Dream travel destination! that's what most travelers include BATANES as part of their bucket list.
Batanes is located in the northernmost part of the Philippines and considered the smallest province in the country. It's located on the island of Batan which is Basco is their provincial capital. Batanes is called the most sought-after tourism destination that confluences the West Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean, It's almost near the country of Taiwan.
Batanes has 6 municipalities composing 29 barangays with 17,246 estimated population and a total land area of 230 square kilometers.
But why visit Batanes?
Some people asked this question, knowing the fact that Batanes is more expensive than traveling abroad. Is it really worth it?
There are three (3) factors why do we need to visit Batanes. Here are the factors that you need to consider.
1. Fall in love with the place.
Batanes is known of natural endowments and treasures such as shells and stones. The place is very clean because littering is prohibited, you should bring your garbage with you back to the hotel for disposal. The environment is protected by DENR and the LGUs with fees being collected to conserve and protect the eco-tourism. Batanes also is composed of rolling hills, made of stone houses and the wonderful views to sumps up your traveling experiences. I think staying here for a month is a good escape to traffic, crowded places and pollution in the metro.
2. Friendly people and honest.
The Ivatans were very friendly. They love to welcome people most especially to strangers who also love to respect their culture, traditions and their religions.
The locals can also be trusted and very honest, it shows what kind of people they are. I hope if only everyone will so.
3. Safe and peaceful.
Batanes is generally a safe and peaceful place, though Ivatans are honest, it is our responsibility to let your belongings unattended. And even at night, it feels safe to walk around the town.
Batanes is called the home of the peace-loving indigenous people and dubbed as the "Nature playground".
Here are the sceneries and some parts of my portraits.
Basco Lighthouse is a known place in Batanes which is situated in the town of Basco, Located in Naidi Hills it's an old site (sitio) derived from the Ivatan words "Na" which means past and "Idi" which means settlement or community. The place also provides a breathtaking view and sunset viewing.
Basco Welcome Arch. This will be the first stop of the tour. This is just along the ocean side of the road a few minutes away from Basco proper.
Traditional Protection of Ivatan.
This is KANAYI / TADIDI an all-weather sleeveless jacket gear worn by a man while working on the farm. It is crafted and designed for all-weather in Batanes, it cools the body on hot working days and warm on rainy and cold days. It is made from stripped “vuyavuy” leaves and the Tadidi made of banana leaves.
While VAKUL / SUUT is a woman's headgear that has a head and back covering that protects against the sun and rain. It is woven from finely stripped leaves of the Batanes endemic palm tree called Vuyavuy or the suten variety of banana leaves.
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| Photo Credit: Emie Yap |
Mt. Carmel Chapel. This is where couples dreamed to have a romantic ceremonial right and the chapel was designed by local masons and carpenters. The chapel also is under renovation during my visit because it was hit by a super typhoon "Ferdie" last September 2016.
Pacita Abad and Fundacion Pacita. Fundacion Pacita is the most expensive and luxurious stay in Batanes. This is a home before and was renovated to become a hotel.
Pacita Abad is a world-acclaimed painter and a certified pride of Batanes. She died last 2004 while fighting for cancer and a sister of former Budget Secretary Butch Abad.
Blow Your Horn! The Ivatans have been using this text as a Road Sign several years before the invention of Cellphone Texting. This means that you need to blow your horn when there is a curve road and this becomes one of the tourist destinations in Batanes.
Honesty Coffee Shop can be found in the Municipality of Ivana. It's an unnamed refreshment store that becomes famous all over the Philippines, (I just don't know if it's also worldwide) this is because of showing like an Ivatan's honesty, according to their quote "This store is too small for dishonest people" because there is no store attendant who will accommodate or assist you, its a self-service cafe and there is a designated coin box where you can place your money you bought from the store. You can serve yourself a coffee or anything, even a calculator or a notepad in the table to tabulate your souvenirs you wanted to buy.
Batanes is not part of my bucket list this year. This is an unplanned trip so most definitely I spent a larger amount than my usual travel.
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