Batanes

posted on Sunday, June 9, 2019

Batanes has long been in our travel bucket list and there was no better time to explore the island than on our daughter, Xandy’s 8th birthday. We were able to book a round trip Philippine Airlines flight to Basco via Clark worth P7,000, for the week of May 28, 2019. We also invited Ling’s sister and brother-in-law, Tina and Sid, along with their daughter, Dabs. We usually go hiking together and after our El Nido and San Vicente, Palawan trip last 2014, this was technically our 2nd out of town trip. Quite a special reunion at that because we were also bringing our kids along.

We checked out several hotel options in Basco, preferably near the beach. But since we were going during the summer (considered peak season), most accommodation were fully booked. So we ended up staying at Villa Hontomin, which was also Ling and my self’s top choice. The family room rate (good for 6 pax) is pegged at P5,000 per night, inclusive of round trip airport transfer and complimentary breakfast. The beachfront view and easy access to the beach clinched the deal for us. The birthday celebrant loves swimming by the way, so we know she’ll love the place.

Our first day in Basco was spent swimming. The underwater visibility was beyond majestic leaving Ling and me wonder why we didn’t book any dives during the trip. =S Seeing the kiddos, however, enjoy the view, the beach and our chill time going around the town proper was more than enough. In going around Basco, you can hire tricycles through the BATODA (Basco Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association) hotline: 0929-703-8404. Their fixed fare within the town area is P60.

We scheduled our Sabtang tour on the second day. We were at the San Vicente Port as early as 6 am. There are 3 boat operators going to Sabtang and we opted to go with M/B Aljolyner, which departed at 7 am. You can text this number to reserve slots: 0928-244-5475. Boat ticket and terminal fee is P120 per pax. It took us around 30-45 minutes to reach Sabtang. We didn’t book our tour with any travel agency so we just contracted a cogon tricycle upon our arrival in the port. Our Sabtang tour with Kuya Edwin Hubalde costs P1000/tricycle, exclusive of the P200/pax environmental fee. You can contact him at this number: 0918-369-4083. Kuya Edwin is the pioneer cogon tricycle designer in Batanes. He designed his tric way back 2006. We were able to visit Morong Beach-Chavayan Community-Chamantad-Tiñan Viewpoint-Savidug Community-Savidug Idjang (Fortress). By request, the kiddos were able to swim in the beach near Savidug Community and we were able to eat in a local eatery. The usual lunch meal booked with a travel agency costs P300-P350/pax so we asked Kuya Edwin to bring us somewhere more affordable and with a variety of local dishes to choose from.

We scheduled the North tour with BATODA on Xandy’s 8th birthday. Our 8-yo is a long-time fan of Pacita Abad. In fact, as young as when she was 4-yo, she has made artworks inspired by her favorite artist. As a celebration of our kiddo’s art, I printed some of her Pacita Abad-inspired artworks on our family’s shirts during the trip. Xandy couldn’t contain her excitement upon our arrival in Fundacion Pacita, Abad’s home studio turned bed and breakfast. The delight in our daughter’s eyes seeing Pacita’s artworks one after another was simply priceless. I brought her art notebook and colored pens for this moment...and so, the birthday celebrant had her time sketching in Pacita’s home studio. Aside from Fundacion Pacita, we were also able to go to Vayang Rolling Hills-Basco Lighthouse-Chanpan/Valugan Boulder Beach-Dipnaysuhuan Japanese Tunnel-Didawud Idjang (Fortress)-Pagasa Radar Station-Mt. Carmel Chapel. The BATODA North tour is pegged at P1,500/tricycle. You also have to pay the P350/pax environmental fee.

We saved the best tour of the South for last. Instead of booking with BATODA, we booked our tour with Dale Veracruz (0929-341-0941), as we wanted to do it in style riding cogon tricycles. The South tour usually costs P1,500/tricycle but we paid more because the weather didn’t cooperate when we went to the Marlboro Country of Rakuh a Payaman; after going around the Chawa Viewdeck-Boat Shelter Port-Homoron Blue Lagoon-Maydangeb White Beach-Spanish Bridge-House of Dakay-Honesty Coffee Shop. Thankfully, after eating in a local eatery in Basco town proper (again, we didn’t avail of the P300-P350/pax lunch meal), the rain stopped and the sky cleared. On our return, the endless Marlboro rolling Hills literally took our breath away. It was just the perfect backdrop to end our Batanes escapade. It may have cost us an additional P500 but it was all sooo worth it.