Sometimes, there are places when you just know it. The moment I peered down the plane window and saw the waves of lush green hills and valleys bathed in the beautiful morning rays of the sun, I knew it was going to be amazing. And amazing it was.
Visiting Batanes has only been on my list just recently. It had been a spontaneous plan, one that took form in my head while spending free time online at work thinking of ways to make good use of the then upcoming Vesak Day.
For those who are not aware, Batanes is a group of islands, a province found at the northernmost part of the Philippines. It has ten islands and only the biggest three are inhabited, namely Batan, Sabtang and Itbayat. Basco is the capital of Batanes and is in the island of Batan. It is where the airport is as well as most places that will remind you of human civilization.
So, I hopped on a plane, with my usual companions: backpack and cameras, few clothes to last me three to four days, comfortable footwear and some sunnies. I was ecstatic to leave bustling Singapore for three and a half days, so prepared to marvel at the beauty that awaits me.
I have dedicated an entirely different blog post on Basco, because the charm of how life is so simple and quiet there deserves a spotlight on its own.
Moving on. So here I was, at the northern-most province of the Philippines, on an island 101 miles north of mainland Luzon and about the same distance south of Taiwan. A year ago, I never even thought I would visit this place, let alone go all by myself. It was quite exhilarating, the feeling of going somewhere you have never been to before. The mystery, the uncertainty. Oh, what if something goes wrong? Oh, but what if it surprises you in all the good ways! Truth is, I have always thought that the places less traveled are the most special ones.
On each of the three days of discovering places in this province, I had a guide with me. Of course, there would be nobody to stop you if you wish to explore the islands on your own sans guide but it is still recommended that you have one because as Ryan (popular tour guide) has told me, it might be difficult to find your way around. Even though national roads are well-paved, there are places where you don't see any vehicle pass by for a long time and even lesser people to ask in the event you get lost in the middle of nowhere. But I don't claim to be all-knowing about this subject so please correct me if this is wrong.
It is obvious by now that Batanes is popular for how different it looks from the rest of the country. And by that, I mean the wide expanse of green hills, meadows, valleys and such with the abundance of cows and goats grazing on them. The very first place I went to was Vayang Rolling Hills. Pick a spot and picture yourself standing there. You can practically just slowly turn around and never lose sight of the green landscape that surrounds you. They are nothing short of beautiful, but mind you, there are areas that you walk on wherein one wrong step and failure of balance will literally send you rolling all the way down the hill. It's no mountain but it's still highly-elevated. You might bump into one of the grazing cows (or their poo) along your way down. It's not a happy thought, but yes. It is a sight to behold.
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| Dark clouds loom from a distance. |
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| Vayang Rolling Hills |
