Batanes: Budget Itinerary and Expenses

With its rolling hills, sea and mountain breeze, and isolated location, Batanes is a dream destination for many. However, limited flights, turbulent weather, and expense considerations have also kept most out. Fortunately, there will always be one thing you can control with your Batanes trip without sacrificing on fun and activities -- how much you are going to spend.

Here's how we did our trip last February 2014. We skipped chartered transports and hotel accommodations and went about how locals would normally do. For 4D/3N, we spent a total of Php 3,089, excluding airfare.

Itinerary

Day 1: Biking around Batan Town

7:45 - Arrive at Basco Batanes via Philippine Airlines

8:00 - Walk to town proper and check-in @ DDD Habitat, Lopez St.

(It's an easy and interesting 15-min. walk. The locals are just getting up and you'll see them busy with their morning chores.)

Old ladies sweeping and pruning along the national road while younger men go off to work

8:30 - Walk to Abad St. Breakfast at Chili's canteen.

(The canteen is named so because they cook most of their meals with chili.)

9:00 - Walk to Amboy's Hardware @ Nunez St. Rent japanese-style bicycle.

9:30 - Start of bike tour around North Batan. Naidi Hills > Basco Lighthouse > Bunker's Cafe

(Go all the way down along Abad St. and then make a right at the last intersection. Follow the narrow road all the way through the park and residential houses. At the end of the road, make a right and then a left and then another left. This will be the first uphill ride but it's not that steep. Shortly after, you'll see a paved road on the left leading to a lighthouse.)

Steep road going up to the Naidi Hills where the Basco lighthouse and the Bunker's Cafe

11:00 - Go back down the road you came from and continue upward. It's going to be a ride alongside grassy hills with minimal shade from trees. When you come across a fork, take the upward left one. This one leads to the Vayang Rolling hills while the right one leads to the Basco dump facility.

Steep view of one of the hills with the Basco lighthouse at the background

12:30 - Head back down the way you came up to get back to the town proper.

13:00 - Get snacks or late lunch at 6 to 8 Panciteria along National Rd., near Ivatan Lodge. Aside from Pancit Batil Patong, they also have a wide menu of other snacks and meals.

14:00 - Make your way back to town through Contra Costa Rd (Caspo Rd.). Follow the two-way road until you see the airport compound. Make a left to continue along Contra Costa Rd. There is a sari-sari just by the corner. Follow the road all the way through to the boulder beach.

14:30 - Valugan Boulder Beach.

Stone stacking, or rock balancing, along Valugan Boulder beach while watching strong waves slam on the rocks

17:00 - Go back the way you came in along Contra Costa Rd. But instead of making a left at the intersection, make a right towards Basco Airport. At the Diversion Rd., turn left to Abad St. Make arrangements with Hiro's Cafe @ Abuyo St. in front of the Novita House for a take-away dinner.

18:00 - With your take-away dinner, head back up to the Naidi Hills to watch the sunset amidst a medley of cows, breeze, and waves.

(Alternatively, you can enjoy the sunset while waiting for the Bunker's cafe to open at around 6:30pm and have dinner there -- but it's pricey.)

Glorious sunset from Naidi Hills

18:30 - Bike back to town and to the lodge for rest and sleep. Bikes can be returned the following day.

Day 2: Tricycle tour around Sabtang Island

5:45 - Drop bikes off at Amboy's Hardware. Wait for jeep to San Vicente Port in Ivana along Abad St.

(There is only one regular trip every day. The jeeps goes across town to pick up passengers but it's safest to wait for it along Abad St. If you miss the jeep, you can charter a tricycle instead. Confirm with Amboy's for the jeep schedule.)

More pruning and cleaning work even before the sun has risen

7:00 - Depart for Sabtang Island via a Faluwa

(A Faluwa is a motorized boat without outriggers that is wider than normal. It is specifically designed by the Ivatans for safe crossing between Batan Island and Sabtang Island across the rough seas.)

