Tapiyah Falls ~ Batad, Banaue ~ Waterfall Warrior

Tappiya Falls

Loacation: Batad,Banaue

Type and height: Plunge/35 meters* 

Batad is famously known for its amphitheater like rice terraces. And beneath all that scenic beauty and relaxing ambiance lies another gem that Batad is very proud of, the Tappiya Falls.

Unseen from the peaceful town of Batad one must tramp thru rice fields and some steep trails to reach Tappiya falls. I've been to Tappiya falls countless of times and it never fails to amaze me.

There are two options in going to Tappiya falls. One is to do a daytrip from Banaue and the other is to spend the night in Batad and trek early in the morning the following day. I always do the latter as staying in Batad is equally hard to resist.

At 6:00 am we had our breakfast and readied ourselves for the trek. There are two trails that lead to Tapiya falls. One is on the high point of the terraces the other is down where a village will be passed by. We took the high trail on the way which took us roughly 2-3 hours. First part of the trail is thru rice fields. This will be on an open area thus prepare accordingly as exposure from the elements like the sun may be really high. Also, the not so simple skill of balancing is needed to walk thru the one foot wide trail. The second part will be a steep descent thru cemented staircase that will converse to a narrow path as you inch closer to the falls. This may really be a challenge if you’re not used to trekking.

One of the admirable things of trekking early to the Tapiya falls is catching the Sun’s morning ray kissing the base of the falls forming a rainbow thru its mist. It’s really wonderful sight.

You can swim if you can endure the stinging cold water!

How to get there:
(From Manila)

1.) Take the OHAYAMI Bus bound for Banaue.
     *Ohayami bus station is located at Lacon Avenue corner Fajardo Stree. Sampaloc Manila. (Php 450.00) (9-10 hours)
2.) From Banaue head to the market to catch the jeep heading to Batad Saddle point.
     *Another options is to hire an entire jeep to the Batad Saddle point or (Php 3,000.00-one way)
     *Hire a tricycle/motor to the junction and from here to the saddle point (1 hour ascent)
3.) Trek your way down to Batad town and get a place it your spending the night.
4.) Get a guide who will take you to Tapiyah Falls (Php 500.00) (2-3 hours)