Author’s Note: This article uses virtual reality technology to provide an immersive experience. Click the image to view the 360-degree VR. Adobe Flash 10 or higher is required. Average VR size is 1.6Mb.
Most of my companions are puking inside the faluwa boat as we made our way to Sabtang Island that day; it was an overcast sky with a little drizzle as our boat rocked back and forth amidst the towering waves of the South China Sea meet the currents of the Pacific Ocean in the most ‘intense’ experience of the entire trip. Loaded with us on the boat are motorbikes, local produce, live animals consist of chickens and goats as we toke the 45 minutes ride from San Vicente port in Batan. It took a while upon landing to got my composure back, by that time, the weather was changing for the best with the moody landscape transformed into a majestic vista.
The Batanes group of islands is situated some 640km North of Manila, comprising a total of ten islands for which only Batan, Sabtang, and Itbayat are inhabited. Geographically nearer to Taiwan than Manila, Batanes enjoys the four season climate as that of the countries in the northern hemisphere.
The landscape is predominantly rocky with hills and mountains, very few plains, with gazing animals spread out in the rolling terrains. It is not unusual to see cattle perched high above your head mooing in Batanes. Mt. Iraya, now considered being an active volcano, rises 1000 feet above the main island of Batan.
Ivatans, the native people of Batanes are called; share the same linguistic and cultural history as those from the Babuyan Islands in the south and the Tao people of Orchid Island, part of Taiwan in the north.
Being situated in an area of high wind and rapid weather changes, the Ivatan houses are mostly made of stones held together with lime. They can withstand fierce storms as well as occasional tremors.
An often misconception about Batanes is that it is frequented by typhoons as mentioned in most weather reports. The truth being the capital Basco holds the last weather station in the north and is only a reference point for atmospheric disturbances that enters or exits the Philippine area of responsibilities.
Picturesque Batanes is a favorite place of photographic enthusiasts. Among the attractions are the lighthouses (2 in Batan, 1 in Sabtang), heritage churches (San Carlos Borromeo, San Jose Obrero, Sto. Domingo, etc.), beaches (Valugan, Nakabuang, White Beach, etc.), Radar Tukon, Naidi Hills, “Marlboro Country”, the many idyangs or fortified old settlements, Diura fishing village, honesty café, Sumhao wind turbines, the “Spring of Youth”, Chawa viewdeck, WWII Japanese tunnels (Batanes was occupied by Japanese forces from December 1941 to early 1945), Nakamaya (Site of the boat-shaped burial markers of the ancient Ivatans), and many others.
My fondest memory of Batanes was the culinary experience, most especially its seafood. For here you can taste the freshest catch in abundance and savor rice cooked the native way with turmeric, the powder of organic yellow ginger. The lobsters are heavenly as their sour dips melted in your mouth and gave up the sweetness of their meat in a lingering moment of indulgence. But the most delectable of all, the one thing that I failed to taste, is the native coconut crabs – that desire that will keep Batanes on my mind until it is quenched.
PS: The Batanes group of islands was submitted for consideration to the UNESCO World Heritage Center by Arch. Augusto Villalon/PAWB as protected landscapes and seascapes to be inscribed in the World Heritage List in August 15, 1993. Currently, only Seair flies from Manila to Basco and vice versa.
VRs taken on April 2007. Source: wikipedia.org and purocastillejos.com. The author can be reached at: fung@firefly.ph
hi Fung!
your article brought me back to Batanes!!! I have been fortunate to set foot in Batanes years and years ago. we were in Basco for those 3 days that we were there. I was part of the team that administered UPCAT to incoming college freshmen.
i have heard about Sabtang coz some of our examinees told of hiring a small plane coz it was dangerous to travel by sea like you did. i am a lot afraid of waters and your boat ride would have scared the hell out of me!
from whatever little i saw of Batanes, it really made me appreciate how nature has abundantly blessed our country. my favorite part in one of the places we went to was seeing the mountains on your left and the sea on your right. and there was a place where the road seemed to bisect a small hill. it reminded me of one of the scenes in Lord of the Rings.
we also visited honesty cafe but we didn’t buy anything. we were not able to taste the coconut crab which really looked like a violet spider coz they were really expensive.
maganda talaga ang Batanes! kung gusto mo lang ng simpleng buhay or maybe a breather from the hectic citylife, it would be the best place to go.
Hi May, many thanks for your comment. Hope you get to go back one of these days again.
Hi Fung,
Iam so happy to see your page, I accidently browse and it catch my eye (Batanes). I was born in Mahatao and Iam always proud to be a native of Batanes. I’ve been here in Australia since 1985 and I usually go back every three or 4 years. My going back to Batanes is always a mix feelings, a feeling of happiness cos Iam going to visit my family and to see my beloved Batanes, But when time comes for me to go back here, it is a heart breaking, leaving my hometown, Iam very thankful you went to see our dear Batanes, which alot of peoply may not understand how we live and how we feel. I love the simple life there, Yet alot of Batanes people went overseas, we always look for greener pasture.
Upon seing reading your article and look all those beautiful photos you took made me salute you and hope you keep partonising our Batanes.
I wish you the very best of everything you do in life and may God bless you.
Hi Carmen, it warms the heart knowing you appreciate my article. Thank you!
nice of you to feature the sceneries of Batanes. Both my parents are from there but i was born here and have not been to batanes (mahal pamasahe). I have long been wanting to see the province. Maybe someday, but for the meantime, i’ll just enjoy your site. Thanks to you.
very informative article and great pictures too! may i know of any road alternative to get to sabtang island from basco? i do get seasick so im not looking forward to the 45-minute boat trip. what are the good things to see in sabtang? my family and i are going to batanes soon for a short holiday. thank you and God bless.
nice blog
Thanks for considering batanes…