Batanes: South Batan Tour

Racuh a Payaman aka Marlboro Hills

DayI: South Batan Tour
Date of Visit: January 25, 2014

Day I: South Batan Tour

Day II: North Batan Tour

Day III: Sabtang Island Tour

I Love Batanes!

"I thought it will be just a Dream going to  Batanes.Thank You to the Generosity of PAL Express for granting my wish and my Dream became a Reality"

Preparation Before the Trip

Duration:  4Days/ 3 Nights (Standard )- Jan 25-28, 2014

Pax: Me and Officemate/TravelMate- Cels

Transportation: PAL Express (P1787 Round Trip) Booked last Oct 2013

Accommodation: Marfels Lodge 
(Recommended by Mervs of Pinoy Adventurista and Ann of Solitary Wanderer)

                *Before the trip I contacted a lot of Lodges and Inns in Basco but only Ate Fe of Marfels Lodge and answered me through text and call. Dios Mamajes Ate Fe (Here’s Marfels Lodge contact numbers.Make sure you have reservations before your trip)*Marfels Lodge is a Homestay. 2 Bedrooms Only.P400/Night per person. 

Tour: Ryan Cardona of Discover Batanes (now BISUMI Tours)
(Recommended by Mervs of Pinoy Adventurista,Ann and Anne D of Ann D Explorer)

                *I read some stories that it is doable to DIY Tours Batanes by hiring your own transportation(tricycle),renting motorcycle and bicycle and etc.. but for us first timers having no idea to the place it is best to avail a package tour or join a group (meet new people,less expenses).Sharing is the Tourism Industry Method in Batanes (no matter you booked from different agencies they’ll make sure that you can tour Batanes even you’re a Solo Traveler).Good Job!

                *Since us staying for 4Days only and the 4^th day will be our early flight back to Manila, we availed a 3Day Tour covering South Batan Island Tour (Whole Day),North Batan Tour (Half Day) and Sabtang Island Tour (Approximately 8 Hour Tour).If you will be staying for 4 -8 Days, you can go to Itbayat Island ,Trek Mt Iraya and spend your remaining days in Batan Island.

                *Ryan, our contact referred us to  a Travel Agency before our trip (Travel Young)and quoted us a Final amount of P4800 per person for the 3Day Tour, well the amount depends  on the number of confirmed tourists who will be joining the group for that particular dates. It is not a FIXED amount! We booked ourselves less than a week before our travel dates  (Good Job Travel Young for assisting us and replying quickly from our queries)

Day I: South Batan Tour
Jan 25,2014 

PAL Express: Travel Time is 1Hr and 45 mins (6AM to 745AM)

Welcome to Batanes! (Kapian Kamu pa nu Dios- signage at the Airport's Arrival Area)

                 
*Airport Transfer provided by Marfels Lodge 
*Met by our Tour Guide, Ryan, Welcome and informed us that the Tour will start by 9.30am

*Breakfast - P175 each for a Tapsilog Order(from Pension Ivatan Restaurant)- Indeed the food is pricey in Batanes .

Approaching Batanes

Day I: South Batan Tour

     Our Group Consists of  7 – Solo Travelers Kara of Traveling-Up, Ms Paula, Ms Mary Sel, Backpacker Couple Natzky and Bona , Me and Cels). Aside from the beauty of Batanes ,I'm also honored meeting this Down to Earth Peeps! (Non-stop Photo-Ops,Jump Shots, Okrayan and Tawanan). I miss you  and nice meeting you guys!

Here’s our Itinerary (By Ryan Cardona)

First Stop :Chawa Viewing Deck

          *Since i can't stop talking when i'm excited, I asked our Tour Guide, "Kuya Bakit Chawa ang Tawag??. Siguro maraming Chawa diyan"(pertaining to Sawa). Then Ryan replied to me (thinking that my question was nonsense) " Naku, Wala na! Nag-Chawa na sila".(Everybody Laughs).Still now I don't know what's the etymology. ("Dedma!")

