I'll probably make this straight to the point since the first draft I made with my Evernote app just magical went missing.. will be uninstalling that once I post this, so take two: Another year, another adventure! Back in July 2018, my mom bought a great tour package with Wakay Travel & Tours at a travel fair, guess where we're heading for the summer? BATANES!
Bucket List Achieved!
Travel like crazy!!!
On the day of our trip, there was a complimentary shuttle transfer from Manila to Pampanga where we would be departing from Clark International Airport via chartered flight manned by Leading Edge. Although we experienced some delays due to the shuttle breaking down along the way, we still managed to board the plane at around 7:30AM.
Better late than never...
Having arrived approximately 2-hours later in Basco Airport Terminal we had a few minutes to collect our luggage and take in the quaint and homey feel of the airport. We were later ushered into our tour coaster to drop us off at our accommodation.
We've arrived!!!
The "stoney" airport terminal...
Basco's Airport interior reminds me a lot about Singapore's Chiangi Airport...
See what I mean...
Air-conditioned land transfer
The only way I can describe Katuvang Bed & Breakfast is that it'll be your home away from home, our room definitely provided us with the much needed rest and relaxation after those days out on tour. The following pictures were taken at the end of our first day since at that time, we only had at least half an hour to freshen up and have a speedy breakfast before starting the tour.
Don't be fooled by the old-looking signage...
The lobby area...
Where there's this customized guestbook...
The dining area...
Where there's this huge painting...
Some cottages outside where you can hang out...
... and the bedroom.. not bad if you ask me...
Chawa View Deck was the first of many wonders I'd get to see for the day, and even though we weren't allowed to go down the flight of stairs due to an unfortunate accident in the previous years, the sight above can still amaze.
From left...
... to right...
Rocks below...
Our 2nd stop was San Carlos Borromeo Church, where we were encouraged to write our entries on the many "blank" books being kept there, too bad mom didn't have a pen with her that time though.
A church that holds a number of treasures...
The next order of business was lunch atop Marlboro Country, although we decided to have lunch after exploring a bit further down the hills, we didn't go too far though since it was so windy that I felt like I'd get blown away!
A bit foggy...
...and a lot windy!
Lunch of beef steak, fish balls and squash!
Alapad Hill and its rock formations were next, where our tour guide pointed out that this was the location where an iconic 80's Filipino film was shot, and even though I haven't seen that particular movie, I bet it beats seeing the real deal up close.
View from the hill...
... and some rock formations...
Who would leave their goat on a hill???
With afternoon fast approaching, we were then taken on a tour of Batanes' iconic stone houses, with the House of Dakay being one of the oldest still being in use to this day.
Someone actually still lives here!
Our next stop would probably run out of business if it were placed anywhere else other than Batanes since here at the Honesty Coffee Shop, customers are expected to list down their purchases and pay for the goods on their own, like there is no shopkeeper and the Ivatans just put their faith in humanity out there for the world to see!
The best policy!
I hope you don't mind more church locations since if there's one thing I noticed the Ivatans take care of more than their surroundings and homes, it's their churches. Although some may be in the process of renovation, the stone foundations of Mt. Carmel Chapel prove to stand the strong winds and erratic weather here in Batanes.
Why does it still surprise me to find a stone church in Batanes?
Not all structures have been fortunate enough to withstand the typhoons that passed years ago though, the Tukon Radar Station stands out like a sore (albeit broken) thumb amongst a landscape of greenery and sunshine.
A place that can withstand storms...
... most of the place though...
Hope they fix it soon to look as magnificent as the one in Tagaytay!
Talks of typhoons and strong winds aside, we later found ourselves stepping on egg-shaped rocks in Valugan Boulder Beach. Contrary to it's name, this is definitely not a beach that you swim in if the waves are strong enough to smooth rocks the size of boulders, though you'll probably find it entertaining to leave some "rock towers" behind before you go, I sure did!
Rocks shaped by the waves
My very own "rock tower"
More "rock towers" in the horizon
I didn't expect to enjoy the next set of hills we went to since Marlboro proved to be too windy to even walk straight but Vayang Rolling Hills got me the fix I needed.
Music over the hills...
It may not be as windy as Marlboro but it's still challenging with its narrower hilltops you'd probably not want to go tumbling down at.
I wouldn't dare take a step further...
