02/03/2025
๐ด๐๐ณ๐ก ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฟ
๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ - ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ก๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ป๐ต๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐, ๐๐๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐
5:00 AM: We started our day super early dahil isa lang ang byahe that day ng faluwa papuntang Itbayat.
๐ถ โฑ800: One way boat fee to Itbayat
Pag sumakay ka sa Faluwa, magbaon ng napakadaming tulog para hindi ka mahilo sa byahe. Ito na yung pinakachallenging na 2.5-hr boat ride sa buong buhay ko. As in para syang seesaw na paulit ulit tapos yung seesaw, mataas talaga!
Buti nalang tulog ako halos buong byahe dahil sa white flower! Pero yung mga kasama koโฆ quiet nalang ako ๐
Pro-tip: yung mga locals humihiga na agad vertically bago pa makaalis ng port ang bangka. Humiga ako ng pahorizontal para hindi masyadong ramdam yung malalakas na alonโit really worked!
Another pro-tip: Dapat mabilis ang reflexes mo pababa ng faluwa kasi walang platform na malalakaran pababa. Tatalon ka talaga from boat to port pero iaassist ka ng mga locals doon kaya makinig ka sa technique na itururo nila para makauwi ka ng buhay ๐
๐ต We met our guide for the day, Kuya B**g, kagaya ng sabi ko sa Part 1, sobrang bait ng mga Ivatan. Consistent sa lahat ng islands ng Batanes!
๐ก โฑ500/night: Fanroom homestay
Byaheng Local arranged our accommodation and Itbayat. Sobrang cozy at sobrang linis! 5/5 pa din!
๐ณ โฑ170: Breakfast at a local carinderia
Never ending sausage (longsilog) dahil favorite ko โto sa Batanes + lugaw. The owner here is an ate from Makati with a nice love story! Halos lahat ng nakakausap namin dito na local, ang ganda ng love story! Eh di sana all ๐
We also went to the Tourism office to register. Kagaya sa Basco, napakawelcoming din ng mga taga Itbayat. Basta, youโll feel at home instantly.
Places to visit in Itbayat:
โช๏ธ Itbayat Church
The original church was first damaged by an earthquake last 2019 then by a typhoon this year. They canโt reconstruct the church yet since it has to be approved by the government.
Thereโs a new cathedral at the back of the old church. Nagulat kami na bukas na bukas sya kahit gabi! Talk about the trust of the church sa goodness ng mga Ivatan.
๐ชจ Umawen Arc
Medyo may hike papunta dito pero madali lang. Locals believed that the hole was made due to the strong waves that batter the rocks in the cliff.
โฐ๏ธ Mt. Carobooban
This is the highest point in Itbayat where you will see the other Islands of Itbayat including the northernmost islandโMavulis. Unfortunately, biglang umulan pagdating namin kaya wala kaming nakita kundi yung malalapit na islands.
๐ดโฑ300: Lunch set meal (Tinola, Black tuna (?), rice)
๐๏ธ Rapang Cliff
Dapat morning namin ito pupuntahan kaso yung weather forecast the next day, medyo maulan kaya nagdecide na si Kuya B**g na puntahan na namin para sure na makikita namin yung cliff bago kami umalis ng Itbayat. Sabi nya, ito daw talaga ang highlight ng Itbayat.
๐๏ธ Kaxobcan cliff (before you proceed to Rapang)
This cliff kinda reminds me of a destination in Bali that I see online.
The hike to Rapang Cliff takes about 45 minutes based on your pacing. Mostly flat yung trail pero kapag malapit na sa cliff, steep and muddy na.
Yung trail pabalik sa jump off, paikot ng Rapang Cliff at sobrang ganda (nakailan na siguro akong sabi ng ganito sa mga post ko). Basta be prepared lang sa sobrang lakas ng hanginโminsan feeling ko nadadala na ako ๐
๐ชจ Stone bell
This stone is used by ancient people to call their farm animals and also as a warning if inavders are in sight.
Nakakaamaze to kasi iba iba yung tone sa surface ng bato and ang tunog nya ay parang may metal sa loob. This is one of the many reasons to add Itbayat to your Batanes itinerary.
