Depending on the time of your arrival, you will meet your tour leader at the hotel and have dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at The Bayleaf Intramuros Hotel or similar. (D)

After breakfast, take a tour around within Intramuros (the walled city of Old Manila) and discover more about the country’s history through a guided. Lunch will be in a local restaurant from where we will begin a tour of Intramuros aboard a kalesa, a horse-drawn carriage. We will ride through the streets built by the Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, between the city walls, which once protected the most important homes, buildings, churches, and hospitals from attacks by the Chinese, Dutch, and the British. The most notable colonial structure is the baroque church of San Agustin, the oldest in the Philippines, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. We will also drop by Rizal Park where Dr. José Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines, was executed. Overnight at The Bayleaf Intramuros Hotel or similar. (BL)

Today, we take a 1.5-hour drive north of Manila, to Gawad Kalinga (GK) Enchanted Farm. This is a prototype of a sustainable community dedicated to ending poverty by empowering people to develop useful skills. We spend time discovering how the lives of the residents here have benefited from the enterprise and have the opportunity to taste some of the organic farming produce when we take lunch. Continue one hour via the North Luzon Expressway to Bacolor, Pampanga, which is among hundreds of towns and villages devastated by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991. Tour the village and visit the San Guillermo Church, which is now half-buried in lahar (a debris flow composed of a slurry of pyroclastic material, rocky debris and water), and see the remains of houses, which were also covered. Mount Pinatubo’s wrath continues to be a constant threat to the lives of the villagers every year as the monsoon rains carry more lahar down from the Pinatubo mountain range adding further layers. Our day ends with the chance of an afternoon dip in a warm pool in a garden setting. Overnight at Abe’s Farm. (BLD)

We leave the farm behind and drive to Banaue, which will take 7-8 hours through the countryside, backroads, and rice fields of Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya. We make a short stop in San José City for lunch (payable locally) before continuing to Banaue. Along the way, we also visit Dalton Pass, a shrine to the Battle of Balete, before passing by Bagabag where picturesque mountains and rivers unfold. Arrive in Banaue late in the afternoon. Overnight at Banaue Hotel or similar. (B)

Board a local jeepney, which will bring you to Sadel, the jump-off point to start your hike to the terraces of Batad. Forming an amphitheatre, these rice terraces are truly stunning. Afterwards, visit an Ifugao village where most people still live a traditional lifestyle. Return to Banaue and overnight at Banaue Hotel or similar. Near the hotel is another village that continues to observe a traditional burial practice of keeping the bones of their dead in their homes. The bones of their ancestors are preserved and wrapped in indigenous weaving. (B)

Please note: To reach the rice terraces entails hiking up and down paths which are narrow and steep in places, without walls or rails. Those preferring not to hike may explore the very scenic area around Batad by jeepney and tricycle. Please contacts us if you have any questions or concerns.

Today, we take a local jeepney to the Hapao rice terraces, which offer a breath-taking view over stonewalled rice terraces, bisected by the sparkling water of the Hapao River. We will walk across the terraces to see them close up, and visit one of the villages to admire the traditional houses and interact with the locals. We will stop at some of the viewpoints and call into a local market on the way back to our accommodation in Banaue. Overnight at Banaue Hotel or similar. (B)

Please note: Today’s walk across the rice terraces and along the stone walls follows paths that are narrow in places and offer no support. If you’d prefer not to walk it’s also possible to view the terraces from the road. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

(Approximate driving time: three hours)

After breakfast, we will visit the Bontoc Museum where exhibits from all around the Cordillera region are curated and an outdoor museum, which is a reconstructed Bontoc village showing original structures in the grounds that allow guests to experience their old way of life before modern times. Inside the museum, there are a number of black and white photographs, which offer a fascinating glimpse into the differences and similarities among the people of the Cordilleras also collectively known as Igorot (people of the mountains). We will continue our drive to the Alpine village of Sagada and in the afternoon we will visit the ancient burial caves and also view the unusual hanging coffins from Echo Valley. Overnight at Masferré Country Inn. (B)

(Approximate driving time: five hours)