It's nearing the end of our first day of tour, and it wouldn't be complete without a trip to one of Batanes' picturesque lighthouse. We managed to get to the top of Naidi Lighthouse and catch the last rays of sunset before the venue got closed off for a private 10-year wedding anniversary celebration, cheerios!
Can't wait to get to the top!
Catching the last rays of the sunset
That ends our tour for the 1st day here at Batanes, though my mom and I had quite a little adventure back near our accommodation when we went out to have dinner. Who knew the street signs and almost-identical looking walkways could be confusing?
Not to fear though, we somehow managed to recalibrate our sense of direction and found our eatery of choice, Beehan's, where I very much loved their fried calamari! Getting back to Katuvang proved easier once you've already familiarized yourselves with your surroundings, we also managed to buy some local wine at the nearby "pasalubong" center along the way.
It hit the right spot!
Perfect for a little nightcap, especially to dull the adrenaline still rushing through our brains with the day's events, since we needed to sleep early enough to be able to get to the port the next morning at around 6AM. Find out my next adventure on the island of Sabtang in my next post, see yah!
On our last day on Caramoan, we woke early enough to have our last breakfast at the inn before we got ready to go off. Since it was a 12-hour travel by the road, we had to start our day early if we still wanted to see some other sights on the way while also arriving at Manila at a decent hour.
Early enough to see the sunrise!
The town proper was a good few hours away from the place we were staying at and since it was a Sunday, we opted to stop by the church first, where I got to have my first adventure away from the sea!
St. Michael the Archangel Church of Caramoan
Not much people on a Sunday...
It's said that your prayers are mostly answered when it's your first time to visit a certain church, I'm not usually one for superstitions, but something did catch my attention though; a flight of stairs seemingly leading up to the bell tower. I guess it had something to do with being in a 400-year old church, (which I wouldn't usually find myself visiting anytime soon...) that got my gears kicking into action. I later found myself in a dusty old corner with another flight of stairs, and since I heard my other tour members wanting to check out the bell tower, I hurried up the steps without a second thought.
A flight of seemingly old stairs...
The next room seemed like a dead end with a child-sized window on one side and an old gate on the other, which had me thinking, "Nope! Not going that way!" so that left me with the window option. At this point, my other tour group members with in the same room looking around as well so I had to make a decision fast 'cuz the room was starting to feel a little cramped. Yep, I jumped out the window.
Turns out, the window was the right choice! Not only did it have a wonderful view of the surrounding town, it also had another set of stairs which lead directly to the bell tower.
Now that's what I call a pair of bells... :D
Civilization amidst Nature
We later found out that the bell tower wasn't exactly open to the public, as a church caretaker pointed out on our way down, but the experience already had my adrenaline pumping even as we were buying souvenirs outside the church property. I guess you could say I'll be needing the stairs' warm up for later.
Didn't really see any turtles near the beaches though...
Hours later, when I was on the verge of sleep, we finally stopped for another must-see spot. At this point, we weren't even halfway off Camarines Sur, but it felt like we were miles away from Caramoan now.
Tabgon Grotto Entrance
We were still technically in Caramoan, but the district of Tabgon is known for its 500+ step shrine which is otherwise known as Our Lady of Peace Grotto. Like I said, I wasn't one for superstitions but this was just too exciting to pass up, and I guess my little adventure back at the church felt kind of lacking.
They say a journey starts with a single step, so I better get started... #boythatsalotofsteps
View from up top... Are those some of the islands we've been to???
You could say I bit off more than I could chew, but I wasn't the type to discontinue something when I felt like I was already halfway there, I just needed a little push but what a climb it was!
Do people really go to church this high up top???
That look of achievement on me and my mom's face though...
After that experience, I was out like a light back at the van, which was a good thing 'cuz I heard it was somewhat of a bumpy ride on the way to our lunch stop.
Let me just say that Bigg's Diner is a pleasant surprise when you're travelling for long hours on the road, with its retro theme and big, comfy chairs, it's definitely an upgrade to the usual bus stops we've previously stopped at. Wish they'd have a few branches here in Manila though, it's definitely a place fit for diner dates and family sundaes.
#MajorThrowback
Pork BBQ 'cuz I've been eating fish these past few days...
At around 3pm, we made a side-trip to CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC) just to see some action; 'cuz I honestly felt too drained at this point to even think about joining in on the fun, fortunately the other tour members felt the same way so we left as soon as we all got bored of watching.
Did someone say, "SPLASH!"
