WELCOME TO MANILA, PHILIPPINES! For your first day, you will be having a bike tour in Intramuros, the ancient walled city of Manila. Here's the good part, you're not taking just any bike, but you will ride a "Bambike"; a bike locally made in bamboo. Once the tour will be done, your driver will pick you up and take you to Bacolor to visit the church which is half buried in lahar. On September 3, 1995, lahar flow from the slopes of Mount Pinatubo which erupted on June 15, 1991, buried the church to half its 12-metre (39 ft) height. Near the façade of the parish church is a museum on the history of the church. It also contains paintings of the Pinatubo eruption in 1991. After your short and quick visit, you will head to Alvin’s Guesthouse, in Capas, at the foot of Mt Pinatubo. Alvin welcomes you in his guesthouse and offers day tours around the volcano and its unique and desert landscapes.

Accommodation:

• Standard Accommodation: ALVIN and ANGIE BOGNOT mt PINATUBO ( Accommodation and Tours) Tripadvisor Alvin Guesthouse@ PINATUBO

You will be leaving by dawn after your breakfast and set off to conquer Mount Pinatubo. You will get in Land cruisers from the 70s to reach the trail in about an hour and a half. Using a 4x4 is mandatory since there is no road to access it. To reach the summit and the crater lake, you will have to walk for another hour and a half. The descent will be done by the same way to return to the guesthouse where a lunch will be served to you, you can also take a shower. After lunch, you will hit the road again to visit the Summer Capital of the Philippines, Baguio. Once arrived, you will check in the Elizabeth Hotel. Comfortable, it is in a quiet area and offers a pleasant view. Striking, warm Mediterranean interiors combined with the fresh and cool atmosphere of the City of Pines are what makes this boutique hotel so unique. Just a stone's throw away from attractions such as Wright Park, The Mansion, and Mines View, etc.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

• Standard Accommodation: Hotel Elizabeth Fersal Baguio

You will leave early and you will pass by through the famous Halsema Road, which offers majestic landscapes. But before leaving the beautiful Baguio, you will stop by their Public Market, an amazing and fascinating place since you can find all the crops and crafts from the Cordillera. At the border of Baguio, just before taking the Halsema, you will go through La Trinidad, a district that is worth a stop, do not hesitate to go down from the vehicle to take some pictures of this place which is strangely reminiscent of Brazilian favellas. You will be heading to Sagada after. The village of Sagada offers several points of interest: - A traditional weaving workshop with wooden looms and an interesting collection of bags, clothes, rugs and blankets featuring the designs of the Igorot tribes - The Masferré restaurant presents a series of old photographs of the Igorot and their way of life. - Each and every inn gives you a chance to taste delicacies in a rural atmosphere. For your dinner, we recommend the Log Cabin, a small restaurant with a fireplace. You will then check in to another guesthouse, where you will rest and refresh.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Standard Accommodation: Saint Joseph Resthouse

Today, you will have a taste of experience and adventure in Sagada! You will visit Lumiang Cave and Echo Valley where you can admire the hanging coffins, an ancient funeral tradition found in different places in Asia. You will also be guided to the underground river. On the way back, we recommend the Yogurt House for lunch, an excellent restaurant, renowned for its homemade yogurts. After lunch, you will leave Sagada and head to Banaue. On the way, you will make a stop in the Bontoc museum to see more and understand about the Igorot tribes. Bontoc Museum is a small establishment, but its collection of artifacts and photographs, and its small reconstructed Ifugao village in the garden make a perfect introduction to the traditions of the tribes from the Mountain Province and the Ifugao country. You will then travel to Banaue after the tour. You will make a few stops to enjoy the view on the rice terraces, before checking in the Banaue Hotel. If the temperatures are not too low, you might want to take a dip in its pool.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Standard Accommodation: Banaue Hotel & Youth Hostel

The rice terraces of Batad are undoubtedly the most beautiful and the most spectacular of all the Cordillera and Asia, they are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From Banaue, you will take either a tricycle or a jeepney at 8am to reach the saddle of Batad and the parking a little lower where the road ends. You will have no other choice but to go on foot, just like the locals, to the terraces, with your guide. After a break in a small inn on the hillside, you will proceed to the village of Batad, accessible only on foot, walking on the retaining walls of the terraces. If you wish to see and if the path is accessible, you may go to the Tappiya waterfalls. On the way back, you will enjoy the panorama of the amphitheater. Batad gives the appearance of a place out of time, with its traditional Ifugao houses and the rites kept alive by the locals. The local guides are extremely courteous and helpful. You are in Batad, very far from the hectic life of the big cities. Here, life goes on slowly and desires are subject to a beautiful but harsh nature. Today, you can have your lunch in Hillside Inn or have a picnic in the middle of the terraces You will rest at Hillside Inn, surrounded by the terraces and the view of the amphitheater. Don't miss the sunrise in the morning!

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

• Standard Accommodation: Hillside Inn and Restaurant

If you are up for another 3-hour hike through the Rice Terraces, you will leave right after breakfast and head to Bangaan, another small village listed as a UNESCO heritage site. Otherwise, you will go back up to the saddle of Batad, where your jeepney will be waiting for you to take you back to Banaue. You will get your luggage back in Banaue and hit the road to go back to Manila. See you on your next adventure!

Meals: Breakfast