A journey to Itbayat Batanes
Since our last visit to Batanes 15 months ago, I always hear the place “Itbayat”. It is the furthest inhabited island north of the Philippines! Yup, not Aparri nor Babuyan Island.
From the main island of Batan (Basco), it’s a 2hr boat ride. It may sound 2hrs short, but it has been the longest and roughest 2hr boat ride of my life so far! I only manage to capture the start were it started to get wild, been puking allover and had to set aside the gopro!
To our former Guides who became our family in Batanes, Kuya Lito of Basco 09182167440, Kuya Jun of Sabtang 09098770155. Sa bagong friend na si kuya Jover of Vatan Inn 09985519656 at kuya Jojo of Itbayat 09206603801... thank you! Guys if you want to experience Batanes the Local style contact them, sadly (for me) Batanes now are becoming a tour operated destination far from what we experience 15 months ago. Dont Haggle with the guide's rate, they have standard fees. You might see cheap packages but (i think) portion of the fees goes to tour operators.
Original Itinerary was an overnight stay at Itbayat & Sabtang but due to weather condition on Day2 we decided to try our luck on the 3rd day and opted to do a Sabtang Day trip.
Day1:
6am - ETD Manila via Skyjet (Travel fair tickets last 2016)
7am - ETA Basco,
8am - checked in at Vatan Inn @ 400/night with Bfast, Rented a motor cycle in front of Vatan for P130/hr (gas included which by the way cost P57/liter) went to Tukon Church, Valugan Boulder beach and ate at Octagon.
12nn - Siesta
3pm - Rented a motorcycle at Petron gas station @ 120/hr (gas included) and went to Chapidan boulder beach, Rolling hills and Basco light house
7pm - Dinner at Beehan
Day2
5am - Early to rise just to found out coast guard cancelled all Itbayat trips due to weather condition
7am - ETA Ivana port last morning trip to Sabtang, fare is P100/ea (tricycle to Ivana P220)
7:30am - ETA Sabtang, went to Kuya Jun to borrow his motorcycle and went to Morong beach, View deck, Sabidug, Chamantad and Sinakan. Ate Lobster for lunch!
1pm - ETD to Basco
1:30pm - took a jeep ivatan to basco P27/ea, took a rest till dawn
5pm rented a bike for P25/hr and went to Basco port met some kids and hiked a hill to the Basco light house
7pm - dinner at Beehan again
Day3 - Itbayat pushed thru
6am - ETD Basco port via Veronica 2 @ P400/ec, took 1 bonamin! puked 15x combined haha
8:30 - ETA Itbayat after some puking and head banging ride
9am checked in at Nanay Cano's lodge at P300/night each (nanay Cano featured in I-witness way back in 2012)
10am Tour! Registered at the municipal hall and a Brgy Hall and went to Torongan cliff and cave, saw the boat shape burial of ancient tribes, did a post nup shoot. Passed by a Village, an old PAGASA weather station and the Itbayat airport runway. Also went to a cliff that a forgot the name, hiked through jagged rocks that leads to a big lagoon with an arc, that continued to Chinapoliran port and another port with atleast 45 degrees of road with a small lagoon on the side and to end the day a sunset at mt. Karoboban viewdeck.
7pm - ate dinner at a coop (i think) for P250/ea.
8pm - lights out for tomorrows early hike
Day4:
2am - Woke up early to shoot the milkyway to see a sky full of clouds
3:30 - hopped on a motorcycle and went to Rapang cliff
4am - started the hike
5:30am - after a 30min hike, skies started to lit but no sun showed up. Walked around Rapang cliff, ding the large stone bell, crawl to the knife edge cliff. Passed by the large cliff were part of if eroded.
10am - time to say goodbye, took the much larger boat Itranza same fare, but this time 2 bonamins calm sea and no puking happened. haha (clam means it's still rough but we did not puked)
12nn - ETA Basco port and slept till
5pm - lunch at Beehan!!!