I guess it mostly had a lot to do about the travelling time and the miles we still had to catch up on to get back to Manila, but I'd suggest to experience CWC on a whole different tour (while booking a cottage there too), and I'll probably take the plane to get there this time around.
We arrived at Manila at around 12MN, and even though my adventures mostly happened during the earlier half of the day, I suddenly felt that I missed my bed back at home; imagine I still had to go to work the following morning though, the horror.
Rise and shine! It's a new day from the island of Caramoan and that means more islands to explore!
Waking up by the sea...
I'm actually getting the hang of this adventure wherein we hop from one island to the next, although it wasn't exactly fun when we had to sit in the boat for at least an hour just to get to the first island of the day.
Our first stop for the day, Guinahoan Island, known for its lighthouse with a view that it's locals would like to call as "mini Batanes". I personally haven't been to Batanes, yet, but I do see the similarities with its rolling hills.
Like a flashlight...
Wondering if that'll be another island to explore...
Sound of music...
We didn't stay long though and we were soon on our way to Cotivas Island, where we ate our packed lunch (courtesy of the inn where we're staying at).
I spy some huts out there...
Cotivas was truly an island paradise and we spent a good few hours there too, but mostly because it rained and we didn't want to risk the waves that became temporarily turbulent due to the wind.
What's that white flag for though...?
Fortunately enough, the rain stopped as soon as it started so we still managed to enjoy swimming around the island before we had to leave for our last stop, Manlawi Sand Bar. Though sad to say we didn't get to see it and I partly blame the rain for that too.
Floating cottages anchored to the sand below...
See the line where the sky meets the sea...
We still waited until 3pm though, hoping we'd at least get to see a glimmer of sand, but we still had to alot an hour for our travelling time back to the mainland and it was getting considerably dark due to the rain clouds, so we had no choice but to leave. On the way back though, we passed through a forest of mangroves, which was kind of unnerving.
I blame myself for having watched Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom a few days before going on this vacation.
Can you just imagine leaning a little bit and then...
Dinosaurs and creepy swamp things aside, we managed to get back safely. Tonight's the last night though and I'll definitely miss the fresh fishes usually served for our main meals.
Stay tuned for my next post about the trip home though, I still managed to squeeze in a couple adventures before going back to reality.
So for the last days of summer, we still managed to squeeze in a few days of vacation. At first we were planning to go to Cagayan Valley up north, but due to an upcoming storm, our travel agency (A Whole New World Travels) suggested a last minute alternative (kudos to AWNW for the quick thinking).
This leads us down south in Caramoan located at Camarines Sur. Now if you've read some of my previous blog posts, you'd probably have an idea how AWNW travels work, the only difference this time was the meeting place which was at SM MOA. Travel time was at least 12 hours, so you can imagine how relieved I was when we finally arrived.
It was around 11 when we arrived and we were given time to get settled in while lunch was being prepared at the pension home we were staying in.
It surprisingly has large, air-conditioned rooms!
At around 1pm we set off for the first island of the day! Though I honestly didn't know what to expect but a bunch of islands and never-ending salt water, it was refreshing to go on vacation with an open mind and not knowing what new and exciting things will come your way.
Lahos Island, as I've come to observe, is a stretch of shockingly white sand between some rock formations which make for brilliant wave-crashing shots.
LandAhoy!
I guess it was due to the initial shock of seeing such a fine stretch of beach that I didn't get to wade into the waters. However, I made sure to make the most of our 2nd stop, Matukad Island.
Also known as the Enchanted Lagoon by its locals due to a pair of seemingly fresh water fish that kind of embodies Yin & Yang; it's said to grant wishes once you catch a glimmer of them. Unfortunately I didn't, (and I wasn't exactly sure what I was looking at...) but I did brave the climb up and the view was absolutely worth it!
Ain't no fishies here...
Just had to strike a pose :D
Finally got an aerial view of an island!
I also got to wade into the water a bit since I felt like I needed to cool down after the climb. It wasn't long before we had to leave for the last island for the day.
What a view!
Unlike Lahos Island, Minalahos Island was more rock than sand though (I guess that's how they named it, like "mini-lahos"), and since the rocks had an "edgier" look to them, I opted to stay in the water this time around.
When there's too little land, but too much people...
Staying close since I don't wanna drift away...
We got back at the inn just before the sun went down; I guess it's safer to navigate the waters that way. As for the night life, there's really not much to see as it's totally dark outside.
With that said, I'll be more than happy to blog about what happens on our 2nd day of island hopping. Until next time!
