We all love surprises, especially if they are the beautiful kind, and hidden somewhere in the Batad area is a waterfall that totally fits the bill. Now that I think about it, it is the first ever waterfall that I laid eyes on up close, and I feel blessed that my first waterfall experience – which I found utterly mesmerizing – was not a fluke.
Flashback to 2007.
During our office “road trip”, our local guides’ selling point was not the rice terraces. They told us that there is a waterfall – the Tappiyah Waterfalls – that is definitely worth checking out and, oh yes, it’s pretty close.
And by “close”, they meant it involved more than two hours’ worth of hiking one way, and another two hours back. And the terrain is rough. And did I mention steep?
So we went and, body aches and pains notwithstanding, it was a gorgeous sight to behold.
Fast forward to almost 8 years later, and I got to see it again.
Back then, I didn’t really pay enough attention to names, which explains why the text on some of the 2007 photos I posted below had “Tappiac” written on them instead of “Tappiyah”. Honest to goodness, I swear that Tappiac was the name used by our guide back then.
To get there, you’d have to walk across the amphitheatre rice terraces of Batad. Get down from the viewpoint (or make your way across the village of Babloi in the middle of the amphitheatre) and reach the large shed, which also serves as a rest stop for those that need momentary respite for the final push to the waterfall below.
Just like before, the path was steep and quite narrow. It’s better this time, though, because the path is more stable. You’ll have a more steady footing, and there are even parts that are concreted. Back then, it was mostly packed dirt, with underbrush and weeds dogging our every step. If you also have vertigo, you’d have a serious case of the jeebies when you look down because maaaaaaaan, long drop. For some reason, this time, the “drop” seemed manageable. Maybe because the paths were more “reassuring”.
Human traffic was also heavier this time. You’d come across other local and foreign tourists coming up from the waterfall, and they were all panting, but all are collectively remarking that it is beautiful. Back then, on my first visit, there were just my group going down to the waterfall.
We were biding our time, then rushing down on a run because we somehow find that easier.
And we’re getting close.
Now. Look at her.
Our guide was actually pleasantly surprised that there was a lot of water, considering how it did not rain for the past several days. We’re just glad Tappiyah Waterfalls decided to cooperate with us. Let me bombard you with photos (yeah, totally not sorry about that).
AND THE WATER WAS DELICIOUSLY COLD. 🙂 Our companions, who are not from the highlands, took a while (and some major screaming, haha!) before they got the “feel” of the water and could actually stay there. I’m used to cold water, but I also had to take baby steps.
The rocks were quite slippery, though, no thanks to moss gathering on them, so you’d have to be careful, lest you slip and get bumps and bruises on your legs. As for our group, we just became the rowdiest when we were on the water.
And, of course, we had to get the photo-taking out of the way first before actually getting into the water. Here are some of my companions in paparazzi mode.
During my first visit, the only person we saw there was an Irishman who was backpacking through the mountain provinces of Cordillera. He spent overnight at the waterfall and was just going back up when we arrived, so we took photos with him.
But now, there are a lot of people there. A sign, I suppose, of the tourism in this side of the mountains booming.
I was able to dig through old files and saw some of the photos from our 2007 visit. Again, sorry for the misspelled “Tappiac” instead of Tappiyah. 🙂
As you can see, it was just as beautiful. There were changes, but they were minor. I do hope that the place remains just as beautiful 10 years down the road…. or even longer.
We spent more than an hour frolicking in the falls, then went back up, wet clothes and all.
Any jaunt to Batad Rice Terraces will not be complete without a visit to this waterfall. So, the next time you’re drawing up an itinerary to visit up north, you know what to do.
(You will find more details of our trip over at OJ Coders in this post.)