Batanes : North Batan Getaway

Batanes has always been my dream destination. Well, I bet it is everyone’s dream destination, too.  For me, the dream has finally come true!  My husband finally agreed for my trip!  I booked my flight right away via Skyjet Airways.  I always have this date on my mind.  I want to celebrate my birthday there. And I want it to be a weeklong stay.  Oh, I just could not contain my excitement!  For the past 13 years, most of my travels are with my husband and with our two boys. "This is it, Inday! May bakasyon ka na!" My mind screams as I made my airline booking! Nanginginig pa! Hahaha

When two of my friends found out that my Batanes trip is set on March 14-21, they did not hesitate to come with me.  I booked their flights with glee!  This is going to be an epic adventure with my girls!  Joan is a busy online seller, will be also be travelling for the first time without her husband and kids. Grace, who is single but busy to mingle, is an overworked events' organizer for companies.  This vacation is definitely for us! 

With only less than 3 weeks of preparation, I went totally crazy booking our accommodations since this is already a peak season.  Of course, not everything went smoothly.  I had a hard time making calls and e-mails from different resorts, lodges & inns.

But to make the story short... here is the itinerary I made. And my 8-day ultimate adventure begins as my "Life begins".

Day1

Our flight was via Skyjet Airways, departed at 6:00AM and arrived at 7:15AM. Skyjet Airways flies only once a day, same with Philippine Airlines.  Wakay Air, the new airline that flies to Basco, had their first flight last March 29. This gives a chance for more tourists to see the breathtaking soil of Batanes. 


It was a gloomy morning as we land with slight rains showers.  I expected this kind of weather since I checked the weather forecast the night before our departure. We will have to wait for Mr. Sun to peek and greet us in the afternoon.

We were greeted with a sign board by Amboy’s Hometel staff since their accommodation rate includes round trip transfers.  Amboy’s Hometel which is located along the National Highway is approximately 5 minutes from the airport, and gives a good sea view.  They have a restaurant, a souvenir shop & bikes for rent, too.  But their mountain bikes are not made of alloy so it is quite heavy.  I would recommend mountain bikes made of alloy if you want to explore Batanes by biking.

It will be our home for four days.  We got a triple sharing room for P3,000/night that also includes breakfast.  They provide towels and  complete toiletries  per person. They also clean  the  room  &  replenishes  the toiletries everyday. They do not have a laundry service but you can let your wet clothes hung at the back of their restaurant.   Upon arrival,  we were  offered to have our breakfast.  We had coffee & tapsilog (tapa, sinangag & itlog) with sweet potato sticks.  It was the best sweet potato we ever tasted! Since our tour will start at 12:00 noon, there's ample time to take a nap and get energized. 

We had our welcome lunch at Vunong Dinette. They served traditional Ivatan cuisine in set meals.  The turmeric or yellow rice, fried flying fish, pork lunis or deep fried lightly salted pork, uved balls or meatballs with grated banana pith and bistek tagalong, are all wrapped in breadfruit leaf.  They also served beef nilaga and tamidok salad or fresh young fern topped with tomatoes.  And of course, the yummy glazed sweet potato. Yummy!

At 2:00PM, we started our North Batan Tour. We were ten in the van with four groups of tourists.  Our first stop was at Mt. Carmel Chapel,   also known as Tukon Chapel. “Tukon” means mountain in Ivatan.  It is situated on a hill and was built by the Abad Family & nearby communities so they will not go far to hear mass.   Its design was based on the traditional Ivatan houses and paintings were done by well-skilled Ivatanan artists. This chapel is perfect for couples who want a romantic and intimate wedding.Just a short walk from the chapel is the PAGASA Weather Station, also known as Tukon Weather Station.  It was a lighthouse before the Americans used it as weather station.  The view was just breathtaking.  The seascape of the West Philippine Sea & the Pacific Ocean is perfect background for our selfies and groupies.Our next stop was at Idjang Didawud.  It is an ancient Ivatan fortress where it served as a look-out point to protect them from invaders.  This area is not accessible to tourists. Next stop was at Dipnaysuhuan Japanese Tunnel.  The Japanese soldiers ordered the Ivatans to make this tunnel.  It was made through their sweat & blood.  It has five chambers, a bunker and a water reservoir.  You will need your mobile phone’s flashlight for it is very dark inside.The Valugan Boulder Beach has no sand, only boulders which were spewed by the nearby volcano, Mt.Iraya. This is the perfect viewing spot for the sunrise for it resides in the east. The Cathedral of Basco is also known as the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.  It was the oldest church in Batanes built by the Dominican missionaries.  August 8 is the feast day of  Sto. Domingo De Guzman, their patron saint.  If you want to witness their town fiesta, try booking at this date.

