The weather in Batanes is pretty hard to predict, owing largely to its remote location. It can be raining pretty heavily in Manila, but it’d be bright and sunny in Batanes. The typhoon that was ravaging the rest of the country that weekend was already on its way out when it entered the Philippine area of responsibility for the second time. It was too far to affect Batanes with heavy rains, but it still made an impact with the strong winds that blew through the town.
So what do you do when your vacation get rained in Batanes? You stay put and relax. Of course, you can try your luck to sightsee, but what’s the fun in doing that amidst the rain and the wind? And that’s how we spent the rest of Day 2 and the whole of Day 3 in Batanes. We caught up on sleep, and really rested — something we don’t really do when we go on our weekend jaunts. It was a refreshing change, and judging by the way everybody is snoring, it seems it was exactly what we needed.
The great thing about the rain and the drop in temperature though was that I was able to test how my Waypoint Softshell Jacket fared in the pouring rain. The wind was too strong, that I didn’t bother using my folding umbrella (it would just be a waste of a perfectly good brolly), so I settled to walking around the streets of Basco wearing my Columbia jacket to keep my upper body dry. My legs were another story though, and my shorts were soaked through. Luckily, it was my Clearlake Convertible Pants that I was wearing, so it wasn’t heavy even when wet and it dried quickly, thanks to the Omni-Dry technology.
We might have been rained out in Batanes, but thanks to it, we were able to enjoy the simple pleasures in life: great home cooked meals (courtesy of Melo and yours truly), sleeping in, running around in the rain, junk food, Cloud 9 and Big Bang chocolates.
My Columbia gear was given to me for the Mt. Daguldol hike. Since then, I have been wearing them whenever I travel (sometimes even when I just want to dress down). Now you too can give the gift of adventure! Log on to www.columbiaadventure.com, send out three postcards of either the Palawan Hornbill or the scenic Mayoyao. Doing so would help in educating the local Palawan and Mayoyao guides in the science of outdoor adventure and gearing up in Columbia Sportswear. As an added treat, you also get to bring home limited exclusive items from Columbia Sportswear.
]]>The streets of Batan island were dark, specially in areas where there aren’t any houses. Road improvement were ongoing, and the roadworks were marked by lanterns strewn along the cordons that line the pavement. Soon we were rewarded with a gorgeous pink sky that marks the start of a new day. This beautiful sunrise raised our spirits, taking it as a sign that we’re going to have another sunny day in Batanes.
The road to Savidug
We waited at the jetty, warily eyeing this small faluwa boat that will take us to Sabtang. It’s lower than the other boats I’ve ridden, and unlike outrigger boats, this one does not have
bamboo poles on the side to help it keep its balance. Because the waters between Batan and Sabtang are very rough (it’s where the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea meet), the faluwa is constructed in such a way that it will ride the waves, rather than go against it. The boatman arrived and he went onboard to prepare the small boat for sailing. More people arrived and soon enough, we set sail for Sabtang. The sea was still fairly calm early in the morning. I felt some dread as I look out across the sea towards Sabtang — the boat was rocking in a way I’m not used to, and it looks like there’s rain coming our way. Luckily, it was just a slight drizzle, and it passed us quickly enough, but it did not help ease my queasy stomach.
Stone house in Savidug
I heaved a huge sigh of relief as we docked into Sabtang. Due to the pounding surf, disembarking from the faluwa is a rather clumsy (and scary) affair. Thanks to my urgent need to find a rest room, I was able to jump out of the boat in one try and I quickly trotted off to the toilet and said goodbye to my breakfast. Relieved of my seasickness, I was back in high spirits and looked forward to the day’s exploration of Sabtang island.
Chavayan
We rented a jeep for Php 1,500 for a half day tour. We drove to several communities, including the towns of Savidug and Chavayan. Sabtang towns are small, and far in between. Stone houses line the strip of national highway that goes through the town. As we go down to take pictures, we were just given a cursory glance by the residents already used to tourists flocking to their town and taking pictures of everything they set eyes on. The Ivatans are very accommodating, and we feel their warm welcome as they greet us good morning as we walk around, even stopping to chat with us.
