JEWELS OF THE NORTH

Day 1 : Manila – Banaue

Meet our tour representative at the lobby of your hotel for your Northern Roundtrip tour.

Drive north on the expressway, past the flat and fertile landscape of the Central Plains of Luzon. Depending on which month of the year it is, there are farmers harvesting or planting the rice fields. Water buffalos immersed in mud pools, herons foraging for food, and fields of green and gold that stretches far and wide are pastoral scenes that are most prevalent here.

Enterprising townsfolk who engage in small backyard industry sell their wares along the roadside – such can be seen on the side streets of Nueva Ecija, where woven bamboo and nipa palms being used for interior walls and roof shingles of native huts are on display. Farther on in Nueva Vizcaya where the climate is cooler and more pleasant, varieties of orchid grow in profusion, implying a budding cut flower industry. Lunch will be served in a local setting offering Filipino dishes.

Cross the southern gateway of Cagayan Valley by zigzagging across the Caraballo Range and begin our climb to Banaue as we reach the junction of Bagabag where the road from Banaue meets the main valley highway and runs northwest to Isabela. Halfway through is Lagawe, the capital town of Ifugao and home of the ‘People from the High Mountains’. We reach Banaue late in the afternoon.

Check in and overnight.

Meal included: Lunch

Day 2 : Banaue (B - L - D)

Board a local jeepney to explore the breathtaking scenery and fascinating traditional culture of Banaue. By the roadside near the local church, a 10-storey house built on the mountain slopes shows the Ifugaos’ engineering skills and adaptability to its surroundings. Several twists and turns along the main road lead you to many rice terraces with ample stops to admire the scenic view. Get a chance to wave hello to friendly locals along the way cheering up for a good day ahead.

Our first glimpse of the magnificent terraces is best seen at Barangay Viewpoint, where a marker stands declaring the Banaue Rice Terraces a UNESCO World Heritage Area and an international historic civil engineering landmark. The terraces, believed to be over 2,000 years old, were built painstakingly and skillfully by ancient tribesmen in an area where level land is almost non-existent. Using primitive tools, shelves were carved from mountain slopes, its walls sealed together with clay. Each terrace is irrigated by a carefully-designed system of water channels that run from upper to lower paddies. When thick mists settle at the summit of these terraces, they conjure images of staircases leading up to heaven, thus the land came to be called as the ‘Stairway to the Sky’.

Another highlight of today’s trip is a short hike down Banga-an Rice Terraces where we can mingle freely with the villagers, and if school is on, drop by the village school and observe the school kids as they go about their lessons. A rice demonstration gives you a glimpse of step-by-step production of the rice from harvesting using traditional tools to milling process where you get a first-hand experience in pounding the rice grain a crucial step in post-production of rice. The basic objective of a rice milling system is to remove the husk and the bran layers, and produce an edible rice. During planting season prepare to get your hands and feet a little dirty as you participate in rice crop planting.

Afterwards, trek back and enjoy a sumptuous lunch overlooking the rice paddies at Cliff Garden (note: not open on Sundays, alternative local restaurants available) Wind the day’s tour with a visit to the market place and visit some native handicraft store for interesting souvenir finds.

Meal included: Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

Day 3 : Banaue – Sagada (B - L - D)

Drive inland on the mountain trail of Mt. Polis, snaking through a narrow highway bordered with thick undergrowth of moss-laden forest trees and shrubs, until we reach Bay-yo, our first Bontoc village. As we move closer to the village, a picture-perfect mosaic of vegetable and rice terraces built close to the crystalline waters Chico River comes to view. The rice terraces here are lower in height, its walls strengthened with stones taken from the river. In between rice cycles, the fields are planted with sweet potatoes and vegetables. Small thatched-roof huts called allang, where extra harvest and other farm supplies are kept, mark the mountain slopes near the fields.

