Wanderworld

Batanes is on every Filipino’s travel bucket list, and the pictures on the internet alone reveal why.

Batanes Island’s incredible sights comprise the perfect elements of a wanderlust-inspiring postcard – or a social media post, as is in these modern times.

The island is abundant with views of a lighthouse perched on rolling hills and looking over rough seas, evoking scenery similar to those in other countries such as Switzerland. It’s a photographer’s playground, a daring soul’s sanctuary, and a travel addict, birthday girl’s dream come true — yep, that’s me (note: the last part only). 😀

Batanes’ Ups and Downs – Literally & Figuratively

It was raining when our small plane landed in the equally undersized airport. The Skyjet staff was handing out huge umbrellas to each deplaning passenger while I was thinking to myself that my post-birthday celebration was ruined due to bad weather.

As we cramped ourselves in the tiny airport though while waiting to retrieve our baggage, Mr. Sun came out. It was a relief, since our first day on the island was dedicated to an ATV tour around Batanes’ tourist spots.

The ATV tour is a fairly new activity in Batanes. The most common way to get around the island is through biking (if you have the stamina and muscle power for it) and van and tricycle tours.

Unlike the usual tours which are divided into North Batan and South Batan tours, the ATV tour combines the North and South attractions in a whole day ride. You can stay longer in one area or skip other spots if you wish.

Since I love ATVs, I didn’t pass up the chance to drive one on the island. After all, who wouldn’t love to drive around Batanes and marvel at its incomparable beauty from every nook and corner?

But as this section’s title suggests, Batanes has its ups and downs, literally and figuratively. The negative part though is mainly its unpredictable weather, even on a summer day, which we experienced on our first day.

Nevertheless, the Batanes ATV tour is one of the extraordinary and exciting experiences you’ll have. Besides the thrill of driving through steep zigzag roads, dangerous cliffs, and intimidating road constructions, there’s the gratification of soaking up literally breathtaking sights that can only be rivaled by those in European countries.

Here are the sites we visited during the ATV tour on our first day:

Mahatao Boat Shelter Port 

This is our first stop in the Batanes ATV tour, and we just stopped here to take pictures. We didn’t go to the actual site; we just stopped on the side of the road where we could see overlooking views of the port.

The port reportedly serves as shelter to the boats bound for Itbayat. It’s also where boats dock to protect them from the harsh weather that is common to the island. Though the port is small, its vivid blue green water will catch your attention.

A few meters from the port is a lighthouse which stands on a beach. I’m not sure what the name of the lighthouse is though. If I remember correctly, our guide said that it doesn’t work anymore. The beautiful view of the lighthouse fronted by a beach and set against the gorgeous rolling hills served as our teaser of more amazing similar sights.

Homoron Blue Lagoon

We also just stopped by here to take pictures. The lagoon is set against a cliff, and just like in the port, the water has a vivid blue green color. As far as I know, tourists can go down here to swim.

White Beach

This has probably the whitest sand in Batan Island. It’s not fine though as the sand is filled with little shells and rocks. It was low tide when we got there, though we could see the huge waves from afar.

The water is very clear too, beautifully reflecting the blue sky. Behind the beach are views of lush mountains and trees.

Mahatao Tayid/Lighthouse

The view here is one of my favorites: the classic rustic scenery of a lighthouse on a hill, with the rough oceans below. There are also the incredible views of the rugged terrain on one side and the beautifully patterned hedgerows on the other.

The left side of the lighthouse is off limits as it’s privately owned. How lucky the owner is. If I lived in Batanes, I imagine myself biking almost every day to the lighthouses just to sit down on the hills and enjoy the serenity of the mountain and beach views.

I could write while I’m there. The beauty is so awe-inspiring that I think anyone who spends some alone time there will be able to create something magical as well, like a poem, a story, or a song. Haha.

The lighthouse was difficult (and scary) to drive to though. We had to drive our ATV on a very steep uphill route. I actually thought my ATV’s engine would not be able to handle it and make the vehicle slide back down. 😀

Fortunately, we had no accidents. Of course, driving down was a lot trickier (and scarier). Our guide was very helpful though and assisted me on the extremely steep part first while going down. 😀

Marlboro Hills/Racuh a Payaman

Racuh a Payaman, popularly referred to as Marlboro Hills (I think because of the old commercial) has one of the best views in Batan Island in Batanes.

This is where you can enjoy the breathtaking sight of the rolling hills in its full glory, where the muscular and some furry carabaos laze around, which is unique to Batanes alone. The view of the vast blue ocean below adds to the splendor, along with the cloud-peaked Mt. Iraya standing tall at the far end.