After the two stops in Savidug and Chavayan, we headed back to San Vicente for lunch. Stopping briefly to pick up our picnic lunch at RCJ’s Food Hut, we proceeded to the Nakanmuan Arc. It’s under this beautiful natural arc that we had our lunch, right on the beautiful white sand beach of Sabtang. For only Php 250, we dined on Coconut crab locally known as Tatus, fried fish in sweet sauce, steamed sigarillas and rice, accompanied by fresh buko juice. Spectacular views, delectable food and great company, what more can you ask for? This is easily the best value meals I’ve ever had this year.
Sunday morning with the Chavayans
Shortly after lunch, we raced back to San Vicente, to catch the boat back to Batan. Unless you’re staying overnight in Sabtang, tours around the island are limited only in the mornings. Due to the rising tide in the afternoon, there are no boats going to and from the island late in the afternoon. We missed the 12:30 boat back to Batan island, but luckily, there was another one leaving at 1:30. Unfortunately, by this time, it started to drizzle and the waves and the wind has picked up. We were lucky Dino brought a couple of Sea to Summit Dry Sacks that kept our cameras dry.
Thanks with the heady smell of gasoline inside the faluwa and the rocking of the boat, there was an impromptu fish feeding session, courtesy of Marc and I. This trip to Batanes is gathering up a number of most memorable moments, and this particular boat ride is yet another one. I have experience a worse crossing in between Batangas and Puerto Galera in the middle of a storm, but I was able to keep my breakfast that time. Thanks to this faluwa boat experience, I’m not looking forward to go on another boat ride anytime soon.
Nakanmuan Arc
Everybody was relieved when the Ivana port came into view. Disembarking is another tricky maneuver, but similar to what happened in Sabtang, our desire to get out of that darned boat propelled us to get out quickly. There was a jeep waiting for passengers, and we hopped on, eager to go back to Novita house to change out of our wet clothes and rest. We were glad we left Sabtang when we did, because as soon as the jeep pulled out of the port, the rain poured.
Plans for more sight seeing that afternoon was scrapped, as we were too exhausted (and sick) to be going anywhere. Plus, the rain was such a party poop. Nevertheless, it gave us the perfect excuse to take it easy and relax.
Did you know that you can fly to Batanes for as low as Php 5,800+? That’s right, with Seair’s FlySaver fares, one-way fares go as low as Php 35! That’s excluding taxes, of course. Book now, so you can have your own Sabtang adventure!
Sea to Summit products are available at the Recreational Outdoor Exchange (R.O.X.) store in Bonifacio High Street, Global City, Taguig.
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What I love about early morning flights is the traffic-less EDSA. Living in the north, travel time to the airport during rush hour can be terribly time consuming — it can take from one to two hours to get from my house in Quezon City to one of the airports in Parañaque City. Before the traffic starts, travel time can be cut to almost 30 minutes.
Using the old domestic terminal can usually be an ordeal: it’s too small, too cramped and too many people are using it. Thanks to the opening of the new NAIA Terminal 3, the number of passengers using the old domestic terminal has significantly gone down. Now, only two commercial airlines use the old terminal, one of which is Seair.
The pre-departure lounge was almost empty — a world of difference from the last time we used the terminal last June, when it was packed to the seams. We sat down, chatting amongst ourselves to pass the time while waiting for the flight to be called. The clock ticked past 5:50 am, and still no call. Soon enough, there was an announcement: flight DG601 bound for Basco was delayed. We were dismayed, but the announcement didn’t really come as a shock; for days we’ve been monitoring the weather in Batanes, and it was anything but sunny. We thought of possible places we can go instead, if flying to Basco wasn’t feasible. Melo wasn’t hearing any of it, and went to inquire among the ground staff. It seems the flight was only delayed because the airport office in Basco only opens at 6 o’clock in the morning. The people in Manila have to confer with its Basco counterparts before allowing the plane to fly.
My first views of Batanes and our landing at the Basco airport
Soon enough Seair flight DG601 was called — but for Boracay! It was an honest mistake on the part of the announcer, but it was indeed for the flight to Basco, Batanes. Within minutes we were onboard the Dornier 328 plane. It was my first time to fly north, and it was interesting to see how different the view from the plane was from all the flights I’ve taken going south. After reading through two Inflight magazines, the fasten seatbelt sign flashed — we are on the final descent to Basco. I eagerly looked out the window to see mountainous islands, the green stretching as far as the eye can see. I can see small roads hugging the sides of the mountain, small communities, and even smaller patches of beaches. We’re in Batanes!
