Updated: August 31, 2010
Batanes, the smallest province of the Philippines, lies at the northernmost tip of the country about 190 kilometers south of Taiwan. Out of the 10 islands included in the Batanes group of islands, only 3 are inhabited, Batan, Sabtang and Itbayat. The smaller islets are Dequey, Siayan, Mabudis, Ibuhos, Diogo, North Island, and Y'ami. Because of its cool and windy weather, Batanes is also referred to as the Home of the Winds. It is also the place where the Pacific Ocean meets the South China Sea so the water current is usually rough.
Below is a 3 days and 2 nights stay Tourist Itinerary Guide
to the island of Batanes, the closest place you can get to whisper to God.
Photos courtesy of: Liz Reyes
Getting There
By air: Only Sea Air flies to Batanes on a daily basis.
Note: to see schedules of flights and promos, see Sea Air's websites or call their hotline number.
Sea Air
- Tel no: (02) 849-0100
- Website: http://www.flyseair.com
Things You Need To Know
Accommodation: Before heading to
Batanes, be sure you have booked your res
ervations first to avoid hassles, especially during peak seasons. Lodgings, hotels and resorts are only a few in
Basco so it’s better to spend the day touring or resting instead of looking for a place to stay during your vacation. However, if you are a backpacker and is in for some adventure, you can always ask the locals in the place where to stay and they would gladly assist you.
- Batanes Resort- (+63 78) 533-3444/ (+63 78) 533-3456 (Batanes) and 9272393 (Manila)
- Batanes Seaside Lodge- 09178825609
- Shanedels Inn and Café- 09204470737
- Pension Ivatan
- Ivatan Lodge- ivatanlodge@ yahoo.com
- Fundacion Pacita - 9272902404 (myla.pisig@fundacionpacita.ph)
Meal: Food being served in Lodgings and resorts usually costs a max of 200/head. If you want a quick meal and to save, there is a canteen at the town proper called SDC canteen. It is in front of the Police station and beside the provincial capitol. Meal per head only costs less than a hundred.
Tour: It is best to travel
Batan by foot or through bikes and motorcycles. However, if you are pressed for time, it is better to hire a vehicle and guide to tour you around
Basco. Before going to
Batanes, you can always book in advance your touring with the resort or lodge you are checked in but you can opt to arrange for that once you have arrived in your resort too. However, when touring
Sabtang, one really needs a tour guide so make an arrangement with your hotel. You can try the tour guides below.
- Kuya Nards- 09082994288 and 09153827136
- Kuya Jack- 09993720371
- Kuya Cyril- 09479625585
- Kuya Alberto Jr. - 0908368195
- Kuya Peter- 09264259631 (Sabtang only)
Important Things You Need
- Insect repellent lotions (you’ll never know)
- Sunblock
- Shades
- Camera (leave everything but your money and this one)
Budget
Bring more than enough cash because there are no ATM machines in
Batanes, especially credit cards.
* Good for one person only
- Airfare – Php 11,600 (roundtrip/without promo)
- Accommodation – Php 1,800 (2 nights)
- Food – Php 1000
- Touring – Php 4,250
- Miscellaneous – 385 (bike rental, terminal fee, tourist fee, other fees)
- Pasalubong – Php 1,000
You need to have: Php 20,000/person is the safest budget if one will follow the itinerary below. Please note that prices computed above is based on the maximum price already and is subject to change if you travel in big group and if there’s an airline promo. You can also haggle with the touring in
Sabtang to get it at a cheaper price.
Daily Itinerary
First Day
Travel time from Manila to Basco, Batanes' capital, is 1 hour and 15 minutes so with flights usually in the morning, it is expected for you to reach Basco as early as 7:30AM-8:00AM.
After arriving in your hotel, eat your breakfast and fix your things for the 9:30 a.m. touring. Make sure you have arranged your touring with the hotel’s receptionist few hours before the actual tour. Bring snacks
(you will have a very long trip), lots of H2o, extra money and of course, your camera. Touring
Batan Island will be like circling the whole island so steal the chance to take a picture of the view that amazes you because you will not pass again on that same spot on your way back.
1st stop: Mahatao View Deck
. Mahatao View Deck is a perfect site for picture taking as it offers a great view of the sea. It has many stone benches suitable for resting and picture taking.
2nd stop: San Carlos Borromeo Church. San Carlos Borromeo Church is the first church in
Mahatao that was built during the 19th century. Near the church is the oldest and smallest light house in
Basco. Lamp was being used then to light the said light house which served as a guide for offshore fishermen on their way home. The church is considered as one of the National Cultural Treasures by
NCCA because of its cultural significance and architecture.
3rd Stop: House of Dakay 
. The oldest house in
Batanes is located at
Ivana. The stone house was built in 1887 out of limestones and corals and it was said that this is the only house that survived the strong earthquake that hit the island a few years it was built. The current owner of the ancestral house is Lola Florestida Estrella, an
Ivatan woman in her mid 80’s.