While I dreamt of writing songs and poems in Mahatao lighthouse, I dreamt of a destination wedding while I was in Marlboro Hills (yes, I went there. Haha). It’s actually one of the popular places for prenup photo shoots and weddings in Batanes.

It was a good thing that the clouds cleared up and the weather improved when we got there. It was cloudy while we were in Mahatao, and by the time we were driving to Marlboro Hills, it rained. It was cold and windy, so we settled to eat lunch first.

Marlboro Hills is home to a lone restaurant, and it’s pretty much the stopover of most tours during lunch time, which means thicker crowds. However, most of the tourists left after eating lunch and taking a few photographs on the rolling hills. Since Joseph and I were so amazed by the views, we took our time there and were among the last ones to leave the place. 😀

Imnajbu Point/Alapad Rock Formation

Imnajbu Point is where you can see two huge rock formations by the roadside, also referred to as Alapad rock formation. The rock formations are covered with grass, and you’ll see the Blow UR Horn side by the road before the blind curve, which is common all throughout Batan, another thing that’s distinct to Batanes.

You can trek to the hill to enjoy the panorama of the beach and the mountains. On the beach are huge rocks, and the huge waves make a dramatic splash against them. The sight is also beyond words; it seems as though you’re in a different part of the world.

On the left side of the hill is the overwhelming view of more rolling hills, delightfully complementing the gorgeous vista of the rough sea.

Honesty Coffee Shop

Another unique and popular attraction in Batanes is the Honesty Coffee Shop. It’s a “self-service” store with no vendors, so you can freely get the items you want. It’s called Honesty Coffee Shop because it tests your honesty – whether you’ll pay for the item you took or not.

The store is home to various local snacks, food items and souvenirs. There’s a notebook in the store where you simply have to list down the items you took and their prices. There’s a box there with the sign “Pay Here” where you’re supposed to drop your payment. Make sure then that you have the exact amount. 🙂

Notably, the store also has interesting decorations such as frames with various quotes. There’s also a sticky board where tourists can leave notes. Joseph and I left one too. 😉

Tukon Chapel

Tukon Chapel is the small but charming church, the exterior of which is made up of stones. It’s where some of the Batanes destination weddings take place.

According to our guide, it seemed that a wedding took place recently when we arrived there. Remnants of cute decorations could still be seen in the chapel. When you look out from the church’s stained glass windows, you can enjoy scenic views of the beach and the mountains.

Dipnaysupuan Japanese Tunnel

Located in Tukon Hills, the Japanese Tunnel was reportedly the shelter of the Japanese forces during World War II. From the small and dark entrance, the tunnel seemed scary, but it isn’t really terrifying when you enter it.

You can see various sections or what seems like rooms inside. There’s also a narrow stairway to the deeper end of the tunnel. I wanted to see it and was actually attempted to go down the stairs, but the steps were too slippery because of the water inside the tunnel; my flip-flops couldn’t handle it. It was like a cave, you see.

We just explored the other sections there and exited through a small hole to another part of Tukon Hills.

Pagasa Weather Station

We also passed by here and enjoyed more views of the rolling hills. From there, you can also see Fundacion Pacita from afar, but our guide said we couldn’t go there since it’s a private property. We got to explore it though on our third day (watch out for succeeding posts).

The downhill trail from Pagasa was also very steep, and I was actually reluctant to drive my ATV there, haha. As usual, our guide assisted me while going down the dangerous part. 😀

From there onward, the views were spectacular. While we were driving down the steep zigzag roads, Mt. Iraya’s beauty was sprawled in front of us, with the sea on its side. The surrounding lush rolling hills added to the magnificent view.

Valugan Boulder Beach

Another thing that’s distinct to Batanes, Valugan Boulder Beach features huge rocks instead of sand in its shore. Though the waves here are huge and dangerous (swimming is prohibited), the view is ironically calming and peaceful.

On the right side of the beach is a mountain, and during our visit, the sun was setting from a distance. It was the perfect way to cap off our thrilling ATV adventure. ❤

Batanes ATV Adventure Details

If you wish to tour Batanes on an ATV, you can simply text Batanes ATV Adventure at 0988-551-9656 to reserve units. They reply promptly to texts. Whole day rental is Php1,800 plus Php200 for fuel. Rental per hour is Php300. You can also visit their Facebook page for more details. On the day of your tour, you simply need to go to their office, from where you’ll start the tour.

Travel date: March 2016

**Next post: Sabtang tour in Batanes