Indeed, Batanes is one of the best
places to tour around in the Philippines. Basco which is one of which 3
Islands of Batanes has some of the greatest nature landscapes, beaches,
lighthouses and the amazing kindness of its people.
Lucky enough I was able to experience its
magnificent view in real life before we were hit by the Pandemic today. I am so
grateful for such an amazing time although for sure that time isn’t really enough
to explore all of its hidden beauties and breathtaking scenic spots. Let me
share with you some of the things you should anticipate in visiting this
Island.
PLANNING
Planning
makes every travel be as smooth as possible. From every little detail of booking
your plane ticket, your itineraries, how many and what things from your closet to
pack, the accommodation, and of course your budget during your entire stay.
PLANE TICKET
Let’s start by booking your flight. Batanes
is one of the places in this country where not most commercial planes are
available making the plane tickets a little pricey. Hopefully, this Pandemic
will end soon but for now, I suggest you start checking available trips going to
Batanes. They usually are the cheapest when you are far from your travel dates and
hey! always search incognito from your browser or delete
cache on your mobile apps. This allows your search to be a new search every time and makes you anonymous on how frequent you are checking a particular
flight- Business Marketing Strategy.
FEAR OF GETTING STRANDED
Batanes is not only famous for its amazing
picturesque landscapes. It is also known for stories of travelers getting
stranded- more often. Well, I think it's true. I experienced it myself
and in any case, there was no storm advisory or severe weather condition. The
day of our flight back to Manila was a very hot and sunny day, literally. But our
scheduled flight was still canceled. One of the common reasons is because of
the wind- you know when they tell you that Parachute needs to fly only when the wind is at a considerable speed or strength? Not an expert on details of this
but it is comparable to that. So for the next 5 days, we had no choice but to go
back to stay in our hotel.
TRAVEL TIME
Regardless of the canceled flight, it was
still an overall pleasant experience. Actually if not due to the Pandemic hitting
us last March we could have been again in this majestic place particularly in
Itbayat. Itbayat is among the three Islands- Basco and Sabtang.
Itbayat requires longer travel hours though and being on a limited schedule we decided
to visit only the two Islands which is by the way ideal for starters or first-time visitors of Batanes.
ACCOMMODATION and INTERNET CONNECTION
Having to stay for 5 more days in The island means getting out of your budget. Good thing there is an ATM near
our hotel and I must share how hospitable was our host too. Despite a funny and
I would say a pretty stupid accident I had from the ATV. I did not feel like
this place failed me. The place and the people make a lot of difference in
making an experience so memorable. Although it’s pretty laid back but no
worries because internet speed is pretty considerable as well. So you can update
your friends and families back home through your Social Media instantaneously.
No worries for those who can’t stand a day living without the internet like me.
I was even able to find rare Pokemons here and own a gym.
BASCO
We stayed at Vatan Inn in Basco for
this entire vacation and the Airline covered the next 5-day extension when our
flight got canceled. The place is fair enough considering that it was tied up
with all the packages from our itineraries- Tour Guides, Food,
Transportation with a driver who is also a friendly Photographer. Our
host and his friends were also very kind enough to offer us some of their best
cuisines for free. And the food experience during this entire trip isn’t a
bad thing. As mentioned, this is included in the package and I’ll say “Hindi Tinipid”. It started to feel more like a visit to your
relative- pun intended! Our constant afternoon conversations where they
shared with us pretty heroic stories, urban legends, and other tourist
experiences. I can’t complain, this simple place is an extra from your pocket
you’ll definitely take with you when you go back home.
SABTANG
We stayed for one night as well in Sabtang.
Again, all these are included in our package so it was pre-arranged from the
boat rent getting there including the same- Tour Guide, Food and Transportation
in touring around the Island. We were the only guest in this entire house-
the whole house is literally ours during our stay.
THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE
Obviously, one great reason to visit Batanes
is the iconic mountain ranges, stone houses, the Basco Lighthouse, and the long
trip on the road enjoying feel-good music. To me, it’s a place in the country
where nature blooms in natural beauty- no skyscrapers, no pollution
both wind, and noise around. Batanes is a place where you can feel so close
to the sky at night. Stargazing and Astrophotography
in Batanes are 5 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall, Batanes is an experience I want
not only to re-live the memory but to try it over again without the petty
accident and being stranded. Hopefully soon when the Pandemic ends. In the
meantime, let me share with you this video of my Batanes escapade. I was
able to finally edit it after it was long overdue because of my tight schedules. And quite frankly I was expecting that Itbayat will be
included in this video this year until Pandemic struck the world. Hopeful
still, we should get through this and get used to living with our new normal and
continue to fulfill our travel bucket list.
