DAY 3: June 11, 2018 (Sunday)
Scaling an almost unknown mountain on our last day in Mayoyao would definitely entail another early morning breakfast, as we went off towards the jump-off point of Mount Tumanoktok, the Mayoyao Hostel. The trail towards the summit was a mixture of open and forested trails.
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| Jump-off point towards Mount Tumanoktok |
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| Open trail |
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| Forested trail |
The summit of Mount Tumanoktok, towering at 1215 MASL, provides the hiker with a spectacular view of the villages and rice terraces of Mayoyao, including those of Chaya and Mt. Nagchajan on top — and all the way to the mountains of Aguinaldo, Ifugao and the peripheral peaks of the Cordilleras as they empty into the plains of Isabela. A hut and a pine tree can be seen at the peak.
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| A hut and a stone marker at the summit |
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| Great summit view of Mount Tumanoktok |
After conquering this mountain, we then backtrailed and entered the Mayoyao Hostel compound to check out an Apfo'or Burial Tomb. These symbols of status of well-to-do families containing the bodies of the town's ancient warriors and elite are unique in the Cordileras and can only be found in Mayoyao.
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| Apfo'or Burial Tomb |
Capping off our entire trip in this non-famous town was visiting the Bongan Rice Terraces, which is a part of the Mayoyao Rice Terraces cluster, one of the 5 rice terraces included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.
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| Jump-off point towards the Bongan Rice Terraces |
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| Bongan Rice Terraces |
Returning back to our homestay, we then freshed up, checked out, and bade farewell to the beautiful town of Mayoyao.
Contact information for Helen's Guest Hauz is 0920-5207413 (look for Rose Igdna). Great customer service!
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| Departing Helen's Guest Hauz |
Before dropping us off at our merienda venue at the Uyami's Green View Lodge and Restaurant in the Banaue Poblacion area, we visited first the famous Banaue Rice Terraces Viewpoint.
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| Banaue Rice Terraces Viewpoint |
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| Uyami's Green View Lodge and Restaurant |
We then bought pasalubong in the Poblacion area, before leaving Banaue via a Cubao-bound CODA Lines tourist bus, which came from Sagada. Waiting area was near the Municipal Tourism Center.
The municipality of Mayoyao may not be as grand in the minds of a tourist, as compared to the Banaue area, but it is definitely one such place worth exploring, bestowed with a rich cultural heritage, fascinating history, and natural man-made wonders.
Explore Pinas!
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