30/01/2019
For more details, click here: http://travelbountyinc.com/destinations/1/scenario-batanes-beckons-2019
MAR 14 (THU) MANILA / BASCO
Feel the cool air as you arrive in Batanes! You will be met by our guide and transferred to tour hotel for briefing, check-in and relax a bit until lunch then start your tour by going to Vayang Hills, Naidi Hills and light House. Pass by the Sto. Domingo Cathedral to pay homage for safe travel. Marvel at the magnificent panorama of the Ivatans ridges and hedgerows similar to the pasturelands of Holland. Then on to Japanese Tunnel, Radar Tukon and Idjang viewing. Final stop is the beautiful Fundacion Pacita, once the home studio of internationally acclaimed artist Pacita Abad, now a nature lodge. Head back to your hotel for dinner.
MAR 15 (FRI) SABTANG TOUR
Your adventure starts early today as you head to Ivana Port after breakfast and take a 45-minute ferry adventure to remote Sabtang -an island frozen in time. View their abode made of limestone with a rough exterior furnish. Meet women wearing their native “soot”or“vacul”, special head gears locally woven to withstand the harsh weather. Explore nearby towns where you can mingle and experience the warmth of the Ivatans. Although isolated, these people have managed to maintain a collective gentleness of character and politeness bordering on innocence. Enjoy a picnic-style lunch under the shade of a stone arch surrounded by massive cliffs with option to swim at Nakabuang Beach. Proceed to Barrio Savidug and Idjang, both old settlements where local wine is made and where people take refuge during the olden times. Pass by Tinian Cliff facing the Pacific Ocean and enjoy its tranquil beauty. Finally, explore another preserved sanctuary in Chavayan before heading back to your hotel after an awesome day.
MAR 16 (SAT) BATAN ISLAND TOUR
Another full day awaits as you explore Batan Island. One of its attractions is a 5 km, stretch of winding well-paved national highway jutting-off from the sea. View rolling hills used as communal pastures where one could get a panoramic view of both the East (Pacific Ocean) and West (West Philippine Sea) coast of the islands. Lunch at Racuh a Payaman, a communal pastureland. Passby the wind turbine at Mahatao, also known as the Mahatao Idjang. Visit another fishing village in Diura. See the local version of Marlboro Countrywith a breath-taking view of the velvet green grass and the tamed farm animals. See the old Spanish bridge built in 1850, the Dakays, St. Joseph the Worker Church in Ivana, and the San Carlos Borromeo Church dating back to the 17th century. A visit to Honesty Coffee Shop is not to be missed! Then back to your hotel for dinner and to savor your last night in Batanes.
MAR 17 (SUN) BASCO MANILA
After experiencing the rustic charm of this far away land, it’s time to say good-bye and fly back to bustling Manila.
Until our next travel bounty!