Alight of people, goods, and motorcycles from the Faluwa

8:00 - Arrive at Sabtang port in Brgy. Sinakan. Charter one of the cogon-roofed tricycles for a whole day tour around the island.

8:15 - Registration @ Sabtang Heritage House

8:30 - Start of Sabtang Island tour. Savidug Vernacular houses > Traditional Lime Kilns > Savidug Ruins > Savidug Idjang > Chavayan Traditional Ivatan Village > Chavayan Community Tour > Sabtang Weavers' Association > Nakabuang Beach

Pretty Nakabuang Beach. The waves were strong so it wasn't advisable to swim during our visit in February

 12:00 - Have lunch @ canteen near Sabtang port.

(You can arrange for lunch at the canteen nearest the port before starting the tour in the morning. In our case, we ordered for lobster. Alternatively, you can also have your lunch at Nakabuang Beach. But this also has to be arranged in the morning with the restaurant itself or your tour operator.)

Two lobsters and a serving of rice without costing a fortune!

14:00 - Head back to Batan Island and then to Batan town

(The last trip from Sabtang Island leaves at 2pm because the sea tends to be rougher after that. In effect, the island tour lasts for only 6 hours. If you want to stay longer and visit the farther barangays, you can opt to spend the night at a homestay in Chavayan.)

16:00 - Check-in @ Crisan's Lodge along Dita St. Free time to just roam around Batan town.

Day 3: Biking around Batan Island

6:00 - Rent bicycle and have heavy breakfast.

(Our lodge rents out mountain bikes so we didn't have problems looking for one. Alternatively, it would be best to charter a bike the day before so you could start out early in the morning.)

7:00 - Start of bicycle tour. Mahatao > Diura Fishing Village > Marlboro Country > Itbud Village > Songsong Ruins > Alapad Hill > Chana'tuan Fields

(Whenever you're pedaling your way uphill and are just to give up, do remember that it won't always go up but that the ride downhill will always be exhilarating.)

Our first milestone: the municipality of Mahatao, with a view of early morning sweeping ladies again

Diura Port: an exhilarating downhill ride but dreadful uphill one. Good thing we managed to hitch a ride back up

We didn't have horns. So we blew our noses instead. :p

Racuh A Payaman with a view of Mt. Iraya and a looming storm

And after 30km or so, we're finally back where we started

12:00 - Have lunch @ Canteen of the South in Ivana

13:00 - Have second lunch @ Vatang Grill still in Ivana

(Vatang Grill is pricey so we didn't want to have to order a full meal)

14:30 - Ride up to Tukon. Mt. Carmel Chapel > PAGASA Radar Station > Fundacion Pacita

18:30 - Get back to lodge for some well-deserved rest

Day 4: Departure back to Manila

Expenses

Transportation

Airline fare (Manila - Basco - Manila) : P 7,267

Bicycle rental from Amboy's Hardware : P 200

Bicycle rental from Crisel's Lodge : P 220

Boat ride to Sabtang (round trip) : P 75

Jeep to San Vicente Port (round trip : P 54

Tricycle charter in Sabtang : P 450 (P900 divided by 2)

Transportation total with airfare : P 8,266

Transportation total without airfare : P 999

Accommodation

DDD Habitat @ Lopez St. : P 300 per person

Crisan Lodge @ Dita St. : P 250 per person (2 nights)

Accommodation total : P 800 

Meals

Chili's Canteen : P 66

Pancit Batil Patong : P 52.5 (P105 divided by 2)

Hiro's Cafe : P 75

Lobster Lunch : P 205 (P410 divided by 2)

Dietician's Cafe : P 30

Pizza (street between La Fuente and Dita Sts.) : P 205 (P410 divided by 2)

Canteen of the South : P 102.50

Vatang Grill : P 100 (P200 divided by 2)

