From May 17th, 2017, one of the most sustainable, traditional and unknown destinations in The Philippines would be reachable by plane from Clark International Airport (Manila).
Madrid, March, 2017.- Banaue and Cordillera Rice Terraces, a magnificent mountain chain and its valleys that treasures The Philippines’ living cultural landscape and one of its most sustainable destinations, will be connected by a shorter and quicker flight to from Manila’s Clark International Airport since May 17th, 2017.
Although there are numerous rice terraces throughout Asia, the Banaue Rice Terraces, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, earned the monicker “the eighth wonder of the world” because of its immensity and height of 1500 meters above sea level, as built by the Ifugao ancestors some 2,000 years ago, fed by an ancient irrigation system from the mountain rainforest.
The flight from Clark to Bagabag Airport in Nueva Vizcaya will take approximately one hour and the magnificent and breathtaking terraces is accessible within 45 minutes. The flights will commence on May 17 with a four-flight weekly schedule on board a 38-seater Dornier plane.
Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo launched this new air route during ITB in Berlin (beginning of March 2017), when she highlighted that this flight “will complement the activities we are promoting in the European market, particularly for travelers who seek cultural immersion in The Philippines”.
DOT Director for the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) Marie Venus Tan, stated that the new air connectivity development will cut by more than half the usual travel time from Manila to Banaue trip via land that would normally take up to six to eight hours.
“The Cordilleras is all about tradition and exotic culture. This is our strongest selling point because our visitors can experience authentic and truly meaningful cultural immersions that benefit the host communities. We are blessed with rich and fascinating culture we can be very proud of,” said Tan.
From the picturesque capital city of Bontoc and the astonishing Banaue lookout to the mountains, the small towns of Batad, Bangaan and Mayoyao surrounded by spectacular and infinite rice terraces, the exhuberant Hapao Valley, the acid, volcanic, blue lake at Pinatubo Mount or the hanging coffins, subterranean caves used as burial grounds by the natives in Sagada, Cordillera attractions are many and a sign of its local heritage.
The Spanish footprint in the Rice Terraces
Spanish travelers will also find lots of historic ties in the Rice Terraces, discovered by colonial Spaniards in XVI century. Spanish traces can also be found at the 300 years-old coastal city of Vigan, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, due to its combination of Asian architecture and colonial buildings, museums, markets and churches, as the S. Paul’s Cathedral, built in 1641.
Boutique, luxury and budget hotels offer a wide range of lodging options in this destination, which can be visited throughout the year, and especially between November and April, when travelers can enjoy warm and sunny weather as well as rice’s sowing time, a genuine spectacle that portrays all the traditions and uses that built up this one-of-a-kind region.
Thank you and Mabuhay!”