5th stop: Honesty Café
. Few steps from the
San Jose de Ivana Church is the Honesty Cofee Shop. The honesty of the
Ivatans and the people going there are tested because no one mans the store. If you want to buy something, you just have to get it and list down the item/s you bought and drop the payment to a drop box provided by the store owner. Every item has a corresponding tag price so you would know how much each costs. The shop also has coffee cups and hot water thermos for those who wish to buy coffees.
On the way to your next spot, you will be able to pass by several sites that might be of interest to you like the
Ghost town or the Ruins of Songsong and the
abandoned US Coast Guard Station. The town of
Songsong was hit by a tsunami in 1953, the houses were destroyed and the people abandoned this seaside community, thus earning the nickname Ghost Town though there are no casualties from the said disaster. The residents of
Songsong were evacuated to the province of
Mindanao.
If you have watched the movie
Batanes (film), you will be able to pass by the house, where
Iza Calzado lives on the said movie. Just ask your guide and he will gladly point to you the house and you can even have a picture in front of it.
6th stop: Marlboro Country
. The Payaman, also known as Marlboro Country, offers a breathtaking view of farm fields and the
Pacific Ocean. The
Mahatao Lighthouse and
Mt. Iraya can also be seen from Marlboro Country. The hills got its name because it looks so much like the setting of the commercial of the Marlboro Cigarette.
7th stop: Mahatao Lighthouse.
The Mahatao Lighthouse is not that popular as compared to the lighthouse of
Basco but it has its own beauty that attracts the tourist. This octagonal lighthouse is located in the town of
Mahatao, near the Marlboro Country.
8th stop: Lunch Time. You can take your late lunch at SDC canteen at the town of
Basco. Food at SDC canteen are the usual carinderia food but they have lost of breads and cakes for dessert. One meal per person will cost less than a hundred. As an option, you can also head back to your hotel and take your lunch there and have a rest before resuming your tour.
3:30 p.m: Resume Tour
. 3:30 is a perfect time to resume your tour because the sun is not at its hottest already.
9th stop: Tukon Church. The Tukon Church, a project of the
Fundacion Pacita Abad, is relatively new church in the hills of
Tukon. It has life-size paintings of saints in its ceilings, all made by
Ivatan artists who are all scholars of the
Pacita Abad Center for Arts.
10th stop: Radar Tukon
Radar Tukon is a weather station on a hill.
Tukon is an
Ivatan word for hill. It gives you a 360 degrees view of
Batan Island. If you are into photography, doing a panoramic shot of the landscape is a perfect idea.
Pacific Ocean in the East,
South China Sea in the West
Mt. Iraya on the North and rolling hills leading up to
Mt. Matarem in the South. Beside Radar Tukon is the island's
PAGASA station.
11th stop: Fundacion de Pacita Abad
The Fundacion de Pacita Abad is the house of the former Education Secretary’s (Sec. Butch Abad) sister
Pacita Abad, an international painter known for her modern and colorful work of arts. A true blooded
Ivatan,
Pacita studied in the United States and was able to hone her craft by traveling and working in different countries. Right after she passed away, her house on the hill of
Tukon now serves as a gallery where her works are displayed.
12th stop: Valugan Bay. Valugan or east in the local language of the
Ivatan, is where the bay got its name because it is located on the east side of
Batanes. Valugan Bay is a boulder beach perfect for picture taking and resting while watching the waves touch the big rocks. You can even try closing your eyes and hear what the winds has got to say to you.
13th stop: Rolling Hills
The
Rolling Hills in
Batan is also an alternative spot for taking a picture of the sunset. The lush green hills are comparable to the Windows wallpaper except that it doesn't need some photoshop anymore. If you have a scooter, motorcycle or bike, you can actually consider driving it in the hills.
14th stop: Basco Lighthouse
. Located in the Naidi Hills, the
Basco Lighthouse is a favorite spot in taking the sunset. One can actually go up the lighthouse for a more scenic view.
After the sunset, you can ask your guide for a stop over if you want to look for souvenirs along Abad St. But since there are only few stores there that sell souvenirs, it is still better to hunt for them in
Sabtang or at the Basco Airport. Take your dinner at your hotel and make sure that your pre-arranged tour to
Sabtang Island the next day is confirmed, including the service vehicle and the person who will be your tour guide. Get the number of the important people whom you need to be in regular contact with during your stay in
Batanes. You can tell your tour guide in
Sabtang ahead of time that you want your lunch to be in Nakabuang Arch
(this actually where all tourists go for lunch).
Second day
Wake up real early to catch the
Falowa ride to
Sabtang Island. Make sure you ask your service to pick you up before 6:00 a.m to catch the 6:30 trip to
Sabtang Island and that there is a ready guide and service for you once you reached the place.
The 30 minute
Falowa ride to
Sabtang is quite extreme so be ready to secure your personal belongings, especially your cameras and videocams for they might get wet as the water is rough because you will be sailing in the
middle of the
Pacific Ocean and South China Sea.