Welcome to Batanes, where Jesus is Lord!
A huge thanks goes out Seair, who provided our transport to Batanes. A shout out also goes out for Mr. Patrick, Seair’s VP for Marketing, and his assistant, Leo for making this possible. Thanks guys!
]]>| Batanes | |||
| November 2008 | |||
| Cost | Per Person | ||
| Air Transfers | |||
| Seair | PHP 0.00 | PHP 0.00 | 1 |
| Manila Domestic Terminal Fee | Php 200.00 | PHP 200.00 | |
| Basco Terminal Fee | PHP 20.00 | PHP 20.00 | |
| Airport Transfers | |||
| Manila (Two way) | PHP 520.00 | PHP 520.00 | 2 |
| Accommodation | |||
| Novita House | |||
| Php 1,500 per night | PHP 4,500.00 | PHP 643.00 | 3 |
| Transportation Expenses | |||
| Multi-cab/Jeep Rentals | PHP 3,100.00 | PHP 443.00 | 4 |
| Jeepney fares | PHP 50.00 | PHP 50.00 | |
| Boat to and from Sabtang | PHP 100.00 | PHP 100.00 | |
| Food Expenses | |||
| Batan Lunch | PHP 150.00 | PHP 150.00 | 5 |
| Sabtang Lunch | PHP 250.00 | PHP 250.00 | 6 |
| House meals | PHP 3,362.00 | PHP 523.00 | 7 |
| Water | PHP 50.00 | PHP 7.00 | |
| Miscellaneous | |||
| Environmental Fees | PHP 65.00 | PHP 65.00 | 8 |
| Tip for the housekeeper | PHP 200.00 | PHP 28.50 | 9 |
| Internet | PHP 20.00 | PHP 20.00 | |
| Souvenirs | PHP 100.00 | PHP 100.00 | |
| Total | Php 3,119.50 | ||
| 1 Thank you Seair! | |||
| 2 Expensive because I was feeling VERY generous on the ride to the airport in Manila. No transfer costs in Basco, since the house was within walking distance from the airport. | |||
| 3 This is a one-bedroom house with three double beds and several mattresses available. This is a great value for big groups, since there’s a good kitchen complete with utensils and cutlery. | |||
| 4 This is the easiest way to get around Batan and Sabtang island. Jeepneys doesn’t come by too often, and most of the attractions are off the main highway. | |||
| 5 This lunch was had somewhere around Batan. The owner of the house accept food orders, and lunch was had on this deck with a great view of the sea | |||
| 6 For only Php 250, we had a great lunch with delicious coconut crabs on the most beautiful locations: the beach in Sabtang. | |||
| 7 Most of our meals were had in the house, and since we have a kitchen, we just cooked our breakfast, lunch and dinner. | |||
| 8 There’s a fee collected upon arrival (Php 50) and on departure (Php 15) | |||
| 9 The housekeeper of Novita house was the best! She helped us arrange for our tours around Batan and Sabtang, our lunch during our day tours and she cleans up the house every morning. | |||
Download:
Batanes 2008.xls (Microsoft Excel File) – 82K
Batanes 2008.pdf (Adobe Portable Document File) – 66K
It’s too far up north, that it’s closer to Taiwan than it is to Manila. Getting there is not easy, and from what I hear, getting out of there is harder still. I’ve heard of people traveling there and getting stuck, because the plane can’t land due to the weather. The seas around Batanes are also quite turbulent, for it’s where the Pacific meets the South China Sea. So that means rough waters when crossing over to Sabtang island.
The airfare alone is enough to discourage travelers from going to Batanes. Upwards Php 10,000, some people would rather opt to spend this amount on a weekend jaunt somewhere else in the country or spend it on a round trip ticket to our Southeast Asian neighbors.
But it’s because of this isolation that makes Batanes appealing. This means the landscape is pretty much untouched, and the culture closer to its roots. I’ve heard nothing but praise for the beauty of this island, and for the simplicity and honesty of its people, and I want to experience it for myself.
And that is why I want to go to Batanes. Why would YOU want to go there?
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