I am planning to go to Batanes in a few months. Ever since I knew about the place and its culture, I have always dreamed of going there. It's rugged landscape, unique culture and funky architecture makes you think you are not in the Philippines. They say that electricity is scarce in there and that it's "rationed", rooms are most likely not airconditioned and transportation is not very reliable. In other words, it's the perfect place to get some time off from our hurried electric and gasoline powered lives. Unfortunately, because the place is remote and the weather up there is such a biatch, there are not that many tourists going there, hence, not much reliable info. From what I've learned from my friend Google, there is now a flight going into Basco, Batanes itself. This route is serviced by SeaAir, their pilots must have balls of brass; if I remember it right, SeaAir used to be called Asian Spirit. Do you guys remember Asian Spirit? You know, the one where you are most likely to turn into a spirit, because they crash often. Anyway, I would not want to take a plane directly to Basco. Not because I don't trust the airline, it's because getting there is part of the adventure. Flying in there directly sort of kills the thrill. What I would want to do is fly into Ilocos Norte and then get into a boat to batanes. Let's face it, riding a bus from Manila to Laoag isn't much of an adventure, so I'd rather just fly. From the pictures I've seen before of the rough seas and even rougher port in Batanes, the boat ride might be quite an adventure in itself. There is a town called Currimao, yes there is such a town, I googled it, and it serves as the jump off point to Batanes; I haven't been able to dig up some boat schedules yet though. I have read about some places to stay there and one place in particular, Fundacion Pacita, seems like the local Shangrila. I'm still thinking about where to stay exactly because that place, though very tempting in their description, seems a bit heavy on the pockets. I am still searching for more info and polishing up my plan, so any info will be very much appreciated. Info about getting there and travelling options will be really helpful.
