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One of the things that always surprises my readers whenever they request a Batanes itinerary<\/a> or a top list of things to do in Batanes is when they discover the fact that I grew up in this stunning group of Philippine islands. (Though I was born in Manila, I was raised in Batanes \u2014 not to mention the fact that I\u2019m a full-blooded Ivatan local \u2014 and I stayed there up until I was 15. So YES, I\u2019m a legit island girl!)<\/em><\/p>\n \u00bb READ:<\/strong> Batanes Itinerary for 5 Days<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n 2026 TRAVEL UPDATE: <\/strong>Batanes now uses a visitor registration system<\/a>. Travelers are encouraged to complete the required registration before arrival or through an accredited tour operator and to check the Batanes Heritage and Tourism Office for the latest entry, access, and tourism requirements.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Now if you\u2019re reading this and you\u2019re not from the Philippines<\/a>, let me tell you some fascinating facts about my lovely hometown.\n
NOTE: Simply click the \u2018+\u2019 symbol below to open up the section<\/sup><\/em><\/p>\n\n
Batanes is the northern-most group of islands in the Philippines and\u00a0it is dubbed by tourism officials\u00a0as the country\u2019s \u2018Home of the Winds<\/em>\u2018 due to its generally cool and windy weather. It\u2019s\u00a0a small province that comprises of 10 islands but with only 3 inhabited ones, namely: Batan, Sabtang<\/a>, & Itbayat \u2014 with Batan being\u00a0the main island and the most populated one\u00a0as it has\u00a06 districts\u00a0(one of which is Basco, the provincial \u2018capital\u2019 which I have lived in for 15 years).<\/em>\n\n
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More or less Php 4,000 to 10,000 for a one-way trip\u2026 that\u2019s expensive, right?<\/em> But I kid you not, it\u2019s going to be worth it<\/strong> and you\u2019ll know why, not only with the photos I\u2019ll be posting but also with the top 10 list of things to do in Batanes that I\u2019ll be sharing.\n\n
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We have a\u00a0total population of only 16,000+, making us the smallest province in the country. Given this fact, it\u2019s expected that almost every local know who\u2019s who. As long as you mention your last name, they will likely say: \u201cAh! You\u2019re the daughter\u00a0of Adalid! How\u2019s your mom?\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 something like that.\n\n
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Our family often went\u00a0to Manila for vacations when I was young. Whenever I meet new people or if they hear my \u2018unusual\u2019 language, I have to tell them\u00a0where I came from; once\u00a0I do, they always reply back with an: \u201cAh, Batangas!<\/em>\u201d (A big province in southwestern Luzon). I will, of course, try to correct them and\u00a0when they finally get what I\u2019m saying, there will still be this puzzled expression on their faces\u00a0since they obviously have never\u00a0heard of my hometown at all.\u00a0Eventually, I just\u00a0felt that it was a lost cause to try and correct them all the time. But after tourism efforts picked\u00a0up some steam around 2008, Batanes is now one of the most sought-out destinations in the Philippines<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 so instead of the past reactions that I have been receiving, I am now met with phrases like: \u201cOMG you\u2019re from Batanes?!<\/em>\u201d (Besides,\u00a0it\u2019s not every day that you meet someone from my province).\n