Chawa Viewing Deck

Second Stop: Mahatao Boat Shelter Port 

          *Also known as Diosdado Macapagal-Jose Abad Sr. Boat Shelter Port

          *Typhoon Proof Boat Shelter (ala "Boat Parking Lot")

 (One of my Favorites- Hinde pa naglalanding ang plane.Sabi ko “Ayun,ayun ang Favorite ko!”. Same when our Van was approaching the area "Kuya, ito gusto ko! Bababa ba tayo! Kahit isang picture lang!". Maybe Kuya Ryan was thinking "Excited Lang!")

Mahatao Boat Shelter

 

Third Stop: Town of Mahatao

            -San Carlos Borromeo Church (Paid Respect and Courtesy. Dios Mamajes!)

               * Now a National Cultural Heritage Treasure by NCCA (National Commission for Culture and Arts on July 2001. 

           -Batanes Blank Book Archive (aka  Maywang A Libro Du Vatan )

              (Choose your own book and write your message. “Mala Guest Book”)



That's my Book #196

San Carlos Borromeo Church

Fourth and Fifth Stop

           -Spaniards Blue Lagoon (Best viewed from Paderes Point Cliff Road)

                *According to our guide, believe to be that Spanish Friars used to bathe here (Basta ang natandaan ko, lahat ng sinabi namin "Wow! Wow! Wow!" ..."Sarap Tumalon!")

  

  

         -White Beach/Cove of Batan Island 

                *This place is best for those people who has a lot of time or allotting time for swimming ("Sorry! Kontento na kami sa Photo Session..." Tsk Tsk Tsk "Sarap sana Maligo pero ang Lamig at may Swimming Outfit kaba?")

  

  

Break from Tour /Lunch at Vatang Grill

          -While waiting for our food,we watched a mini Film Showing showcasing the beauty Batanes and non-stop chit-chating, exchanging numbers and social media accounts.

          -Must Try Food- a local delicacy, Venes(Made of Gabi), Lumpia (FlyingFish),Batang Brown Rice, Yellow Rice, Cuttlefish  

 -Beachfront Sightseeing

"Venes"

Back to our Tour Proper

Sixth Stop: Town of Ivana 

                   -Spanish Bridge (still passable for people and light vehicles only)

              -House of Dakay (the oldest traditional stone house in Ivana.well, that's the only information i got from our guide maybe I'm inattentive,has a fish memory or busy preparing for Nescafe Batanes TV Commercial spoof("Hinde pa pala to yung bahay.Sa Sabtang Island Tour pa pala! "Yun yun eh!" "Basta ang may-ari ng Bahay ay si Sir Dakay")

Spanish Bridge

House of Dakay

Seventh Stop

                   -Honesty Coffee Shop and Store (Along the Road of the town of Ivana)

                       *Indeed nobody manning  the store ("Basta ako Honest To!Wala ako nabili dahil busy kakalitrato!" at "Nakalimutan ko ang props kung bonnet  at magpapicture mala-Honesto!")       
                           *This is the Coffee shop for locals before going  fishing and those arriving from Sabtang Island around 5 to 6 in the morning

Honesty Store

 

 

Eight Stop 

 (Itbud, Uyugan) -Ruins of Songsong

                      *Ruins at Sitio Songsong where a tsunami tragedy occurred that struck the seaside town in the 1950s (*source Wikipedia)
-House Location (GMA Film's Batanes starring Iza Calzado and Ken Zhou)

Ruins of Songsong

Featured at GMA Film's Batanes

 

Ninth Stop: Imnajbu Cliffside Road

  

Tenth Stop:Alapad Rock Formations

                    * Did you know that this Rock Formations has been featured to 2014 Landbank Calendar.
 

"I-Dawn Zulueta mo ako!"

 

  

Eleventh Stop: Marlboro Hills/Marlboro Country (Racuh a Payaman)
                   *The Highlight of the Tour ( Mala Sound of Music)

"Not your average Carabao Boy (Yung Yellow Keme Talaga Nagdala!)"

Sweethearts at Marlboro Hills

  

12th Stop: Mahatao Light House

 

Back to Downtown. Snacks at Canteen(near the Capitol,I forgot the name.it is budget friendly.just ask Ryan na lang.).Back to Lodge.Rest (no quality sleep yet,straight from shift to tour.awake 24 hours).Dinner? (just ate cup noodles courtesy of Marfel's Mini Honesty store.Sleep

Next: North Batan Tour. Click here