The highlands of the Philippines have much more to offer than just cool weather and some pine trees. Some of the top destinations in the Cordillera region include Baguio, known as the Summer Capital, Abra with its many caves and underground rivers, Ifugao which is famous for its UNESCO World Heritage Site Rice Terraces, Apayao which is touted as Cordillera's last frontier, Benguet which is known for strawberries, Kalinga home to the Chico River rapids and traditional tattoos, and Mountain Province where you can find hanging coffins in Sagada. Each province has its own unique cultural offerings and natural attractions worth exploring.
The highlands of the Philippines have much more to offer than just cool weather and some pine trees. Some of the top destinations in the Cordillera region include Baguio, known as the Summer Capital, Abra with its many caves and underground rivers, Ifugao which is famous for its UNESCO World Heritage Site Rice Terraces, Apayao which is touted as Cordillera's last frontier, Benguet which is known for strawberries, Kalinga home to the Chico River rapids and traditional tattoos, and Mountain Province where you can find hanging coffins in Sagada. Each province has its own unique cultural offerings and natural attractions worth exploring.
The highlands of the Philippines have much more to offer than just cool weather and some pine trees. Some of the top destinations in the Cordillera region include Baguio, known as the Summer Capital, Abra with its many caves and underground rivers, Ifugao which is famous for its UNESCO World Heritage Site Rice Terraces, Apayao which is touted as Cordillera's last frontier, Benguet which is known for strawberries, Kalinga home to the Chico River rapids and traditional tattoos, and Mountain Province where you can find hanging coffins in Sagada. Each province has its own unique cultural offerings and natural attractions worth exploring.
The highlands of the Philippines have much more to offer than just cool weather and some pine trees. Some of the top destinations in the Cordillera region include Baguio, known as the Summer Capital, Abra with its many caves and underground rivers, Ifugao which is famous for its UNESCO World Heritage Site Rice Terraces, Apayao which is touted as Cordillera's last frontier, Benguet which is known for strawberries, Kalinga home to the Chico River rapids and traditional tattoos, and Mountain Province where you can find hanging coffins in Sagada. Each province has its own unique cultural offerings and natural attractions worth exploring.
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If you think that the Philippines is a lush, balmy set of islands with warm sunny days throughout the
year, youre mostly right. But we also have cool highlands in the northern portion of the country. From the Central Cordillera Mountain Range, the largest in the Philippines, six provinces and one chartered city make up the Cordillera Administrative RegionApayao, Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, and Baguio City. Here, a whole other culture, or shall we say a set of cultures, awaits. From Benguets Kankanaey to the Ifugao and Kalinga to the Isneg in Apayao, the ethnic groups here are distinct. Each town has its own language or dialect. Baguio is the main entry point to the region, and was made famous by the American colonizers who built this city in the early 1900s, in the Ibaloi settlement of Kafagway. Today, the city is on everyones summer itinerary, making it the Summer Capital of the Philippines. Interested in unconventional cultural artifacts? Check out Banaueand Kiangan to view the payo or rice terraces. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the five clusters of sculpted rice fields are just a few of the types of terraces you can explore in the Cordillera region. Nearby is Sagada in Mountain Province. Famous for its hanging coffins and limestone caves, this town is a must destination for backpackers. Photographer Masferres Sagada may be a thing of the past, and gone are the days of wearing the falaka (bachelors basket hat) and akosan (shell belt bag), but the town retains a highland culture with a dash of worldly charm. If youre looking for the ultimate adrenaline rush, why not white water raft? The Chico River is 174 kilometers long, spans several provinces and offers crazy dips and turns through gorges and canyons. If you want to try and ride it, your jump-off point will be Kalinga. The Apayao River is another destination and caters to those looking for a new rafting hotspot. While Abra, with its LibtecUnderground River, is just waiting to be explored. The highlands of the Philippines have much more to offer than just cool weather and some pine trees. Whether its nature, culture, or just the thrill of finding something new, its definitely worth exploring, one province at a time.
TOP DESTINATIONS Baguio If youd like a quick escape from the tropics, the City Of Pines should be your next destination. Experience cool weather, city luxuries and excellent dining.
