The two travel adventurers I have the greatest respect for are Alan Whicker, who sadly passed away in 2013, and Michael Palin. Some readers may not be familiar with Mr Whicker and his programme Whicker’s World, but I’m sure almost everyone will be familiar with Mr Palin.
What makes them both so special in my mind? True gentlemen, fabulous communicators, inquisitive by nature and blessed with a wonderful sense of humour – hugely important qualities if you want to engage with strangers in a foreign country and present an entertaining television programme.
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, the Rice Terraces of Banaue, built some 2,000 years ago in the northern Philippines, featured in episode four of the BBC travel programme Full Circle, presented by none other than Mr Palin.
It was a truly memorable episode! Despite the incredibly long and challenging road trip to get there, which was well documented in the programme, neither Michael nor the audience actually got to see the rice terraces. The whole area was covered in a thick blanket of mist. Michael did his best to describe what the scene should have looked like – a classic piece of television.
It wasn’t possible to fly to Banaue, and it took nearly two days to get there by bus. Would my visit to the terraces be any more successful than Michael’s?
Manila to Baguio with Victory Liners Bus – 7 hours.
Baguio was as wildly hilly as the surrounding Cordillera and an overwhelmingly congested, sprawling city. The throat-killing traffic fumes were unbearable. I wanted to leave as soon as I arrived. The only place to seek refuge was Burnham Park, which was dreamt up by American architect Daniel Hudson Burnham in the early twentieth century.
Baguio to Sagada with GL Transport Company – 7 hours.
High up in the mountains of the Cordillera, Sagada was an off-the-beaten-track dream. Reached by twisty mountain roads and so isolated that ancient indigenous traditions persisted until relatively recently, Sagada had mysterious hanging coffins to see, exciting caves to explore, strange ‘Blue Soil’ to marvel at, trekking opportunities in the surrounding hills and mountains, and a plethora of other things to see and do. It’s a place I would have loved to stay a little longer. The locals were extremely friendly, and I got the impression that Sagada had escaped the jaded attitude towards tourists found elsewhere in the Philippines.
I stayed at a homestay in Sagada, where I met a fellow traveller. Lindsey was a young woman from California who had just spent six months travelling around Southeast Asia. She was due to go home for Christmas before starting another six-month journey around South America. We seized the opportunity to go hiking together in the nearby mountains. It was a really nice experience, and we never stopped chatting, sharing travel stories and tips.
Sagada to Banaue – 3 hours on local bus.
The rice terraces of the Ifugao region were the whole reason for my visit to North Luzon – following in the footsteps of my hero, Michael Palin. The rice terraces at Batad, along with several others in the region, were so special that five groups of terraces had been granted UNESCO World Heritage protection.
Despite the extremely wet start to my visit, I was lucky. The views of the rice terraces at Batad were spectacular. I spent two nights in Banaue before it was time to retrace my steps for the 14-hour journey to Clark Airport, around two hours north of Manila.
From Banaue to Baguio – 6 hours by mini van.
From Bagui to Clark Airport – 5 hours by bus.
Next stage: flying from Clark to El Nido.