SDC Canteen : P 46

Snacks : P 120

Groceries : P 88

Meals total : P 1,090

Miscellaneous

Registration @ Sabtang Heritage House : P 100

Service Tip : P 100

Miscellaneous total : P 200

Trip total with airfare : P 10,156

Trip total without airfare : P 3,089

Related Posts:

Batanes Travel Guide
Batanes Photos
Alapad Hill

Credits to yelmalab for the pictures

Poblacion Map of San Fernando, Sibuyan Island, Romblon

Maybe it was the noontime heat, maybe it was the hunger, but the first time I ventured out around the town of San Fernando in Sibuyan Island, I found it rather difficult to look for the things I need. It was just a small town and I imagine would easy to be familiar with. But for a starving first-time visitor, I figured a map of the municipality center would help a lot.

The streets have no names and there are no signs pointing to anywhere. But buildings are visibly labeled and serve as good landmarks. There are at least three eateries in town but they don't have reliable opening hours: (1) Kainan sa Audi in front of the plaza, (2) Smiley Eatery just past the market center, and (3) Some unnamed carinderias directly in front of the Market building.

Below is a map of San Fernando, Sibuyan Island in Romblon for general reference.

That time I was abroad for a month (2/3)

Kuala Lumpur - Ipoh - Cameron Highlands - Kuala Lumpur

I figured I'd split this post into at least three parts not only to keep each post short but also to segment it according to each event. This part narrates my buddy travels around Malaysia with a friend from high school.

13 February - 13 March 2015

Day 7: Kuala Lumpur - Ipoh

It was the last day of the Chinese New Year celebrations and people were on a travel exodus. We spent most of the morning catching up on sleep and chores in KL before navigating our way through scalpers for a ticket to Ipoh. It was past 2pm when we were finally ushered to a Penang-bound bus but it wasn't until 9pm when the bus dropped us off at Ipoh Amanjaya bus terminal. The trip that would normally take 3 hours stretched to 7 hours because of intense barely moving traffic at the Expressway.

Despite arriving really late at Ipoh, we still managed to find open establishments such as this Halal reggae "bar" that caters to Muslims looking for a night out and serves juice cocktails instead of alcoholic ones.

Day 8: Ipoh - Cameron Highlands

Ipoh is divided by the Kinta River into the Old Town, where the heritage sites are, and the New Town, where similarly old but not particularly significant buildings are. We have walked around the New Town the previous night/midnight so we ventured out to the Old Town the following morning. It was definitely the more interesting part of the city for a visitor. We had both popular and non-popular white coffee, stumbled upon quirky shops and displays, took pictures with well-maintained heritage buildings, gazed at iconic street art, and wandered through narrow pavements between both abandoned and restored houses.

The Old Uncle with White Coffee is one of the most iconic murals around Old Town, Ipoh. It depicts white coffee as part of the town's culture and heritage.

By mid-day, we were on our way to Cameron Highlands through lush rain forests, winding roads and fickle rains. The way up the mountain was smooth and fast but as soon as we passed the first town, tourist traffic again stalled us. We arrived around 7pm, after 4 hours on the road. Feeling a bit frustrated about the traffic and seeing all the street food, I suggested that we pool money and have a food trip. We had 5 sets of shared meals and spent a total of RM 20.30

For our first meal of the night, we ordered Lamb and Chicken satays from the first barbecue stall that I spotted. The guy already noticed us the first time we passed by because of my slight limp.

Day 9: Cameron Highlands - KL

Instead of joining a tour group and exploring faraway tea plantations and mossy forests, we walked out to the nearest jungle trail from Tanah Rata and did our own hike. Trail No. 10 is a well-marked jungle trail that tackles protruding tree roots and soft moss beds, peaks at a cell site, goes around Tanah Rata, and ends at adjacent Brinchang town. Arriving at Brinchang after 3 hours inside the jungle, we ate at the first hawker center we saw. Afterwards, we walked on and tortured ourselves at the weekend food market with all the local delicacies we cannot afford but was lucky enough to find one stall selling chocolate-dipped strawberries for RM 2.50 which was normally RM 4.00. Satisfied, we started walking back, considering to hitch a ride to skip the 4km walk, and fortunately caught the rare bus shuttle back to Tanah Rata. By 5:30 pm, after freshening up and taking advantage of free snacks at the hostel, we were on a bus going back to KL.

