Batanes: My Dream Destination

I’ve read and watched so many nice things about Batanes -- the northernmost tip of the country and with most number of typhoon visits; the only place in the country with 4 seasons; the smallest province with unique landscape; the province with lowest crime rate; friendly and courteous Ivatans (Batanes inhabitants) who have preserved their culture and way of life, inspite of globalization and new technologies.

Batanes is one of my top dream destinations. Why? Below are my 10 reasons why Batanes is worth a visit:

1.  Nice Beaches

Devoid of tourist crowds, Batanes beaches has unspoilt fine white sand beaches that could rival Boracay and Palawan beaches. I’m a beach buff, so I would like to see how Batanes beaches fare with the other 2 top beach destinations in the country. The rock formations like in the photo below are added bonus.

2.  Lighthouse

I’ve always been fond of lighthouses, particularly the old ones. Aside from aiding maritime vessels at night, especially on this storm-prone part of the seas, lighthouses provide a glimpse of the area’s history. Climbing the top of a lighthouse to see the magnificent view of the sea is also very refreshing.

3.  Impressive Landscape

Hilly terrains, sea-facing cliffs, and small version of rice terraces are also some of the things that make this province attractive. When I look at Batanes’ photos on the internet, I feel like I would be transported to a European or South American countryside if given the chance to stay there.

4.  Unique Churches

The charm of old churches is like a magnet to me. I like to see its history, how it was built, type of materials used, the style, the fine details of craftmanship, and what makes it different from other churches. The photo below from Business Mirror shows a different style of stone church, which I have not seen on other churches I visited.

5.  Stone Houses

Since Batanes is the most typhoon-visited part of the country, its no wonder that they have built their houses made of sturdy stone structures. I would like to stay on one stone house for at least a night, to see how it provides protection from strong winds, as well as insulation from noise and outside temperature.

6.  Seafood Overdose

I’m a seafood lover and I eat any creature that swims. Remember that Erap joke when his doctor advised him that he could only eat food that swims? Well, the next day, he was teaching a pig to swim. :) Getting back at the topic, I read that lobsters and coconut crab are plentiful in the Batanes islands, and also very affordable.

7.  Chayi Lychees and Ivatan Cuisine

I saw a photo of a variety of lychees found in Batanes, called chayi. Like any new food item, I would like to taste it, and see how it differs from the commercially sold lychees. The same way that I like to sample their Ivatan cuisine, and compare it with their neighboring Ilocano cuisine, as part of culinary tour.

8.  Palo Palo Festival

We’ve seen various Filipino ethnic dances during Linggo ng Wika (National Language Week) and other Philippine festivities. It would be nice to see the Ivatan’s preserved heritage displayed on their provincial activities, like in the Palo Palo Festival.

9.  Honesty Store and Coffee Shop

A lot of local TV documentaries have featured this famous Honesty Coffee Shop and Store in Batanes. With Ivatans known as peaceful and honest people with lowest crime rate, its now easier to believe that they could operate a shop without any personnel manning it. Customers can get anything they want from the shop, pay the listed price, and get their change. 

If the open cash box has insufficient change, customers can go back later to get their change. Now that shows how the Ivatan community is one of the most civilized society, that we can compare to Londoners' practice of voluntarily dropping a pound to get a copy of the Times newspaper from the unmanned sidewalk.

10.  Experience Ivatan Culture

Last but not the least, how does it feel to wear the women’s headrest made of grass leaves? How’s the tone of their language, and which words are similar with our other regional languages? How do they address and treat the strangers and their neighbors? 

Are they really courteous, helpful, and warm people, in contrast with the islands’ usual cold climate? It would be interesting to briefly experience their customs, language, and traditions.

Currently, only one airline serves the Batanes route twice daily, and that is SEAIR. Unfortunately, I cannot afford yet to bring my whole family in Batanes for a vacation, because SEAIR is not a budget airline. Known to serve paradise-to-paradise destinations, their regular airfare rates help keep the crowd away from Batanes. Somehow, it helps the province preserve its charm and identity.

All the photos above are not mine, but I will replace them if given the chance to visit Batanes. Credits are given to their rightful owners from the websites I visited like phil. beaches.org, utgtravel, trip advisor, pinoyexchange, virtual tourist, tua-link.blogspot, aboutph, webshots, and liveinthephils.com.