Batanes, Philippines

An Escape to the Past

📌 By Jakub Mikula | October 03, 2017

Batanes is the Philippines’ northern-most province; an archipelago, made out of ten islands from which only three are inhabited. With its crystal-clear waters and the perfect combinations of landscapes and seascapes it is a picture-worthy place, one of those I had been dreaming to visit since I watched Ray Mears’ documentaries.

• reccommended accommodation: Marfel’s Lodge (I stayed at Marfel Annex Lodge in a room with a fan ~400 PHP/night)
• flight: I took a Philippine Airlines flight from Manila (~9000 PHP), you may also consider SkyJet Airlines
• transportation: tricycle or van (guided tours), rent a bicycle or a motorcycle
• places of interest:Haidi Hills, Rolling Hills, Valugan Boulder Beach, Marlboro Hills, Diura Beach, Sabtang, Itbayat

I visited the islands at the beginning of December 2016. My stay in Batanes lasted for ten days. People usually come here only for two or three days so I met at least four different groups of people moving in and out. Almost all of them were Filipino or a few might have been from elsewhere in Asia. The decision to spend ten days on the islands may seem like a lot of time, but it had two main reasons. Firs, the weather is quite unpredictable; the more days I spend the higher the probability some of them will be nice; second, I wanted to spend more time on my own, exploring the island myself, not only the guided tours but to get up close and personal with the culture and traditions of Ivatan people. I am so thankful to the locals. I cannot forget the hospitality and friendship they had shown during my stay. And I only hope to show the same friendship and respect once they happen to come visit my country! 😊

How to Get There

The islands are accessible by an about three hour flight from Manila. I took a flight with the Philippine Airlines. The other option is to fly with Skyjet. The costs of flights are said to be quite expensive in comparison to other local flights in the Philippines; many say that is to save the pristine and unspoilt region from tourism, but also they don’t go that deep into your pocket. My flight cost 9000 PHP which is about 240 SGD. I payed roughly the same to get to Manila from Singapore. Flygin to Batanes from Manila was an unforgettable experience, as it was the smallest airplane I have ever sat into; with its propellers instead of jet engines. I was sitting next to the window; the view was mesmerizing. In the airplane they also served brakfast. We landed on a very small airport. As soon as I arrived, I saw some people already waiting for me. I had to pay some fees to enter as a tourist, after that they drove me to the inn and my Batanes had trip started.

Where to Stay

I stayed at Marfel’s Lodge and I highly recommend this place. Ate Edit was extremely nice to us. She booked some guided tours for me when I arrived, which I shared with a young lady who arrived to Batanes the same day as me. I had a room for myself and in the kitchen we had one of those honesty shops you find in Batanes, where you pay into a small box for whatever you take.

Places to Visit

You don’t have to meticulously plan your stay. The first days of my visit were very active. I joined three guided tours taking place in North Batam, South Batam and Sabtang. The guides know the ground through and through. They are happy to answer all your questions and even modify the tour to your needs if you ask. Though I also planned to visit the island further north (Itbayat) the windy weather conditions during my stay did not allow me to do that. At least I have another reason to come visit back again 😉

1. Haidi Hills

It is easy to spot a lighthouse in Batanes erected on many of the rugged hills. Many of the lighthouses offer a spectacular view overlooking the Pacific Ocean or the West Philippine Sea. On my first day, I had the chance to witness a breath-taking view overlooking the sunset over the West Philippine Sea from a lighthouse located at the Haidi Hills. The slow-movie-like-motion huge waves the coast attracted my eyes and released them only after they disappeared aggressively crashing into the huge limestone cliffs.

2. Rolling Hills

The scenery of Batanes is a great combination of landscapes and seascapes. The rolling hills are the great example of that. Animals pasture in the waves of grass moving in the strong wind. It is a rare place from where one can see the three inhabited islands (Batanes, Sabtang, and Itabayat) all at once and the sea stretching endlessly all around.

3. Valugan Boulder Beach

When I wanted to escape to an even more remote place this is where I came. First time, during one of the guided tours, but later I visited the place many times again. On mylast day I came here to watch the sunrise.

4. Diura Beach - The Fountain of Youth

From there you can walk to the sandy beach. The mind-numbingly large waves that reach up to highs of more than a meter washed up on the shore are beautiful to watch. Walking further along the beach you can find a few places where the strength of the waves cannot reach with that intensity and you can dip yourself into the water. TIP: Take a short hike to the natural swimming pool ‘Rakuh-a-idi Spring’ (Fountain of Youth) in Mahatao filled with cold fresh water from the mountain.

5. Sabtang

Sabtang or the New Zealand of Batanes, as it has come to be refered by locals is a place worth visiting for more than a day. The island offers so much to explore. The beautiful mountainscape reminded me a lot of Norway, with its high hills rapidly growing from the sea and beaches many of wich you can only walk to. This old village abounds with traditional houses built from stones, corals, and lime walls roofed with the cogon grass. On your way around you can meet an old lady making the traditional Ivatan dress made out of cogon grass. It takes a week to make it and for a few PHP you may try it on :)

6. Itbayat

Unfortunatelly, I was not able to visit this Island due to the weather conditions, but if you stay for more than 4-5 days you should definitelly put this island on the list. Hope you get the chance to go there and share about it! ;)

To Sum It Up …

Batanes carved a special memory into my heart among all other places I have visited and I would only hope to come to visit this place soon again. This remote place away from the mainland made me feel closer again with nature and the genuine hospitality of local people made my day, every day. It reminded me again about the values of a culture and traditions, friendship, and gave me time and space to broaden my freedom.

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