If you’ve been to the Philippines or are thinking of visiting and think it’s all beaches, water sports, and sunbathing; you’re wrong. There is a region of the country made famous by its magnificent rice terraces that spread across a network of small farming villages high in the mountains in North Luzon. I have to say it truly is a magical place, so amazing, and utterly beautiful. The best time to visit this region is April and May when the rice is set for harvest and at its greenest. Though the guidebooks will tell you Banaue is the best place to visit, they’re wrong. Though Banaue has some beautiful rice terraces, the town itself is very busy, a little rundown, and not so cozy. You should however hire a driver to take you to the viewpoint and see the town’s great rice terraces before leaving. The roundtrip journey costs only three dollars. You’re much better off going to the town of Batad or Bangaan and sleeping there for a couple of days. The Family Inn & Guesthouse is the only guesthouse/hotel in the town of Bangaan but it offers clean rooms, great views, a nice restaurant, and inexpensive rates to its guests. Batad has a larger number of accommodation options and all of the guesthouses provide guests with great views of the amphitheater shaped rice terraces. There is no need to worry about reservations because the flow of tourists does not ever fill up the entire town. You can easily spend a few days viewing the rice terraces, hiking from village to village, viewing waterfalls, or just enjoying the clean air. There are maps available to guide you around the region and none of the trails are too strenuous. This is also a child-friendly area where the kids can have some fun playing in the great natural setting. The easiest way to reach this part of the Philippines is by road from Manila. I’ll warn you that the bus ride is very long and you may want to consider hiring a private car to get you here. You’ll want to find an overnight bus from Manila to Banaue that leaves from the Autobus terminal in Cubao. The trip costs $10 and leaves around 10PM arriving in Banaue early the next morning. If you wish to head to Batad or Bangaan, wait in the main square for a local bus headed for Mayayow and ask the driver to let you off at the junction for Batad or near the Family Inn in Bangaan. If you’re headed to Batad it’s roughly a two-hour hike from the bus drop off up and down the mountain to the town, but believe me it’s well worth the journey. Once in Batad you have the option of staying in town or hiking onward to another town. If you decide to stay here, and you’ll be happy you did, you can enjoy the magnificent amphitheater style rice terraces or the nearby waterfall that is perfect for a refreshing did. After a day or two in Batad you can either head further into the mountains or head back towards Banaue via Bangaan. There is an easy but fantastic hiking trail that winds its way across the rice terraces and through small farming communities on the way to Bangaan from Batad. It will take you about two hours to reach Bangaan and if you arrive before 11AM you still have the ability to catch a bus back to Banaue that day. If you miss the last bus and can’t hitch a ride with a local, consider staying at the Family Inn and Guesthouse for the night. It’s very well located and offers great views of the town’s rice terraces. Heading back to Manila requires another overnight bus journey or a multi-stop day bus with three or four vehicle changes along the way. Be warned that the night bus leaves you in Manila at 2:30AM far from hotels. The day option is to get a jeepney headed south and ask to be let of at “the junction” (it may take two or three connections to make it here). From here wait on the side of the road for any big bus headed south and wave it down. It’s only another six hours to Manila from there and you’ll arrive at a much better time than 2:30AM.