A short visit to the Bontoc Museum will provide us with an insight into the lifestyle of the Igorots, the native settlers of Bontoc and the fiercest headhunters of all-mountain tribes. The museum contains an interesting collection of pictures, old maps and artifacts of the mountain tribes in the region, including a replica of an Ili, or village, constructed in its backyard.

Moving farther on, an hour’s drive away is the limestone valley of Sagada. Sagada is best known for its unique burial practices; the dead are placed in coffins made from pine wood and buried in caves or lodged between ridges and hollows of limestone cliffs, thus the name, ‘hanging coffins’. One such burial cave which will be visited is Lumiang Cave, a sacred burial ground where ancient pine wood coffins can be seen. Time permitting, follow a footpath that leads to a vantage point fronting a limestone cliff, where some coffins placed between the gaps and crevices of the cliff can also be seen.

Meal included: Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

Day 4 : Sagada – Vigan (B - L - D)

Before leaving the village, drop by the Sagada Weaving House where hand-woven products are made by the local womenfolk who engage in hand-loom weaving. Afterwards visit the Sagada Pottery, a collective of three renowned ceramic artists from Sagada, Mountain Province all of whom are from the Applai Kankanaey indigenous peoples. Their pieces, which are all made from local clay are all hand-sculpted and kiln-dried; and all feature unique designs reflecting the creative choices and the indigenous heritage of each potter. A quick demonstration of basic pottery, opt try making your own pot while being guided by the resident potter.

Afterward, drive through high mountain passes with spectacular views of the Cordilleras, past deep gorges, and canyons, until we reach the town of Cervantes, which links Ilocos Sur with Mountain Province. Breeze through the highway going further onto the flat, low-lying areas, the highland scenery transforms into idyllic agricultural towns ringed by many tobacco-curing barns, rice and corn fields. And then there are coastal settlements fronting the Luzon Sea, with craggy, grey sandy beaches that are lined with coconut and mangrove trees. The Abra River signals your entry into the quaint town of Vigan, where from afar, the ancient Bantay bell tower is visible.

Meal included: Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

Day 5 : Vigan – Laoag (B - L - D)

Stroll along the cobbled street of Mena Crisologo where old colonial houses line the road, and horse-drawn carriages called ‘calesa’ would occasionally go ambling by. Close by is St. Paul’s Cathedral, whose bell tower stands separately in Plaza Burgos. Built in 1574, it has a main altar with beaten-silver panels; the stone- carved Fu dogs standing in attendance at the church entrance reflect Vigan’s strong Chinese heritage.

Proceed to Syquia Mansion which contains antique furniture and memorabilia of Elpido Quirino, who became president of the Philippines. A short calesa ride brings you to a jar factory which Vigan is also noted for. Called pagburnayan, this centuries-old industry produces the dark brown burnay jars that have countless uses among Ilocanos. Here a carabao is used to trample the clay, which is fashioned on a primitive wheel and fired in a long, low kiln heated by wood. Cap the tour with a delectable lunch in a quaint garden setting located in the outskirts of the city.

After lunch, proceed to Ilocos Norte and stop at the fortress-like church of St. Augustine in Paoay. First constructed in 1704, the church is noted for its variety of architectural styles and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Move on to Museo Iloko, housed in the old Tabacalera where government-controlled tobacco was stored in colonial times. Drive past the Abolition of Tobacco Monopoly Monument at the town plaza and pause briefly at St. Williams Cathedral and its Sinking Bell Tower, before continuing on to the hotel.

Meal included: Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

Day 6 : Laoag - Manila (B - L - )

Visit the town of Laoag and Museo Iloko, housed in the old Tabacalera where government-controlled tobacco was stored in colonial times. Drive past the Abolition of Tobacco Monopoly Monument at the town plaza and pause briefly at St. Williams Cathedral and its Sinking Bell Tower, before transferring to the airport for the flight to Manila.

Meal included: Breakfast - Lunch

End of the Tour