Half-Day Cultural Heritage Tour of Batanes
(First Day)
If you stayed at Fundacion Pacita several years ago like we did, the package included a complimentary half-day cultural heritage tour of Batanes. The itinerary below is the complimentary tour we took at Fundacion Pacita in March 2010. We arrived in Batanes in the morning and took this tour in the afternoon.
Since October 31, 2011, Fundacion Pacita phased out its complimentary tours. However, I still think this itinerary will be useful to those who wish to take half-day tours, combining a slow, relaxing morning with some sightseeing in the afternoon. The guide we used for this tour is Roger Doplito.
But take note: this half-day tour does not include all the must see sights on Batan Island, like Marlborough Hills. I still recommend that you take another half-day tour which includes Marlborough Hills. This tour is best taken in the afternoon of your arrival as a nice introduction to the Batanes you will see in the next few days. We also took another tour in the afternoon of the second day of our trip. More of that in a subsequent post.
Advantage of taking half-day afternoon tours
You don't need to wake up early and rush into sightseeing.
Disadvantage of taking half-day afternoon tours
You pay the guide twice instead of just once for the whole day tour. The van rental depends on the number of hours you use it. But the guide is paid on a per day basis. Everything however is negotiable. So perhaps you can negotiate a discounted rate with your guide, especially when you arrive during low season.
The half-day tour is conducted the day of your arrival. It lasts from 2pm-6pm. The tour includes the ff:
2:00PM:
1st stop: Radar Tukon
Our guide, Roger Doplito, explaining how this device records
how sunny it is during different parts of the day. When the sun is out, the heat of the sun burns a path on the piece of paper inserted in the device. |
Because of the strength of Batanes winds, hedgerows are planted to shield their crops from the strength of the wind.
The crisscross pattern that you can see above are the hedgerows. |
3:00PM
2nd stop: Chanarian View Deck
The Chanarian view deck has stairs you can use to get a closer view of the site.
|
This is halfway down the steps. |
The view below. You can still go further down if you want to. |
3rd stop: Mahatao: San Carlos Borromeo Church
4th stop: Oldest house
4:00PM
5th stop: Ivana
Ivana Church
Ruins of the 1st Church of San Jose
Ivana Port with Jackstones
Honesty Coffee Shop
Outside Honesty Coffee shop |
Inside Honesty Coffee Shop |
The Rules inside the coffee shop |
Vakul (Batanes headress) for kids being sold at Honesty Coffee shop |
5:00PM
6th stop: Naidi Hills
A Batanes woman wearing the traditional vakul |
6:00PM
7th stop Basco lighthouse
7:00PM
Dinner at Basco lighthouse
Note: We paid driver and van overtime because we went beyond 6pm