Bangaan, Philippines

Bangaan (Dec 6, 2006)

Bangaan village

Local children in Bangaan village

A few drinks in Bangaan village with our lovely host Conchita in the background.

Photo opportunity in front of Bangaan Family Inn & Restaurant

In March 2006, Bangaan became an alternative to Batad for us. It had rained constantly for two days. The path to Batad would have been slippery and wet - unpleasant to walk in these conditions. Driving about a kilometers past the Batad junction, one arrives at the Bangaan Family Inn & Restaurant. In this place one can stay in very pleasant cottage accommodation overlooking the valley, the town, the fields and surrounding mountains of old Bangaan. Very pretty. Given the endless rain, it was a scenic place to spend the day and night. We walked down to the old town, in spite of the rain. This has become an historic sight, with many traditional houses still standing. Souvenir shops have been set up by the locals and some provide coffee, cold drinks (even beer) and shelter from the rain. We chose hot coffees and were entertained by Conchita at her outdoor tables. We found her conversation so interesting and informative that we stayed for more coffee and finally beer. John bought one of the excellent knives manufactured by a local blacksmith. He uses steel from old car springs and mounts the pieces in a wooden sheath, bound with rattan, as is the knife handle.

Old Bangaan is primarily a farming community. Rice fields to the sky. There is not much money around here and the population is small (the larger, road hugging new Bangaan is much larger by comparison). There are no luxuries in the old town, so expect nothing more than Nescafe and possibly creamer, at a table outside under a tarp. There is no accommodation. The walk from the road down to the town and back up would take no longer than 1 ½ hours to 2 hours. Much of the walk is through rice fields, so take shelter from sun and rain.

Bangaan Family Inn & Restaurant. We took the larger of the cottages on offer. P800, accommodates four. Very basic facilities, 2 double beds, pleasant décor and a million dollar view. Our friend took a traditional house, refurbished comfortably for 3 or 4 persons – outdoor facilities, P600. There are 2 other traditional houses, but I did not check them. We ate at the restaurant, just across the road from the cottages (owned by the same people) and found the food to be satisfactory. It is best to plan meals and order them ahead to be ready for a particular time. Each dish is freshly prepared and chicken takes a long time to cook……. Not all things on the menu are available – check first. Hot water can be heated for your bath, if you wish.

Bangaan could be a pleasantly paced day trip from Banaue, or as we discovered, a very nice place to spend a night as an alternative to the demanding walk to Batad, especially in bad weather.

Mr Erwin Laroco is the contact person for the Bangaan Family Inn & Restaurant.

Phone +6309198809308

The Tourist Information Office in Banaue can give you information re regular public jeepneys. Tricycles make the trip, but tricky in wet weather. The road is rough but can be traveled by car during the dry months. There is secure parking at the Inn.

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