Baguio is one of the most famous cities in the Philippines and has been celebrated as the Summer Capital of the country for the past 99 years.
The people of the Cordillera are known for their carving and weaving skills. The downtown market sells all sorts of carved bulul (rice gods) and the infamous Barrel Man. Woven rattan products such as pasiking (native backpacks) and baskets come in all varieties. For some inspiration, go a little further and visit the Bencab Gallery and Museum. Built on the edge of a hill with an incredible view of a rainforest and garden, the museum is owned by the National Artist Ben Cabrera. Ethnographic masterpieces in the form of spoons, pipes and bowls are showcased along with paintings and sculpture. Burnham Park, Camp John Hay and Mines View Park are places to hang out. Abra Dotted with caves, rivers, lakes, and hot springs, Abra is a venue for rugged adventures. Giant footsteps, an underground river, a heroine, and old churches make Abra a place worth discovering if you have an explorers spirit. Huddled in between the Ilocos and Cordillera Mountain ranges.
The entire province is dotted with caves and natural wonders, undiscovered by most. The Libtec Underground River is one of these, with its many stalagmites. Upon entering Abra, you will pass through the Tangadan Tunnelfrom Ilocos Sur and find a monument and park in honor of Gabriela Silang the heroine who, alongside her husband Diego Silang, rallied people to fight the Spanish colonizers. When Diego was killed, she fled to Abra and used her uncles home as her headquarters. The house is still maintained by her descendants, and is now the Casa Museum Carino and Gabriela Silang Art Gallery.
Ifugao If youve heard of Ifugao, theres a big chance youve also heard of its famed Rice Terraces or payo. Ifugao has all the five clusters of terraces of the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Nagacadan, Hungduan, Mayoyao, Bangaan, and Batad. Etched along the contours of the hills and mountains around the province, you will find a 2,000-year-old manmade engineering featand it looks like a staircase built for the gods. So brilliant is this terracing tradition it even has its own irrigation system that UNESCO deemed the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras as a World Heritage Site, calling it an outstanding example of a living cultural landscape. Batad is the most famous of these terraces with its amphitheater shape. Terraces abound in this province and they come in all shapes and sizes.
You can visit Bangaan, with the most picture-perfect village right smack at the foot of the terrace. Your backdrop: a multi-level mountain with every shade of green.
Apayao Touted as Cordilleras Last Frontier. If youre an explorer looking for the unbeaten path, this is the place. According to the local Isneg, Apayao means negotiable river. This new province is perched high above the Cordillera region. Literally sandwiched between Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, Kalinga, and Abra, the province is branded as Cordilleras Last Frontier of Natures Richness..
Benguet With the second highest mountain in the Philippines as its crowning glory, Benguet promises you an exciting highland adventure. Three other mountains also wait to be scaled. If youd like to stay closer to land, pick some strawberries in La Trinidad. In a coconut-filled tropical dream of a country, Benguet is known for strawberries from strawberry jam and strawberry ice cream to silken tofu infused with strawberry sauce. Its not surprising that the Strawberry Capital of the Philippines is here, which is La Trinidad . Kalinga Experience the rapids of the Chico River or discover Kalingas own rice terraces. The place is also home to a national treasure: a woman tattoo artist, the mambabatok. A land deeply entwined with the local ethnic groups culture, Kalinga gives you a peek into the fascinating mountain way of life care of its devoted inhabitants.
The Kalinga, with their 31 sub-groups, have practiced the art ofbatok or tattoo design for the last thousand years. Saved for the fiercest men and women warriors, tattoos are honed with a siit(an orange thorn) and a bamboo stick. Today you will see elderly women and men with these ferocious tattoos on their chests and arms.
Mountain Province Formerly dubbed as La Montanosa by Spanish administrators for its mountainous terrain, Mt. Province lies in the heart of the Grand Cordillera, known to be the Philippines biggest and highest chain of mountains and home of the Then head to the backpackers haven of Sagada. Rooms are mid-range to downright cheap, and there is tons you can do without having to spend too much. There are plenty of caves and hot springs to explore, like the Sumaguing Cave with stalagmite and stalactite formations. And there are even hanging coffins around here. Surrounding Echo Valley are wooden coffins within limestone formations.
