Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
He is rather selective with his guests, asking them to
introduce themselves in detail via email before offering
the possibility of over
nighting
. Bookings are essential; no
walk-ins are accepted.
P1600
Kiangan Youth Hostel
Poblacion
T
0915 704 8398.
A basic option in the centre of Kiangan with three simple
private rooms with private b
ath (c
old show
ers on
ly) and
two single-sex dorms. Dorms
P150
; doubles
P500
Batanes province
Almost 150km off the northern coast of Luzon,
Batanes
is the smallest, most isolated
province in the country - the islands are closer to Taiwan than to the northernmost tip
of Luzon. This is a memorable place with otherworldly scenery, where doors are rarely
locked and welcomes are warm even by Filipino standards. The people are different, the
language is different, even the weather is different. The coolest months (Jan-March)
can get chilly with temperatures as low as 10°C, while the hottest months (May &
June) are searing. For visitors, the islands are at their best from February to June. Just
three of the ten islands in the Batanes group are inhabited:
Batan
- the location of the
capital
Basco
-
Sabtang
and
Itbayat
.
Batanes can be idyllic, but it would be wrong to portray it as a tropical utopia.
Realities of life this far away from the rest of the world can sometimes be harsh.
Petrol and provisions are brought in by ship, which means they cost more, and
when
typhoons
roar in from the east
(July-Sept) it may be impossible for ships
or aircraft to reach the islands. Boredom
can set in and locals joke that during the
typhoon season the cargo ship brings fifty
thousand sacks of rice but sixty thousand
crates of gin.
The native inhabitants of Batanes, the
Ivatan
, trace their roots to prehistoric
Formosan immigrants. Most still make
a living by cultivating yams and garlic or
raising goats and cows; if you visit a
village during the daytime, be prepared
to find that almost everyone is out in the
fields. Some women still wear rain capes
called
vakul
, made from the stripped
leaves of the
voyavoy
palm. The main
dialect
, Ivatan, includes some pidgin
Spanish: “thank you” is
dios mamajes
and
“goodbye” is
dios mavidin
(if you are the
person leaving) or
dios machivan
(if you
are staying behind).
3
Siayan, Mabudis, North & Y'ami Islands
Mt Santa Rosa
(277m)
N
Chinapoliran
Landing
Itbayat
Torongan
Hill
Mt Riposed
(229m)
Raile
Dinem
Island
Itbayat
Island
SOUTH
CHINA SEA
Batan
Island
Mt Iraya
(1099m)
Basco
Radar Tukon
Batan Island
Batan Island
is the biggest in the group
and site of the tiny capital,
BASCO
. he
town boasts a spectacular location on the
lower slopes of
Mount Iraya
, a volcano
that hasn't erupted since the fifteenth
century but is still o
cially active. You
can walk around the town in half an hour,
and there are no specific attractions, but
it's a pleasant and friendly place, built
Mahatao
Diura
Mt Matarem
(459m)
Rakuh-a-Payaman
(Marlboro Country)
San Vicente
Imnaibu
Ivana
Nakabuang
Beach
Itbud
Dequey
Island
Songsong
Uyugan
CENTRO
Nakanmuan
Ivujos
Island
0
5
Savidug
Chavayan
kilometres
BATANES
Sumnanga
Sabtang
Island
