I visited 3 locations of this WHS (Batad, Bangaan and Mayoyao) in spring 2025, although I focused mostly on what I think is probably the best and largest location, i.e. Batad, since I slept there for 2 nights instead of sleeping in Banaue and wasting precious time getting to and from the core zone. All the locations I visited had handpainted metal plaques proudly displaying their status as a WHS.

At each location, usually there is someone from the Ifugao community collecting a minimal fee (unless you start very early or arrive quite late in the afternoon). Jeepneys or small motorcycles with makeshift sidecars are the cheapest mode of transport to get from one location to another and then hike to the heart of the rice paddy communities. The former are your best bet if you want to cover longer distances such as Mayoyao or the other components I haven't visited. It must be said that perhaps Mayoyao is also more convenient if you happen to start from Vigan and then head towards Manila after your visit. Of the three, Mayoyao was surely the quietest with virtually no visitors except for myself, but it was also the less scenic and the least impressive. Perhaps its only peculiarity are the in situ tombs but IMHO they weren't worth the extra time and effort to get there and I would certainly not suggest staying overnight here as there are almost no facilities at all when compared to the other locations I visited and stayed overnight at.

In ascending order in terms of size after Mayoyao, I must say I quite enjoyed the panoramic views from over Bangaan. The best time for photography from above is in the afternoon when the sun is shining on the green rice terraces and village and sometimes also reflects on the surface of the water-filled terraces. The short downhill hike to the village is just a walk from the main road without any vegetation or much of a nature trail which you get when visiting Batad. The view from within the village is better than Mayoyao but pales when compared to the size and fully immersed feeling you get in Batad.

Although I had quite some high expectations for Batad, which is why I decided to base myself there in the first place, it certainly did not disappoint. It is quite a steep downhill walk on narrow unpaved roads with lots of high stairs to get to even the highest basic accomodations so travel light and forget any traditional or heavy luggages! The natural amphitheatre-like setting at 1,100 metres above sea level of these man-made terraces reminded me a bit of the many terraces of the Sacred Valley in Peru, although the burning of rubbish, and the development of accomodation and the strengthening of some rice terraces with the use of concrete seems to be a problem, although without it probably the site would still be in danger due to abandonment, landslides and erosion, so ideally the right balance should be struck.

The best time to start hiking is surely as early as possible in the morning when it is still cool and the sun is still hiding behind the Philippine Cordilleras. If you have enough time, I would definitely recommend the pleasant hike to the nearby Tappiyah waterfall (if you get there before 08.30 and there aren't clouds you'll get to see rainbows forming too). Going there solo is quite easy but going back is very strenuous due to the very high stairs and the scorching sun above so make sure to have sturdy shoes and enough water. Another 2 hikes worth mentioning for those who are not afraid of heights are the forest hike to the Awa View Deck and the vertical climb/hike via very narrow paths and lots of stairs jutting out of the rice terraces to the opposite View Deck (just above the waterfall before heading downwards towards it), an experience which reminded me of the hike up Huayna Picchu in Peru.

Hiking through the Ifugao rice terraces was very pleasant (except the high stairs when going back up!), and you literally pass through people’s yards, meeting groups of local people eating, knitting, playing cards, working or feeding their livestock, with pigs, hens, turkeys, cats and dogs everywhere. The dogs were very friendly and one of them became my companion for the day throughout all my hike to the waterfalls (including a refreshing dip!).

I enjoyed interacting with the Ifugao people and tried to learn some basic words from their interesting language which instantly put big smiles on their faces. The hard work of the Ifugao community who live in harmony with their environment is to be commended and supported, hopefully for generations to come. I feel the locations I visited possess OUV, surely as much if not more than the several vineyard cultural landscapes around the globe, although they might not be as unique, with similar landscapes all over Asia, which is why I rated this WHS with 3 stars and not more. Definitely worth visiting with at least an overnight stay in Batad.