Leave you main luggage in Banaue and pack a daypack with your necessities for the next few days, then drive 40 minutes to the start of the trek. Over the next 3 days and 2 nights, you’ll hike through rice fields, forest and villages, staying overnight in local Ifugao villages where people farm rice the way their ancestors did 2,000 years ago. On this first day of the trek, you’ll walk for approximately 4 hours on a mixture of up and down, but mostly flat terrain. Start from Kinakin and we take a short drive up a paved road to get to our start of the trail. The next 3 hours will be on a rather flat path, and the last hour includes steps down to the guesthouse in Cambulo. There will be plenty of stops along the way, including for lunch, so keep your camera handy for those scenic photos – the rice terraces here are characterised by their pyramid-like appearance, cut almost 360 degrees around the mountains. When you finish today’s hike, you can take a refreshing swim in the river 2 minutes walk from the guesthouse – a welcome relief from a physically demanding day! You’ll spend the night in isolated Cambulo Village – the guesthouse has multi shared rooms, shared bathroom with Asian style toilets. Cold water is expected with scoop showers.
Notes: The rice terraces in this region are very steep, which means at times you’ll be trekking on very narrow paths with steep drops on either side. A very good level of balance is required for this trekking. Your leader can assist you, providing a walking stick to help you keep balance over these sections. Accommodation is in basic village guesthouses with shared facilities and cold water for bathing. Bedding will be provided, but you may like to bring your own sleeping sheet and a warm layer for cool nights (especially during January and February). Meals are provided at the guesthouses – simple dishes like stewed vegetables for dinner, and omelette or pancakes for breakfast. Basic hot drinks are also available.
Meals: B, L, D