Jungle Trail No. 10 has visible trail markings every few hundred meters and on closed/dangerous trails to keep even inexperienced hikers safely on the path

Day 10: Putrajaya

After a few hours of restful sleep, we were on the move again and on the way to Putrajaya with my friend's officemates. It was a Sunday and they planned on culminating their long weekend with a visit to the pink mosque and an attempt to roller-blade. Putrajaya looked very ideal and new with its un-littered streets, parallel row houses, blooming flowers, and organized transportation. It was new indeed as most houses were still unoccuppied and there were relatively very few people around. We ended the day hunting for fastfood at the train station but still ended up at their favorite Malaysian restaurant, Venny's.

Roller blades, bikes, kick scooters, and giant bubble makers for rent around the skate park which is a great venue for quality time with family and friends

Day 11: KL

Instead of hopping on another train for a day tour to the nearby Batu caves, I decided to use the day to allow me to take a breather from my day-to-day city-hopping. I was actually falling sick and my left leg needed rest but I couldn't afford to stay in bed the whole day because I needed to prepare for my Penang departure the following day. I retraced our previous path back to Puduraya bus terminal to secure a bus ticket to Georgetown and then managed to find my way to Low Yat Plaza where I went back and forth several shops until I decided to just purchase a new smartphone to be able to insert a Malaysian sim card and have access to mobile internet. My Star Mobile phone unit was unheard of in Malaysia so they cannot "open line" it and Digi USB Internet dongles were out-of-stock everywhere. I met with my friend and her officemates afterwards and after an unsuccessful "lugaw" attempt, we again ended up at Venny's.

My chores-day OOTD: sneakers, pants, tank top, cardigan, knapsack, cap

Part 1: That time I was abroad for a month (1/3)
Part 3: That time I was abroad for a month (3/3)

Silvi of Germany

Student at Ludwig Maximillians Universitat || World and culture enthusiast

24 February - 6 March 2015 || Teluk Bahang, Malaysia

On my last day in Teluk Bahang, we hiked through a forest and onto an empty beach where we lied down and just enjoyed each other's presence

Upon arriving at the cat shelter in Teluk Bahang, Silvi was the first to introduce me to the cats. She was comfortable seated in one of the couches, watching the sea while petting a tiny orange kitten when I came in looking lost and awkward. She started talking to me, asking about my cat interests. And when I told her I haven't held one in a decade ever since we moved out from my childhood home, she immediately offered her kitten and gave quick tips on how to hold it. After which, she went back to watching the sea and savoring the ocean breeze while I enjoyed the same plus a kitten on my lap.

Although it doesn't look and sound like it, Silvi is a few years younger than me. She's still a University student but she's already aware of the wonders of the world, of the diverse culture and experiences outside her country, of the value of friendship, and of the pleasure of simplicity. These are the realizations I didn't have until a few years ago -- when I had more than enough time to reflect and meditate on life.

Aside from all these, Silvi is the most appreciative person in my world. She believes that there is no enough appreciation in this world and that it is important that people receive appreciation for whatever big or small thing they accomplished. It builds the confidence that everyone needs, she says. And I can vouch for this. One time, we decided to paint parts of the cat shelter partly for beatification and partly because there wasn't much to do. She urged me to help her draw the shelter's logo but I declined because I knew I had no flair for drawing no matter how simple it is. However, she didn't stop urging me and when I finally agreed, she complimented my tree drawing like it was an expertly painted art without a trace of sarcasm or hint of insincerity. That transformed my insecurity to amazement for her and to pride for myself. After that, I'd happily pick up the paint brush and color whatever she wants me to.