Upon arrival at
Sabtang, you might want to have a breakfast first at the mini eatery in the port then pay the Php 100.00 per head for the tourism fee at the Municipality of
Sabtang, few steps from the port. The first site that will welcome you to
Sabtang is their very famous lighthouse. It's like a giant marker and host that welcome each and every tourist that visits the island.
95% of the houses in
Sabtang Island are still made out of coral and lime stones. The first town in
Sabtang that you will visit is
Savidug. It has a long row of stone houses situated in a very quiet and friendly community. Your service will drop you off the very first house in
Savidug and will wait for you at the end of the street so you will have plenty of time to check out the houses and take some pictures for souvenirs. If you have watched the movie
Kadin, you will notice a very familiar house along the street where sugarcanes are extracted. It is the house of
Angel Aquino from the said movie and you can also take a picture in the wooden sugarcane extractor.
2nd stop: Savidug Church
.
Savidug Church is the only church in the town of
Savidug. Like the ones in
Basco, it is also a Dominican church. After paying a visit to the church, before your next stop, you will pass by a beach where limestones are being cooked for building
Ivatan house. From the beach you will notice a mountain resembling a woman in slumber, thus earning it the name
“Sleeping Beauty” for the
Ivatans.
3rd stop: Chamantad-Tinyan Sitio Views
This is probably one of the best places in
Sabtang to take pictures. The stunning view of the
Pacific Ocean is a perfect backdrop for every picture. To fully enjoy the view, you need to go down the not so steep mountain and discover the secret paradise hiding behind it.
4th stop: Town of Chavayan
One of the highlights of the tour is your visit to the town of
Chavayan where you will see the community of
Ivatans and actually see them making
Vakuls.
Vakuls are
Ivatan women’s headgear that are used to protect them from rain, wind and sun, it’s counterpart for men are called
Talugong.
Vakuls are made out of Palm dates’ leaves.
Vakul usually costs 400 plus but cheaper depending on its size while
Talugong ranges from 500-800. They also sell a very unique
Ivatan slippers used in fishing which costs Php 150.00 and
Kanayi or vest also made out of Date’s leaves. If you want to take a picture of the elderly
Ivatans and the kids, they are very willing to pose for you so grab the chance to take a souvenir photo with them.
Again, if you have watched
Kadin, the house where Peping lives in the movie, might interest you. Just ask the townsfolk if where’s the house where the movie
Kadin was shot and they will gladly give you the direction. However, since the town of
Chavayan is just small, you will surely spot the house if you roam around the town, including the old church of
Chavayan. Rico Cardona, the one who played Peping, is not from
Sabtang but from
Batan, but the girl who played as her little sister, is the one who lives in
Sabtang.
5th stop: Nakabuang Arc
. As what was mentioned, one needs to have a pre-arranged lunch at Nakabuang arch for you to enjoy the beach, the sceneries and the food at the breathtaking sceneries of Nakabuang beach. Just ask your friendly tour guide where you need to arrange your lunch. The famous Nakabuang Arch is a natural sculptured rock along
Nakabuang Beach, the place is perfect for lunch and swimming because of its great view and white sand.
Below is a sneak peek of the usual meal in Nakabuang Arch that’s worth Php 200-250.
2:00 pm: Leave
Sabtang Island for
Batan. The one who dropped you off
Sabtang Island will also be the one to take you back to
Batan Island. The Php80.00 fare back and forth will be given to the
Falowa pilot once the boat docked in
Batan.
Rest of the day: Upon arrival in the resort, you can rest for about an hour or so and and arrange a bike to hire for you to tour the town of
Basco in the afternoon. That is if you still have enough energy. Start your bicycling at 5:00 p.m. and be sure to bring with you your camera and money if you feel like buying anything. Bike around the town of
Basco and wait for the sunset at Batanes port. After watching the sunset, scout for a place to dine in like
Shanedel's Inn,
Batanes Seaside Lodge and the like.
* Kuya Balong (09152991871) -
Bike rental
Note: If you still have an extra day, you can go to Itbayat Island where the Falowa ride takes 3 hours. Chemtrad also flies from Basco to Itbayat but flight schedule is not regular so you may need several days to wait for Chemtrad’s next flight if you don’t want to brave the Pacific Ocean and South China Sea for 3 long hours.
Third and Last Day
Wake up 5:00 a.m.
(depending on how long it would take you to prepare) because your service will most likely pick you up at 6:00 a.m. for your 7:30 a.m. flight back to
Manila. Check in your baggages, pay the Protected Area fee of Php 15.00 then take one last look at the souvenir shop located at the
Basco Airport before you go inside the terminal.
Manila Bound: If the flight is not delayed, you will reach
Manila before 9:00 a.m. You'd definitely miss
Batanes once the plane has landed at MIA but there's always next time so be sure you save lots of money before you plan on returning to
Batanes, the place where East meets West.
* Also posted in WikiPinas Travel Guide
