Simons inn — Hotel in Banaue

This is my second time in Batad but my first time to booked with Hill Side Inn as it was fully booked when I went there 2 years ago. This is a budget hostel so do not expect much. There is no signal in Batad so expect to engage more with the people and the nature. Getting to Batad is a lot easier now compared to when I went there 2 years ago as travelers/backpackers who want to go to the village needs to trek for at least an hour and a half before but the old jump off point going to the village has been paved now which makes the trek a lot shorter (30 mins max!)||||For 250/ night you can get the basics. A basic bed, a pillow and a blanket. Comfort rooms are clean but I hope there's more than just one shower room and one comfort room for boys and girls. 3 isn't enough to accommodate the guests especially if it's peak season. Plus point for the heater! Yes, the shower room has a heater!!!!||||I would suggest that you bring canned goods with you as menu is just average and a bit pricey which is understandable because the goods that they are using are being transported from Banaue which is almost an hour from Batad. If you want to try the local food, go with their Native Chicken Tinola. I must admit that this is one of the best Tinola that I've tasted so far. If you're a coffee lover, have a cup of their Kalinga coffee! It's as good as the one that I've tasted in Tinglayan a year ago,the only difference is I can get as much as I want for free in Tinglayan and I have to pay 45 pesos per cup in Batad. ||||If the Inn is not fully booked, I would suggest that you choose the bed on the 3rd floor (yes! bed on the third floor that is just being covered by a curtain along the hall way). This has a small window that is facing the terraces and has one of the best view that you would like to wake up to in the highlands (I've included a pic of it)||||One of the owner, Ate Lai may look snob at first but she is really friendly! We were able to have a small chat with her along with other guides that are staying there for the night. Spent the night with good music, few bottles of beers and even had a shot of rhum mixed with coffee in it. The inn has a common area for travelers that also serves as their dining hall for...

This is my second time in Batad but my first time to booked with Hill Side Inn as it was fully booked when I went there 2 years ago. This is a budget hostel so do not expect much. There is no signal in Batad so expect to engage more with the people and the nature. Getting to Batad is a lot easier now compared to when I went there 2 years ago as travelers/backpackers who want to go to the village needs to trek for at least an hour and a half before but the old jump off point going to the village has been paved now which makes the trek a lot shorter (30 mins max!)||||For 250/ night you can get the basics. A basic bed, a pillow and a blanket. Comfort rooms are clean but I hope there's more than just one shower room and one comfort room for boys and girls. 3 isn't enough to accommodate the guests especially if it's peak season. Plus point for the heater! Yes, the shower room has a heater!!!!||||I would suggest that you bring canned goods with you as menu is just average and a bit pricey which is understandable because the goods that they are using are being transported from Banaue which is almost an hour from Batad. If you want to try the local food, go with their Native Chicken Tinola. I must admit that this is one of the best Tinola that I've tasted so far. If you're a coffee lover, have a cup of their Kalinga coffee! It's as good as the one that I've tasted in Tinglayan a year ago,the only difference is I can get as much as I want for free in Tinglayan and I have to pay 45 pesos per cup in Batad. ||||If the Inn is not fully booked, I would suggest that you choose the bed on the 3rd floor (yes! bed on the third floor that is just being covered by a curtain along the hall way). This has a small window that is facing the terraces and has one of the best view that you would like to wake up to in the highlands (I've included a pic of it)||||One of the owner, Ate Lai may look snob at first but she is really friendly! We were able to have a small chat with her along with other guides that are staying there for the night. Spent the night with good music, few bottles of beers and even had a shot of rhum mixed with coffee in it. The inn has a common area for travelers that also serves as their dining hall for...

Batad is a tiny village on a mountainside accessed via a steep road up and over a high ridge. The nearest town, Banaue, can be accessed by tricycle or jeepney. There is no road directly to the village, but the path there is only a walk of 15 minutes. Hillside Inn is perched on a steep slope with stellar views of the rice terrace amphitheatre below, and the surrounding mountains on the other side of the valley. A rushing river with a notable waterfall cascades down the valley floor. There are trails one can take down the mountain and to the waterfall. These involve walking on narrow terrace walls and up and down steep, narrow concrete stairs without handrails. One must be reasonably fit and confident to manage these. Guides are readily available. Hillside Inn would qualify as a cheap backpackers type accommodation. My room was tiny and Spartan, with a common bathroom that does not provide soap or toilet paper. However, the view out of the window was phenomenal, and that is what I went for. The restaurant offers a variety of food, and my breakfast was satisfactory. The chicken curry was mediocre. The whole experience of being in Batad, however, was one of awe at the incredible engineering and extraordinary labor it took to carve a whole mountainside into terraces to grow a small amount of rice. This is truly a cultural wonder. While there are numerous other spots around Banaue where one can view rice terraces, Batad is special in its remote and highly picturesque qualities. You will be fortunate indeed if you can spend some time there. For the truly adventurous, there are multi day treks that...