5:30 - slept till the next day, still feel dizzy at that time till we came back to manila
Day5
7am - rented a motor cycle at Petron and did a 52km around Batan mostly on the south side. went to the oldest house in Batanes. Passed by parade of inter barangay and Alapad rock formation. swam in Racuidi or fountain of youth, ate lunch at marlboro country c/o Macel's ninang! thank you! took a nap at Tayid light house and ate Merienda at the cozy Fundacion Pacita. Entered the main hotel lobby that will cost you around 10-15k a night to found out that it was of limits! haha took a 360 on top of the Japanese Tunnel
7pm - dinner at Beehan!!!!
Day6 - early flight to Manila and back to work at 11pm
Special thanks to Aloha for the wide lens, Macel for the hearty meal in Marlboro country, Kuya Lito of Basco, Kuya Jun and family for the warm welcome, the lobsters and congratulations to your wife for the masters degree which by the way is a teacher in Sabtang, kuya Jojo of Itbayat, Kuya Jover of Vatan Inn and to my wife Casey.... (bababa na lang ng banka sumusuka pa! hehehe)
The best of Batanes (Sabtang, Basco, Itbayat) by Angel Co #lakwatserAnghel
Itinerary:
Day 01
Arrival (0600-0715)
8:00-9:00 Rest time upon arrival
9:00-10:00 Breakfast at Pension Ivatan and walk to the plaza
10:00-12:30 Rest time/sleep
12:30-6:30 North batan tour
• Lunch at Octagon
• Welcome to Basco arc
• Mt. Carmel Church
• Pag-asa weather station
• View point of fundacion pacita
• Fundacion pacita
• Dipnaysuhwan Japanese tunnel
• Basco rolling hills
• Valugan Boulder beach/Chanpan
• Sto. Domingo church
• Basco lighthouse at Naidi hills (Sunset)
• Casa Real: provincial capitol
7:00 Dinner at Pension Ivatan
8:00 Rest time
Day 02
5:30am call time off to port of Ivana for sabtang tour
6:45-7:20 Basco to sabtang
7:20 Port of Sabtang
7:30 to 12nn sabtang tour
• Conscience café and souvenirs
• San Vicente ferrer parish
• Brgy.. Sinakan (add'l)
• Chavayan village
• Sabtang weaver's association
• Brgy nakanmuan(add'l)
• Morong beach(Lunch)
• Chamantad Cove and Tinyan Viewpoit
• Savidug village
12:30-1:00 sabtang to Basco
1:00 - 5:30 south batan tour
• Ivana
○ San Jose Church
○ Honesty coffee shop
○ House of Dakay
○ Spanish bridge
• Uyugan
○ Alapad Rock
○ Tayid lighthouse
• Mahatao
○ Malboro
5:30:6:30 Rest/wash up
7:00-8:00 Dinner at Pension Ivatan
Day 03
5:00 wake up
6:00 call time
7:00-4:30 Mt. Iraya hike
5:00-7:00 Intense rest/wash all dirty clothes from Mt. Iraya hike
7:00 Dinner at Pension Ivatan
Day 04 (Last Day)
6:00-11:00 add'l South Batan tour
• Fountain of youth
• Blue lagoon
• White beach
• Maywang a library du vatan
• Bisumi souvenir shop
12:00-1:00 Lunch at Bahasa
1:30 -5:30 Rest/sleep
6:00-9:00 Watch TV
9:30 Sleep
Day 5
4:30 Wake up
5:30 Port of Basco to itbayat
6:00-8:30 Basco to itbayat (chinapoliran port)
9:00-12:30 Torongan Cave & Torongan hills
12:30-2:30 Lunch/Rest
2:30-6:00 Itbayat Tour
• Lake
• Itbayat airport
• Mt. Karoboban View deck
• Lake kavaywan
• Paganaman port
• Small lagoon
Day 6
05:30 AM off to Port to Itbayat
06:00 AM Basco to Itbayat
10:00 ETA to Itbayat
12:00 PM ETA to hostel/rest
01:00 PM Start of Tour
06:00 PM Back to Hostel/ Rest
Day 7
Itbayat to Basco
Rest at Marfel’s Lodge
Day 8 (Flight back to Manila)
Batanes to Manila
Expenses
Airfare: P7,561.00 (Promo)
Accommodation: P2000 (for 5 nights) at Marfel’s
P300( for a night)
Tours: P8,700( Including tours at Itbayat and all fares included)
Travel and Tours Fee: P350
Food: P2,578.00
Entrance Fees: P500.00
Total expenses: P22,000.00
Note: Shopping and Pasalubongs are not included
Tips:
1. If you wish to travel to beautiful place like Batanes, look for promo fares, it will save you a lot of money.
2. If you’re looking for a place to stay I highly recommend Marfel’s Lodge, you can search them for contact details.
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Batanes
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3 MAJOR ISLANDS OF BATANES
(Basco,Sabtang and Itbayat)
5d4n
????Basco, Batanes
How to get there?
