Batanes - An Ultimate Summer Escape

I just recently visited the very beautiful place Batanes with my friend Mian and her friend Joy and Glad.  It’s a 1 1/2 hr travel from manila.  As we arrived at Batanes Airport, the weather was beautiful.  It’s sunny and at the same time windy.  We registered first our names at the airport and afterwards, met our tour guide.  There where 2 flights of Seair that arrived to Batanes that day.  We were first brought to Therese Coffee Shop (just at the back of the Batanes Airport) for our breakfast.  By the way, we got a complete package of this tour.  From the airfare, board and lodging as well as the tour package.  Seair had a buy one take one promo last Feb and that is what we got.  After having our breakfast, we went to our hometel at the Pension Ivatan.  It’s a house with 3 rooms.  Each room can accommodate 3 persons.

Batanes, the archipelagic province of the Philippines islands, is located 860 kms north of Manila and 190 kms south of Taiwan.  The Islands has a total land area of 229 sq km. strewn on a 4,500 sq kms of territorial waters.  It is composed of 10 islets, 3 of which re inhabited namely Itbayat – the largest followed by Batan and Sabtang.  Basco is the capital of Batanes which is located in Batan Island.  Ivatan is the predominant language although they speak also English and Filipino.

Day 1 at Batanes started at touring the southern part of Batan Island.  We were all mesmerized by beauty of the place.  The place is clean and according to them, it is safe to walk around at night.  The population of Batanes is only around 17t that is why the people there knew each other very well.  They were also very hospitable. What I love with our tour is that we were the only one in the van so we really took the time to get the picture of Batanes in our hands.  The tour to the south will travel around the mountain side.  We saw 1 Petron gas station which services the whole Batan Island.  There were only 2 commercial banks there also, Landbank and PNB.  Signal is somehow fluctuating.  My smart phone has no signal from the time we arrived until we went back to Manila.  It’s a good thing I also have Globe J In order for you to travel from your fave destination, you need to call a tricycle.  There are only 30 tricycles in Batanes and you don’t see them on the streets.  They come when they are called.

Batan Island is the second largest island in the province of Batanes where the capital town basco is situated and other three municipalities.  Blessed with lots of natural attraction as well as manmade old structures,  The rolling hills of Na-idi and Payaman, the majestic mount of Iraya, pristine beaches, old Spanish churches, buildings, fortress and pre-hispanic settlements

Batanes Fish Port - they use this port as a dock for small boats in case of strong waves.