Since madilim na din nung nakabalik kami, sa jump off, umuwi na kami sa accom para sa dinner. Naglakad lakad na din kami around town proper pero maaga silang magsara lalo na at may curfew ang kabataan around 8pm.
๐ดโฑ300: Dinner set meal (Pork Adobo, Pusit, Rice)
๐ชฆ Torongan Cliff (w/ Burial Marker) and Cave
We started early to see this before our flight back to Basco. May kaunting hike pa din papunta sa cliff kung saan makikita yung Burial Marker ng sinaunang tao.
The burial marker is made out of stone patches which is shaped like a boat facing the sea because they believe that before they go to their resting place, they will cross the sea. This is the only remaining burial marker.
Hindi na kami nakapunta sa Torongan Cave dahil may mga gumuho sa loob ng cave nung lumindol.
May ibang destination pa na mapupuntahan sa Itbayat pero dahil maaga yung flight namin pabalik ng Basco, hindi na namin napuntahan.
โ๏ธ โฑ2950 - one way plane ticket Itbayat to Basco
Hindi talaga ito yung original plan namin kasi dapat magbabangka lang kami pabalik ng Basco kaso grabe yung naexperience nung dalawa kong kasama ๐
(sorry, tulog lang talaga ako so I canโt relate! Hahahaha) So ako naman ang may struggle dahil takot akong sumakay ng maliliit na plane ๐ซฃ
The plane ride to Basco was less than 10 minutes. Sobrang ganda (pang ilan na to ๐
) sa taas! We arrived at Basco Airport and was picked up by a driver who took us back to our accom.
Since titas and titos na, we spent the whole morning catching up on sleep (again)!
In the afternoon, we decided to walk around town. May list din ng recommendation sila Ms. Rose ng mga must try restaurants and souvenir shops sa Basco.
We went to:
๐ก Tawsen Souvenir Shop
โ๏ธ Beantage Grounds Cafe (may takoyaki shop din na katabi)
Their homemade ice cream is on point! Nung nagpunta kami, sold out yung burger nila kaya hindi namin natry.
โฑ30: small homemade ice cream
โฑ79: milktea
โฑ130: 8-pc takoyaki
๐ฒ โฑ25/hr: Bike Rental (Japanese bike) โฑ50/hr for mountain bike
We rented a bike going to go to Basco lighthouse. Although part naman sya ng package namin, we still decided to watch the sunset from the light house
Travel tip: make sure lang na malakas yung legs kapag nagbike kasi pataas yung daan papuntang light house. Nagtulak nalang kami paakyat ๐
The sunset did not disappoint. Iba ang golden hour sa Batanes, nakakafresh!
We met a lot of tourists here, a couple celebrating their anniversary (the wife is also celebrating her birthday) and a solo traveler who became our baby brother here!
๐ โฑ199: Burger at Cacaganda (Dinner)
After sunset viewing, we had dinner with our new found friend! Ang lakas pala makatita kapag Gen Z na yung kausap mo ๐
๐จ Raywen Hamyan Gallery
Katabi lang ito ng accom namin and they have really good art pieces! May mga souvenirs din sila like stickers, postcards, keychains, notepads, etc.
We decided to have a few drinks before calling it a night since we had an early call time the next day.
๐ญ Thoughts and tips from our Itbayat Trip:
- Batanes in general is serene but thereโs something in Itbayat that makes it the most serene out of the places weโve visited.
- Itbayat is a weather-dependent destination. Actually nung day before ng alis namin, tinawagan kami ng agency para mainform na possible na walang bangka pabalik ng Basco kaya ang isang option ay magplane.
- Infairness talaga sa locals dito, gusto nilanh mamaximize mo yung stay mo sa Batanes kaya kapag may possibility na mastranded ka sa isang island, hindi ka nila ieencourage na tumuloy. Sobrang aware ang mga locals sa weather forecast dito kaya kahit san ka magtanong kung advisable pumunta sa isang lugar, may makakasagot sayo.
- Kung December ka aakyat sa Rapang Cliff, magdala ka ng raincoat at windbreaker. Sobrang lamig at lakas ng hangin.
Tour Agency: Batanes Byaheng Lokal
