Tag: Batanes
5 Tips For Visiting Batanes
Heading to the northernmost province of the Philippines for the first time? Heed these tips for a conscientious trip. 1. Don’t eat the coconut crab. The Birgus Latro, better known in Batanes as tatus and in layman’s terms, the coconut crab or palm thief, is on the list of endangered species. Thanks to the lack […]
Honesty Café: 98% Honest Since 1995
I first heard about this Batanes café in the ’90s when it was featured in a Filipino news program. Can you imagine a store so honest that there are no waiters or servers tending it? Customers pick the items they want, jot down what they got in a ledger, and then drop the money in […]
My Space: Fundacion Pacita
One thing about travel is that pictures don’t always do justice to a place. Take for example Fundacion Pacita Batanes Nature Lodge. I thought I knew what to expect when I first visited the most expensive lodging in Batanes, thanks to first-hand stories filled with superlatives and highly saturated photos from photographers and bloggers. But […]
25 Photos That Sum Up My Batanes Experience
It’s official. I’m in love with Batanes. I visited my dream destination, the northernmost province of the Philippines, for the first time this year. I remember the day I first clipped a newspaper article about Batanes and vowed to go there when I got older. Now I finally have my own articles about Batanes. Like […]
My Space: Yaru Nu Artes Ivatan
The first thing I noticed about Batanes is the little pops of art found around its lush islands, such as brightly painted cafés and tricycles splattered with geometric patterns. There’s a discernable art identity, but it’s not as loud or aggressive like Manila’s. I was walking along National Road when I came across a small […]
Batanes’ Chamber of Secrets
San Carlos de Borromeo was the first stone-made church built in Mahatao, Batanes in 1787. Also known as Mahatao Church, this structure was declared a national cultural treasure by the Philippine National Commission for Culture and The Arts in 2001. More than being a Spanish colonial edifice, this church is popular for the little library located next […]
Boulder Beach: The Power of Gray
Do you believe in the healing powers of stones and crystals? Certain colors supposedly give off vibes that interact with the one holding it or the one closest to the stone. Metaphysicians say that gray symbolizes security, maturity, and practicality. You add gray in your life if you want a neutral, non-evasive feeling and to […]
When in Batanes, Don’t Eat The Endangered Coconut Crab
It was my second day in Batanes, a province in Cagayan Valley, the northernmost region of the Philippines. Batanes is a group of evergreen islands with preserved ancestral stone houses and zero crime rate. I have always wanted to visit here. I booked my four-day tour through a travel agency. I didn’t know many of the […]
Standing Under a Double Rainbow
During the World War II, the Ivatans of Batanes dug tunnels under the hills of Tukon to serve as a shelter and lookout post for Japanese soldiers. The Dipnaysupuan, one of the biggest and remaining intact tunnels, is now a popular tourist stop. My group of 19 travelers explored this dark, steep, and slippery tunnel […]