A Jewel Concealed in the Terraces: Tappiya Falls

This seemingly miniscule waterfall is actually a massive wonder up close. Tappiya Falls – the hidden gem of Batad.

In the previous blog post, the quaint village of Batad and its amphitheater-like rice terraces were featured, taking most of the credit during our visit in the bucolic town of Banaue. What is missing in the narrative is the more challenging hike down the trail along the rice paddies, leading to yet another wonderful sight that will surely captivate travelers venturing to the idyllic province of Ifugao. With hours more of traversing the stone steps and dirt paths along the mountainside, let us discover a gem hidden from view in the village. Come and take an invigorating journey you (and your legs) will surely remember forever – a descent to Tappiya Falls in Batad, Banaue.

Nature’s Ampitheater: The Idyllic Village of Batad

Stunning view of Batad. Best served with a cup of hot brewed coffee.

The Philippines is a vast group of wonderful islands waiting to be discovered. If that wasn’t already obvious from the start, then you would have to start traveling to believe. With miles of coastlines and hectares of forests, there are more than 7,107 ways to enjoy the breathtaking sights of the country. And yet even more fascinating is that more scenes tucked away from the beachfront and cityscape can be “unlocked”. Secluded in the midst of the mountain ranges, the Cordillera Administrative Region is one of the more unique areas of the Philippines where rapid modernization was kept out, preserving the culture of the natives and bringing awe and inspiration to travelers. Nestled in the province of Ifugao where the iconic millennia-old Rice Terraces of the Philippines are located, one village has taken the limelight in the travel scene. Come and marvel at the grandeur of the amphitheater-esque Batad Rice Terraces in Banaue, Ifugao.

The Solo Tramp: Vigan’s Charming Antiquity

The mellow rays of the sun bathing the splendor of the quaint town of Vigan.

Going back through time could be as simple as viewing still shots and films depicting life in the olden age, or as cumbersome as flipping through crumbly pages of history archives in your local library to extract essential information about the past. It is true that in the modern era, technology has done so much improvement in our daily lives that we have more or less considered the past decades monotonous and boring compared to the current century full of gadgets and gizmos. However, due to the fast pace of virtually anything in the world today, we venture out of our cities of paved roads and concrete sky-scraping buildings and try to rediscover our rustic yet fascinating way of living back then. This connection with the past is the strongest bond we can create – even better than browsing pictures and reading narratives is gazing upon antiquity and feeling the cold stone walls of old structures on the palm of your hands. Behold and embrace Philippine history as Kuno and his knapsack explores one of the oldest cities in the country, Vigan in Ilocos Sur.