I’ve always wanted to go to Batanes. There’s something about these far-flung islands and their quaint stone houses that beckon to me. Its supposed inaccessibility only made it all the more enticing. Batanes is actually closer to Taiwan than to Luzon, which is why going there is not cheap. A long time ago, I vowed to go there.
This year, I made my move.

To reach Batanes, one can either take a two-hour plane ride from Manila to Basco – its capital — or travel by land to Laoag City or Tuguegarao and then take a plane to Basco. My friend and I took the land trip and the plane ride from Laoag City for practical reasons.

Landing at Basco Airport, we were greeted by the imposing Mt. Iraya, a dormant volcano on the northernmost part of Batan Island. The arrival of a plane is an event eagerly awaited by the locals – the Ivatans – and tourists alike. Jeepneys, tricycles, and mopeds gather here whenever a plane lands. Getting a ride is only one option, though. The airport is so near the town center that one can walk to Basco town proper. To our surprise, there were now several inns that offer accommodations for city slickers like us. There used to be only Mama Lily’s. Our room at the Batanes Seaside Lodge overlooked Basco Bay and had a breathtaking view of Naidi Hills.

Our hosts for the day, Popsie and Warren, took us around the island. But first, we had to visit the town of Uyugan in the southern part of Batan. The townsfolk were celebrating their fiesta that day and everyone was welcome to partake of their feast. We ate a loadful from house to house before pursuing the tour of the island.

Somewhere along the coastal highway in Uyugan lies a picturesque cove. We couldn’t help but be in awe of the beautiful rock formations – nature’s own sculptural achievement. We then passed through a ghost village called Songsong, which was hit by a devastating earthquake in 1918. The ruins of a few houses were left standing and plans are underway to rehabilitate them.

We drove through the Interior Road on our way to a communal pastureland that Ivatans call Marlboro Country. It was breathtaking with tall grasses dividing the farmlands and cows and carabaos grazing freely. From here, we saw the rugged peak of Mt. Matarem.

We drove down to the Fishing Village or diura, where fishing families stay and make their living during the summer. Here, we got to see the dorados, a favorite fish among Ivatans, halved and deboned, hanging out to dry.

Next stop was an abandoned radar station on top of a hill in Tukon village. This spot offers a 360-degree view of the island, bounded by the South China Sea on one side, and the Pacific Ocean on the other.

It’s true that there are no strangers in Batanes. Everywhere we went, Ivatans nodded and smiled at us with a greeting. At the inn, we left our windows open all the time. The Ivatans told us we need not worry about losing anything here, or buying anything overpriced. A monument to the Ivatans’ honesty is a small eatery in the town of Ivana called Honesty Coffee Shop. Here, one can get anything, from a cup of coffee to soft drinks and instant noodles. Prices are listed on a small piece of cardboard. All the customer has to do is leave his payment in a small can; he may get his change, too.

There are no markets or malls in Batanes. No cinemas either. And no cellphone signal. But these days, one is not totally isolated from the rest of the world – most houses in Batan have cable television. With the advent of the satellite phone system, some homes already have telephones. Batanes is now on line, as well. There were about six PCs at an Internet shop along Abad Street in the middle of town, all occupied when we took a peek inside. However, electric power runs only from 6 a.m. until 12 midnight. Ivatans hope to enjoy a 24-hour power supply soon; we were told that the local government is putting up a wind hybrid power system.

A visit to Batanes is never complete without a trip to the other islands that comprise the province. On our second day, we went to Sabtang Island, a 40-minute motor boat ride from the quaint town of Ivana. The falowa, a passenger boat capable of carrying around 20 passengers, arrived at the pier 15 minutes earlier than scheduled. We boarded the boat at once and in no time at all, were out in the open seas, where the waves from the South China Sea and the Balintang Channel meet.

From afar, Sabtang looked just like Batan but upon setting foot on the island, one notices the marked difference. That Saturday morning, the town was quiet and peaceful. The Church of San Vicente seemed like a magnet to tourists like us, with its white façade illuminating the blue skies. Inside, the altar and the aisles are adorned for the town’s fiesta celebration and Santacruzan.

We walked around Centro (the town proper) and soon reached the charming villages of Malakdang and Sinakan. All of the houses here are made of stone. We chatted for a while with an old lady who let us inside her lime and stone house. The house itself has a cool temperature while it is warm during stormy months. Only three walls have windows, another feature of the traditional Ivatan house. The windowless wall faces the direction from which the strongest winds come during the typhoon season.

Sabtang island is outlined by tidal reefs and rock formations, but there’s a pervading sense of antiquity here. Its villages are more charming and picturesque. It is an island in another time and space – its rugged shorelines, intermittently sandy beaches, steep hills and deep canyons seem to have come straight out of an impressionist painting.

On our last full day on the island, we explored the rocky shorelines and the steep hills of Batan. The Ivatans recommended a dip at White Beach near Mahatao or at the cove they call Blue Lagoon. The waters were so clear one can see the coral reefs below. The locals are proud of the fact that everything here is free of charge, even the picnic huts. The Ivatans come here often. As we left, we saw other groups and families taking their children to the beach.

In the afternoon, we brought a bottle of wine to the view deck along the national highway, where our sunset awaited us. As it moved westward, we preserved the images of the grassy hills tended by man and the rugged cliffs sculpted by nature. And then the sun went down, its rays forming a mixture of purple, gold, and orange hues on a backdrop of blue skies. As the sun set, it painted an illuminating line of diamonds in the water, a perfect scene that we hoped our cameras captured. The sun met the sea one more time, and then it was gone.

The next day, we spent a few hours in Chadpidan Bay, near the slopes of Mt. Iraya. From here, we saw the nearby islands of Dinem and Itbayat. Our Ivatan friend told us to visit Itbayat when we come back, where a different experience awaits us. We agreed to make another visit during the “winter” season so we can feel the wild winds and the rough seas. Sounds scary but there’s nothing like the forces of nature to lure us back into this paradise.