My Batanes Itinerary

My Batanes Itinerary
(4 days and 3 nights at Fundacion Pacita)
(Free and Easy Tour)

My Tip:
If you are going to Batanes for the first time and would like to get full value for the trip, my suggestions are:

1. Stay at least 4 days.

•   This means that Day 1 is the day you arrive and day 4 is the day you depart. As of this writing (August 2010),  only SEAIR flies to Batanes. Their daily Manila-Batanes flight is scheduled in the morning and the Batanes-Manila return flight is also in the morning. Therefore on Day 4, you no longer have a day to go around Batanes because you need to take the morning flight to Manila.
• Regular flights to Batanes are very expensive. To  get the full value of your trip, you need to stay longer. The additional cost per night for the accomodation is relatively cheap compared to the cost of returning and flying again to Batanes to see what you missed the last time.
• In case you're unable to return to Batanes for another vacation, you will be able to see and do everything already if you stay 4 days. 

2. Stay at Fundacion Pacita

• If you are going to Batanes for the very first time, I urge you to stay at Fundacion Pacita. You have already spent a lot for your airfare so you might as well stay at Fundacion Pacita to make the trip one of your most memorable. Fundacion Pacita is located on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the rolling hills of Batanes. No other hotel, resort or inn in Batanes has that enviable view and tastefully designed rooms.
• If you cannot afford Fundacion Pacita, Batanes Resort is a far second in ranking.

Day 1

Departure from Manila, Arrival at Basco Airport, Half-day Batanes cultural heritage tour

     5 am: wakeup

     6 am: leave the house and go to the Manila Domestic 

                 Airport   

• see how to go to the Manila Domestic Airport

     720 am: arrival at the Manila Domestic Airport  

• see facilities of the Manila Domestic Airport

     820 am: departure from Manila via Seair DG605

•  see the experience of flying Seair

     1005 am: arrival at Basco Airport

• We booked Fundacion Pacita so we were picked up from the airport by the staff of Fundacion Pacita.

• If your resort does not include free airport pick up, here are your other airport transfer options

     11am: check-in at Fundacion Pacita

     12nn: lunch at Fundacion Pacita

     2pm-6pm: Batanes cultural heritage tour courtesy of Fundacion Pacita

• This is the free cultural heritage tour included in the room rate.

     7pm: dinner at Basco Lighthouse

Day 2

Half-day Batanes cultural heritage tour (not covered by the Fundacion Pacita sponsored heritage tour)

     7 am: wakeup

     8 am: free breakfast at Fundacion Pacita

     11am: pick-up by hired van to go to Basco town

     12nn-2pm: lunch at Pension Ivatan

     2pm-6pm: Batanes cultural heritage tour

• We booked this on our own to cover places not included by the Fundacion Pacita tour.

     7pm: dinner at Fundacion Pacita

Day 3

Beach, Motorcycle Tour around Batan Island

     7 am: wakeup

     8 am: free breakfast at Fundacion Pacita

     9-11am: explored the beach below Fundacion Pacita

     11am: hired a motorcycle to explore Batan Island

     12-2pm: Lunch at Pension Ivatan
     2-6pm: Motorcycle tour around Batan Island

     7pm: dinner at Fundacion Pacita

OR

SABTANG ISLAND TOUR

• If you have kids with you, you cannot do the motorcycle tour I mentioned above, you can instead take the Sabtang Island Tour where you can also visit and have lunch at Nakabuang Beach
• To make the most of the trip, others would prefer to take the Sabtang Island tour. My husband and I prefer the free and easy tour so we chose to motorbike around Batan Island instead.

Day 4

Departure from Basco, Arrival in Manila

     7 am: wakeup

     8 am: free breakfast at Fundacion Pacita

     9am: departure from Fundacion Pacita

     930am: arrival at Basco airport

     1020am: departure from Basco via Seair DG0606
     1130am: arrival in Manila

Pasalubong and souvenirs

I actually had a hard time finding pasalubong and souvenirs at Batanes. There was no one selling them at the sights we went to. There are two places I saw where you can find them:

1. At the Basco town market 

• garlic, flying fish fillet, marinated flying fish

2. At the airport grounds

•  ref magnets, tshirts, garlic chips, camote chips, etc.

Total cost of trip: under construction