Rice terraces here follow the contours of the land like the lines of a map. Hungduan, in the province of Ifugao, high in the Cordillera Central of northern Luzon, is known for terraces built in a tight, spiralling pattern that some describe as a spider's web, climbing the steep sides of the Hapao river valley. They are part of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, which UNESCO recognised in 1995, and they were shaped, over many centuries, by Ifugao farmers working without machines, using stone walls and bamboo channels to guide water from the forest above.
The work continues. Ifugao farmers grow tinawon, a heritage rice that gives only one harvest a year, and the cycle shapes the landscape: terraces are flooded and planted around December to February, glow bright green in spring and early summer, and turn gold before harvest around June and July. The Ifugao also keep alive the hudhud, a long sung epic chanted by women at planting and harvest, which UNESCO has listed as intangible heritage. In Hapao, about seven kilometres away, the hot springs below the terraces are a pleasant way to ease aching muscles after the road.
Reaching Hungduan involves a mountain drive that is as interesting as the terraces. The roads are narrow and winding, often only one lane wide with few barriers, and landslides are common in the rainy season, from June to October, especially during typhoons. Surfaces can be broken, steep sections are concreted, and fog drifts in at altitude. Take it slowly, sound your horn on blind corners and watch for jeepneys, tricycles, pigs, children and the occasional water buffalo. Cooler air at altitude is welcome after the lowland heat, but carry a rain jacket.
Fuel is the thing to plan. Hungduan has little, and the nearest larger towns are Lagawe, the provincial capital, and Banaue, a long ride away on winding roads, so fill up before heading in. Small guesthouses and homestays serve rice, local vegetables and river fish, and the coffee grown in the Cordillera is surprisingly good.
Come in late April or May, when the terraces are green and the roads are mostly dry.