MANILA, Philippines - Despite concerns about the threats to the pristine natural features of the Banaue rice terraces and the Sagada village in Mt. Province, their enduring beauty remains a tourism allure, prodding travel firms to continue packaging special tours to these historical and world heritage sites at attractive rates.
Among such irresistible tourism packages is the one being offered by Afro Asian Travel & Tours for only P15,088 net per person based on twin-sharing hotel accommodations.
“This tour puts both the Banaue rice terraces and the Sagada in one package, all in a four-day, three-night tour program that runs from Thursday to Sunday up to March 31,” says travel entrepreneur and event creator Angel Ramos Bognot.
“The package includes room accommodations at Banaue Hotel, daily breakfast, air-conditioned private transportation from Manila to Banaue and back, sightseeing tours to the viewpoint and the picturesque villages of Banga-an, Bontoc and the Sagada cave exploration, and the services of an English-speaking tour guide,” Bognot adds.
The excitement begins at 7 a.m. with a 10-hour trip from Manila to Banaue, passing by the landlocked evergreen provinces of Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya where breathtaking scenery unfolds all the way to Ifugao province.
Tour participants arrive at 5:30 p.m. at the Banaue Hotel, itself immersed in the majestic splendor of the rice terraces pervading the view from the hotel’s rooms, making one feel nestled on the slopes of the mountain that appears like a gigantic stairway to heaven.
Banaue Hotel is operated by the government’s new Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority under chief operating officer Mark Lapid.
After breakfast in the hotel the following day, the tourists depart on a jeepney for a tour of the rice terraces and its nearby villages, including Banga-an, where a 20-minute walk down a trail gives a closer look of the Ifugao community and the colorful and well-preserved native culture.
Lunch at a local restaurant energizes the tourists for a long and rugged trip to a 2,000-year-old mountain destination dubbed the “8th Wonder of the World,” depicting how the Ifugao tribe carved the terraces with their hands for 5,000 years.
After coming back to the hotel at 4:30 p.m., the tourists may further acquaint themselves with the way of life in the surrounding community.
The trip to the remote town of Sagada starts after breakfast on the third day, featuring an ancient cave with stalagmites and stalactites and other natural formations.
Along the way, the tourists can view mineral-rich water flowing from the mountains that usher in a cultural surprise — the hanging coffins. From here, the tourists proceed to the Bontoc Museum for a glimpse of the local folk’s history and their story of survival.
The tourists then return to the Banaue Hotel after taking their lunch, and the rest of the day is free. They leave the hotel the following morning after breakfast for their trip back to Manila, where they are expected to arrive at 5:30 p.m.
The Banaue-Sagada Tour was launched during the inauguration of the new corporate address of Afro Asian Travel & Tours recently, with PAL president Jimmy Bautista, Tourism Assistant Secretary for Promotions Chicoy Enerio, Laguna Rep. Timmy Chipeco, Latvia Consul Bobby Joseph, and travel writer Christine Dayrit.
For reservations, interested parties may contact Afro Asian Travel (+632 5237501/5237504, or e-mail at mailto:afroasiantvl@yahoo.com) whose office is located at the second floor of the Z&N Apartelle (Hizon’s building), 545 Arquiza St. corner Bocobo St., Ermita, Manila.
“This tour never ceases to unlock the mysteries of our tribal ancestors in the North, whose amazing work of art encompasses a whole mountain and showcases a cultural masterpiece that deserves the awe and admiration of the entire human race,” Bognot says.
“Packaging this tour, therefore, constitutes a tribute to our predecessors and a gift to the current generation and the many generations to come,” Bognot adds.