Batanes Group of Islands – Most Beautiful in the Philippines
Batanes group of islands is the most beautiful place in the Philippines. Batanes is picturesque and totally enchanting, if Camelot truly exists, then it must be something like Batanes. It is part of the 7000 plus islands of the Philippines but is almost isolated from the rest of the country. The Ivatans, the name of the people of Batanes, have developed their very own culture of which they are very proud of. They are honest, polite and gentle people but brave and courageous having been honed by the isolation and harsh weather condition in the islands.
Batanes Islands are Amazing
The landscape of Batanes is like no other in the Philippines. It has steep wind-swept cliffs, cavernous canyons, undulating grass covered hills and rock –strewn shores. It is always cool and windy in Batanes and in the months of December to February it gets real chilly. Batanes is in the typhoon belt and it gets more than its fair share of typhoons but when the sun is out, Batanes is simply marvelous.
There are no big hotel chains or resorts in Batanes nor is this a place to seek for thrills and sybaritic enjoyment. But there are modest but clean and well maintained accommodations for tourists. One perceptible feature of Batanes is the unique architecture of its houses. Made of stone with thatched roofs, these houses are built to withstand strong typhoons.
Island hoping is a lovely experience so is swimming in the numerous beaches and in sometimes calm, sometimes turbulent seas. But what Batanes truly offers its visitors is its outstanding beauty and tranquility that is a balm to the soul. This is a place where a person can again commune with nature at its utmost splendor.
Batanes can be reached by air from Manila. There are early morning flights daily via SEAir from Manila to Basco, the capital of Batanes. A visitor can also travel by sea. MV Ivatan Princess (ferry) sails from Curimao, Ilocos Norte every Wednesday and Sunday.
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