After breakfast, we begin our drive to Vigan City in Ilocos Sur, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vigan, earlier known as “Ciudad Fernandina” from 1758 to the late 19^th century, is the oldest surviving Spanish colonial city in the country with some of its finest architecture. After a typical Ilocano lunch at Café Leona located on the ground floor of a traditional Vigan house, we board a kalesa (horse-drawn carriage) for a tour of Vigan with its well-preserved old brick houses (bahay na tisa). We visit the Burgos Museum and the historic Syquia Mansion. In the evening, join the townsfolk in the main plaza for a light and sound performance. Overnight at Hotel Felicidad or similar. (BL)

(Approximate driving time from Vigan to Laoag: one hour and a half)

After breakfast, we will continue our tour of Vigan before we depart for Laoag, stopping by to visit Sitio Remedios. This is a recreated village of traditional Ilocano houses that were sourced from different towns in the province of Ilocos Norte and are well maintained to their original glory in beautiful grounds by the coast of Currimao. Upon arrival in Laoag, we take lunch at Café Herencia to sample local cuisine before beginning our exploration of the city. We stop at the fortress-like Church of St. Augustine in Paoay and move on to Museo Ilocos Norte, housed in the old Tabacalera (tobacco factory) where government-controlled tobacco was stored in the Spanish colonial period. Drive past the Abolition of Tobacco Monopoly Monument at the town plaza and pause briefly at St. William’s Cathedral and its Sinking Bell Tower. We will then drive to visit the Malacañang of the North, the former lakeside residence of ex-dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his family when they visited Ilocos Norte, his home province. Later, transfer to the airport for our flight back to Manila (PR 2199 2100/2200) where we will transfer to our hotel on arrival. Overnight at The Bayleaf Intramuros Hotel or similar. (BL)

It’s a quick turnaround, and after breakfast we return to the airport and board a flight to Puerto Princesa, acclaimed as the cleanest and greenest city in the Philippines. On arrival we take a late lunch and then check-in to hotel accommodation. In the evening dinner is at a local seafood restaurant, and after our meal we drive to the Iwahig River for an unusual Firefly watching tour. The river is clear and wide, winding through dense jungles on either bank. We join a local guide to travel by kayak through the mangroves and watch hundreds of fireflies clustering on their favourite fragrant mangrove trees. It is an amazing sight! Overnight Hibiscus Garden Inn or similar. (BLD)

(Approximate driving time: two hours)

After breakfast we drive to Sabang and take a boat to the mouth of the Underground River. A local guide will point out the features during a tour of the river. Later we continue to the town of Barangay Tagabinet and the 110-metre-high Ugong Rock which takes its name from echoing sounds produced when the rock is tapped. We climb up inside the rock, among stalagmites and stalactites. Wooden stairs lead to the top from where those so inclined may choose to descend by zip line. This is a community-based tourism project spearheaded by the private sector. We return to our hotel in Puerto Princesa in the evening. Overnight Hibiscus Inn or similar. (BL)

(Approximate driving time: six hours)

Driving north through rice plantations and along the coast we reach the town of El Nido, considered a showcase of Palawan’s geology and diverse wildlife. Majestic limestone cliffs stand guard over clear waters, with hundreds of species of tropical fish and coral, and three species of endangered sea turtles. El Nido’s forests are host to more than 100 species of birds, a large number endemic to Palawan. Later there’s free time to explore the town independently. Overnight El Nido Cove Resort or similar. (B)

Today we island-hop through the beautiful islands and beaches around El Nido. Our boat takes us through the crystal-clear waters to the Big and Small lagoons of Miniloc Island, Shimizu Island and Seven Commandos Beach, with opportunities for swimming and snorkelling. We take a picnic lunch on a suitably picturesque beach before continuing to the Secret Lagoon and later returning to El Nido. Overnight El Nido Cove Resort or similar. (BL)

The morning will be at leisure to enjoy El Nido before we transfer to the local airport for the flight back to Manila (1600/1715). On arrival in Manila, transfer to your hotel and the rest of the day will be at leisure. Overnight at The Bayleaf Intramuros Hotel or similar. (B)

After breakfast the tour ends today with transfers to the airport to meet onward flights. (B)