CORDILLERA ATTRACTIONS

The provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and the Mountain Province comprise the Cordillera Administrative Region, the only land-locked region of the Philippines.   The Cordillera region lies within the the largest mountain range in the country, the Cordillera Central range of Luzon, and is home to numerous indigenous tribes collectively called the Igorot.  Baguio City, the Summer Capital of the Philippines, is its regional center and a convenient take off point for those traveling to the Cordilleras.  

Perhaps the most famous tourist attraction in the region is the world-famous Banaue Rice Terraces in the province of Ifugao. The Banaue Rice Terraces are 2,000 to 6,000 year-old man-made stepped rice paddies painstakingly carved into the mountains by generations upon generations of Igorots. They are also found in the provinces of Apayao, Benguet and the Mountain Province, and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Experts estimate that if these terraces were joined end to end, they could encircle the world many times over.

Other tourist attractions of the Cordillera region include the Sumaguing Cave in Sagada and world-class white water rafting along the Chico River in the province of Kalinga.  Cassamata Hill, Mount Pulag, Mt. Data and Balbalasang-Balbalan are national parks immensely popular with mountain climbers and backpackers.

Besides the Banaue Rice Terraces and the natural attractions of the region, a Cordilleran cultural and historical attraction has captured the attention and the imagination of the world after recently  being featured in the Discovery Channel.  Fire mummies, (also known as Kabayan mummies, Benguet mummies and Ibaloi mummies) are well-preserved human mummies first found in burial caves in Timbak, Bangao, Tenongchol, Naapay and Opdas -- an area around the town of Kabayan in the Benguet province. Made by members of the Ibaloi tribe,  many were stolen then and later, including the "smiling mummy" (stolen in the 1970s) and Apo Annu (the mummy that brought bad luck to all those who disturbed his grave and took possession of his mummified corpse).  Learn more about the Fire mummies

A fire mummy child as it was published in the cover of July/August 2000 issue of Discovering Archaeology (from the editors of Scientific American). The article by Robert Locke is entitled "Saving Sacred Mummies." (Photo edited to remove cluttering text, our apologies.  Click here to see the original photo.)	The mummy of Apo Annu as it was published in the Philippine newspaper, SUARA MERDEKA.

The Sacred Kabayan Mummies have been declared a National Treasure of the Philippines.  Moreover, the Fire mummies' caves have also been designated as one of the 100 Most Endangered Sites in the world by Monument Watch, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of important monuments and sites.  In fact, the National Museum of the Philippines have begun research and studies into the preservation and development of the mummy sites.  Some mummy sites can still be visited, though and we fervently hope visitors will care for these fine archeological specimens as well as respect the dead.

Discover the cultural, historical and scenic attractions of the Cordilleras with Baguio City as your convenient take off point!  While in Baguio, stay in Hotel Veniz.