After hiking through the nearby rice terraces with a local guide, we stopped here for lunch. Food had to be pre-ordered. This facility is billed as a no-nail house. You have to be in reasonable shape to get there, but the view is worth it. Very friendly staff. We had the chicken curry, which was pretty good and a couple of beers. Reasonable price. Busy place at times. This establishment also offers home stays. The climb back was strenuous. Recommended.
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The views from Ramon’s Homestay are entirely worth every moment of travel and walking that you will endure to reach this destination. The restaurant is situated looking down into the valley below and offers spectacular views at every time of the day. The panoramic views from the restaurant and our bedroom windows took our breath away every time.
One word of advice from travellers who were not necessarily prepared for the journey to Ramon’s Homestay-we were offered to pay to store our large luggage in town (Banaue) before travelling to Batad and we declined. This was our error. It would have made the journey to the homestay much more enjoyable if we had not had all of our belongings for our month long trip with us. If you have the opportunity to travel lightly to Ramon’s Homestay, it is recommended as the walk in is quite challenging with luggage.
The staff and Ramon were extremely friendly and welcoming and Ramon personally shared breakfast with us one morning. He had us laughing and sharing stories like we were old friends. It was truly a cherished experience. We also truly enjoyed the garlic fried rice with vegetables for lunch which was prepared fresh for us upon ordering.
We would recommend this Homestay for anyone searching for adventure, quiet, and friendly seclusion. It was an amazing once in a lifetime opportunity and stay.
Thank you so much to Ramon and the other people at the home stay for a wonderful experience.
Me and my boyfriend loved the 3 days we spent here. We took a private van for Banaue but we should have taken a Jeepney as we did on the way back as we got to ride on the top!
When we arrived at Ramon's he greeted us with a welcome tea and a lovely friendly chat. We sat and overlooked the rice terraces while we let the views sink in and drank our tea.
The food is not expensive and is nice. The cost is ~175pesos for a meal and ~70pesos for a beer which is more than reasonable considering the quality.
When we were there in Feb 2019 there were very nice hot showers which were welcome in the cold nights. We stayed in an Ifugau hut which was an amazing experience.
The best part about the stay was the lovely homely feel about it and the effort the family go to making you feel like a relative. Whilst we were only there for a short time we experienced rice pounding (which we later had for our dinner) and heard old stories about how rice wine is made and the culture and tradition of the people of Batad.
The dogs and cats that shared our home with us were amazing - especially the new born puppies!
Thanks to Ramon and all the others for an amazing stay :)
Incredible views of Batad. Ramon is a knowledgeable, kind man. Food is great. I recommend 100% to stay in one of the traditional huts. That way you’re not only giving yourself a treat but you’re also contributing to Ramon’s goal which is keeping up with the local traditions and contributing to the community.
Waking up with those views... it’s a real gift.
Batad has been subjected to inexpert "modernisation" with concrete, plywood and corrugated iron, Building waste is left where it falls mostly because there is no vehicular access. Very little recycling is carried out, in fact you will always see fires burning rubbish throughout the village. Children and women are used to carry heavy loads of drink cans and bottles bordering on abuse. The showers and toilet are barely fit for purpose, one toilet was out of use blocked. There are no locks on the door, just a hasp and staple, you will need to bring a padlock. Once out of the Village, the terrain is hard and rugged, but wonderful views are available for those that walk.
Best rice terraces view in the area from Batad. However, this seems to be a typical tourist trap. Once there you have to eat from them and prices are obviously high even though the food is nothing special and the option limited. You are constantly chased by people that want to be your guide through the terraces up to the point when you just give up (they waited for us a breakfast next to our table so we would not leave alone). Once there you are literally stuck and to go back to Banaue you have to pay any price they charge you (for us it was 1000 pesos, about £15, which for less than an hour journey is much more than what people make in a London for an hour work).
We rented an Ifugao hut but the common showers had no water and the toilet was in a state that was honestly risky from an hygienic point of view. It seems to be that the locals spotted a reason to make easy money and are charging tourist extortionate prices for zero quality. On top of these people were not honestly nice or welcoming and the feeling was to be unwanted.
I would recommend to spend a bit more but try to find a higher quality accommodation in Batad to Enjoy the view and the walk to Waterfalls (which is very tiring but a must if you are in decent physical conditions).