Oh, Batanes! You always take our breaths away especially with your Vayang Rolling Hills.  The green grass and the deep blue sea are the sights to behold.  Get your grip!  The wind at this hill is so strong.  Keep your balance or else you will know why it is called Rolling Hills.

Basco Lighthouse is located at Naidi Hills.  The green hills and open sea is a nice backdrop for the lighthouse.  The place can be easily reached by 1.2-km. hike from Basco Port.  It is the perfect location to view the whole Batan Island. The Sabtang Island in the South, the Itbayat Island to the North and Mt. Iraya is definitely a total package. There is a small souvenir shop inside the lighthouse where you can buy hats, magnets, keychains, t-shirts, etc. 

The Bunker’s Cafe was the area where the American telegraph facilities are located.  Unfortunately, Bunker’s Cafe is now closed for business.

The Tour ended at around 6:00 PM.  Unfortunately, Mr. Sun just glanced at us that afternoon.  It rained that whole evening. For our first dinner, we reserved at Pension Ivatan.  We have to try their famous Ivatan Platter.  Unfortunately, coconut crabs & lobsters were not available.  We end up ordering their Batanes Flavor, a platter of Inihaw na Liempo, Inihaw na Pusit, Beef Tapa, Kinilaw na Isda, & the sweet potato sticks.  We also tried their Sinigang na Sugpo. Happy Tummy!

Please take note that you should call their BATODA for tricycle services.

  You should make reservations at restaurants.  

Some do not allow walk-ins. 

Globe signal is very weak in Batanes.  

Smart sim card is highly recommended.

And let’s call it a Day!  
Dios Mamajes, Batanes!     

Day2 

Rise & Shine! Uh-ooh... Weather was not cooperative.  

We had a gloomy sky and strong waves.  We cancelled our Sabtang Tour and re-scheduled it.  My girls were not feeling well.  It was an advantage that “my schedule” had passed.   I had no worries because sanitary napkins are bulky to bring.  We had the morning snuggling our blankets and getting enough rest for we did not have enough sleep because of the early flight.

Since grumpiness sets in that day, we had all meals at Amboy’s. Their Kare-Kare and Beef Steak were good.  But you should definitely try their Grilled Marlin. We also tried their sweet potato cookies.

We had early snacks at Cafe deTukon and met up our supposedly tour group, who had been to Sabtang.  They were also there for snacks. They look so tired.  They said the waves were big that some of them got dizzy and nauseous.  Hoping to have a nice weather by Thursday for our Sabtang Overnight Tour. 

At Cafe de Tukon, we ordered their best-selling pizza & ice teas.  And made our lunch reservation for my BIG day.

After snacks, we went to Basco town proper to look for bike rentals. Since the weather was not so good yesterday, we want to go back to the Lighthouse with our bikes.  We end up at Mataw Bicycle & Souvenir Shop, just beside DDD Habitat Lodge.  Their mountain bikes are P75 per hour while Japan bikes are P50 per hour.  It was a good weather for biking and so we went rolling to the plaza, cathedral, and the lighthouse.  It was Awesome to have the lighthouse all to ourselves.  We explored even the back area of the Naidi Hill Complex.  We missed to see it yesterday since we are conscious of our time because we are in a joined group. So glad we came back!

Back to Amboy’s Hometel at 7:30 PM.  It is going to be a looong day for the South Batan Tour.

Here is a list of establishments you may want or need to contact for the North Batan Tour.

Establishment: Amboy’s Hometel

Contact Person : Ms. Glaiza Galat

Contact Number : 09396438982

E-mail address : amboy_hometel@yahoo.com

Establishment: Bisumi Tours & Services

Contact Person : Mr. Lex Akani

Contact Number : 09192795963

E-mail address :  ryan.batanes@gmail.com

Establishment: Pension Ivatan

Contact Number : 09088659675

E-mail address : pensionivatan@yahoo.com

Establishment: Cafe de Tukon

Contact Number : 09399016353

E-mail address : fundacionpacita50@gmail.com

Establishment: Mataw Bicycle & Souvenir Shop

Contact Number : 09999436137

Hotlines:

BATODA - 09297038404

Basco Police Station - 09391987887

Batanes General Hospital - 09999907567

Please watch out for my next blog for the details and itinerary on our South Batan Tour.