✈️Book a flight Clark/Manila to Basco
via SkyJet or PAL
Places to visit:
North Batan Tour:
• Naidi Lighthouse and Rolling Hills
• Mt. Carmel Chapel
•PAGASA Weather Station
•Fundacion Pacita
•Dipnaysupuan Japanese Tunnel
•Valugan Boulder Beach
• Chadpidan Boulder Beach
• Vayang Rolling Hills
• Naidi Lighthouse and Rolling Hills
• Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral
• Nakamaya Burial Grounds
• Casa Real
• Kilometer 0
• Mt. Iraya (must try!)
South Batan Tour:
•Topload Jeep Experience (Jeep from Basco to Ivana Port going to Sabtang P27/way)
• Mahatao / Chawa View Deck
• Mahatao Shelter Port
• San Carlos Borromeo Church
• Homoron Blue Lagoon
• Homoron White Beach
• Blank Book Archive / Maywang a Libro Du Vatan
• San Jose Obrero Church
• Old Spanish Bridge
• Honesty Coffee Shop
• House of Dakay
• Songsong Ruins
• Imnajbu - Itbud Beach
• Diura Fishing Village
• Racuh a Payaman (Marlboro Country)
• San Lorenzo Ruiz Chapel
• Mahatao / Tayid Lighthouse and Rolling Hills
Other tour (optional)
• Spring of Youth/Fountain of Youth (must try after Mt. Iraya Hike)
????Sabtang, Batanes
✈️Book a flight Manila/Clark to Basco
via SkyJet or PAL
????From Basco, ride a tric/jeep to Ivana port
????️ride a boat from Ivana Port, roughly 30-45 minutes to get to Sabtang Island. Fare cost around Php. 100.00/head/way.
Places to visit:
• Sabtang Lighthouse (best accommodation for us)
• Sabtang Lighthouse- Blue Lagoon
Sabtang Zipline (must try!)
Morong Beach
• Nakabuang Arch
• Chamatad & Tinyad Viewpoint
Savidug Stonehouses
• Chavayan Village and Chapel (dito kami bumili ng Coconut crab, super mura P350 for 2)
• Sabtang Weavers Association (mas mura bumili dito)
• St. Vincent Ferrer Church
• St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel & Old Beaterio
• Sleeping Beauty of Sabtang, Batanes
• Sta. Rosa De Lima Chapel
Other tour(optional):
• Sumnanga Fishing Village / Little Hongkong
• Vuhus Island
Itbayat, Batanes (northernmost inhabited island in the Philippines
How to get there?
✈️Book a flight Manila/Clark to Basco
via SkyJet or PAL
????️From Basco to Itbayat, ride a passenger Falowa Boat for 3hrs. Fare is 400 Pesos. The schedule of Boat is Monday to Saturday ONLY but it depends on the weather and waves.
Places to visit:
•Sta Maria Mayon Centro Plaza
•Sta Maria Mayon Centro Church
•Chinaliporan Port
• Old PAGASA Weather Station
• Valanga port
• Torongan Cave
• Torongan Cliff
• Yawran Village
• Itbayat Airport
• Mauyen Cliff
• Mt Karoboboan viewdeck (highest peak)
• Paganaman port (swim/sunset)
Other tour (optional):
• Rapang Cliff
•Stonebell
• Kaxobcan Beach
⚠️Rates:
Tric rental + guide/driver/photographer
*good for 1-3pax
*food not included
✔️South Batan- 1500ph
✔️Mt. Iraya-1500php
✔️North Batan- 1000php
✔️Sabang- 1k-1500php
✔️Itbayat- 2000php
Music: aint it fun by paramore