Batanes: A paradise in Luzon, PH

Batanes is the smallest province in the Philippines and is located at the northernmost part of the country. It is said that no one can buy any piece of land in Batanes if you are not a local. It is their way of preserving the islands and its culture. They have a small community that is why Ivatan people is familiar with each other either by their names or by face. They are very friendly and have lots of stories to tell about their precious island.

  • Sunset at Vayang Rolling Hills
  • Vayang Rolling Hills

Batanes is indeed a BREATHTAKING PARADISE that will make you so happy yet feel so sad when you’re about to leave. I have read so many blogs stating that photos will not justify how beautiful Batanes is, so you better see it yourself and make your heart and eyes full 🙂 It exceeded my expectations and I really love the fact that all you can see everywhere is color green (trees and grass) and blue (ocean).

  • Sleeping beauty at my back
  • Chamantad Cove

One of the unique characteristics of Banates is their stone houses and buildings which was built many years ago. They said that these stone houses protect them when a strong typhoon hit their island. The walls of the house are very thick and made up of stones and lime while the roof was made of cogon grass.

  • Chavayan Vernacular House
  • Sabtang Vernacular House
Stone house featured in “Ikaw” MTV

Another gorgeous view I saw was the so called “Marlboro Hills”. It was my favorite place in Batanes because everything was in color green. An AWE-some view!

Beautiful Marlboro Hills

We spent 4 days in Batanes last July 2018 to celebrate my birthday. Unfortunately, there was a typhoon that time so our flight was delayed and our tour became 4 days instead of 5 days. The tours were compressed but we still managed to visit all the main attractions in the island. We availed the North and South Batan tour and Sabtang tour package. We traveled thru their famous tricycle and have tried the hair dress used by Ivatans to protect themselves from the heat and rain.

Although some are saying that visiting this place is expensive, many airlines are already offering cheaper flights and you can also find cheap homestays and tours there. If there’s a will, there’s a way 🙂

Here’s my few advices for you if you plan to visit Batanes: 1st, don’t forget to bring sunblock, hats or anything that you can use to cover your body from the heat of the sun. You’ll never know that you are getting sunburn until you come home. 2nd, do not visit Batanes during rainy season because there’s a big possibility that your flight might get cancelled. 3rd, book your flight in your trusted airline especially those who are flying to Batanes for a long time. Philippine Airlines and Skyjet are my recommended airlines 🙂 4th, you can have your tour by riding a tricycle. It is cheaper and you can enjoy the view more while travelling. Ivatans are trustworthy, you can leave your things anywhere and they are also good photographers. 5th, signal is not so good especially for globe users but it is a good chance for you to just enjoy your trip without being disturbed. Lastly, you can’t always find ATMs and restaurants so bring enough money and food (biscuits and bread) but you must try their delicacies to complete your Batanes experience 🙂

Japan 12 days Tour with Itinerary (DIY) and expenses

Japan is my 2nd out of the country experience and I can’t explain how amazing this country is. Well mannered people, beautiful tourist spots and temples, delicious foods and many more!

We went to Japan for our honeymoon, went there a month after our wedding (January) because I want to experience the snow. Although February is the ideal month for winter and snowfall in some places in Japan such us Kyoto and of course in Hokkaido. Would you guess if I was able to see the snow? hmm?

Day 1 to 3: OSAKA – Osaka Castle, Universal Studios and Dotonbori Area

Day 4 to 5: KYOTO – Fushimi-Inari Taisha Shrine, Arashiyama, Bamboo Forest & Kyoto Tower

Day 6: Travel to Tokyo, Explore Akihabara

Day 7: SKI at Snow Town Yeti with Mt. Fuji at the background

Day 8: Tokyo Tower – One Piece Tower

Day 9: Asakusa and Odaiba

Day 10 and 11: Explore Tokyo, Shopping, Meet Friends (free day)

Day 12: Going back to PH – sad but have to 😦

So.. here’s the exciting news.. I wished.. and then I did experienced the snow in Kyoto :)) It was not that heavy but still I’m so happy that I saw the snow fall. Yehey!

Breakdown of expenses (for 2 person):

  • Manila to Osaka flight – Cebu Pacific: Php 7, 798
  • Osaka to Tokyo flight – Jetstar: Php 6, 080
  • Tokyo to Narita Flight – Cebu Pacific: Php 5, 330
  • PH Airport Terminal fee: Php 1,620×2 = Php 3,240
  • Hotel in Osaka – Hotel Mikado South Namba: Php 2,725
  • Hotel in Kyoto – Hotel Gran Ms Kyoto: Php 5,632
  • Hotel in Tokyo – Smile Hotel Nihonbashi Mitsukoshimae: Php 16,705
  • ICOCA Card (can be use in trains, bus & convenience store) Osaka and Kyoto – preloaded with 1,500Jpy each: Php 2,010
  • Tokyo Subway tickets – 3 days unli ride: Php Php 1,098
  • One Piece Tower entrance fee: Php 2,712
  • Ski resort entrance fee with roundtrip transfer: Php 9,354
  • Narita to Tokyo bus fare (vice versa): Php 2,000

Over all total expenses for two (without food and shopping): Php 64, 684 (approximately Php 65,000)

Tipid Tips:
1. Book your ticket early and always tune in to your favorite airlines for their promos.(I booked our ticket 8 months early)
2. Book your hotel through Agoda, Booking.com, AirBnB, etc. at least 6 months before your travel date so you can avail cheaper price. You can look for hotels that offers free cancellation plus you can use it for your visa application.
3. We had the domestic flight (Osaka-Narita) because I was able to found cheaper flight than Shinkansen (bullet train) fare.
4. Be familiar to Klook (app) because they offer cheaper prices for train tickets, entrance fees and also discounted meal prices in some restaurants.
5. Food at supermarkets are cheaper than in convenience stores specially in the evening. Buy your bottled water in bigger size because it have the same prize with the smaller one. Some store offers free taste, don't be shy and try it for your free snacks 🙂
6. Exchange your PHP to USD so you can avail higher rate when you change it to JPY. You can also withdraw cash from ATM in Japan, the charge is not that big. 
7. Always do a research and prepare your itinerary beforehand so you don't have to spend your time doing it while you are travelling.

You can also watch this video for more info 🙂

I love Japan so much that I want to go back again and again. So many things to explore and have fun.

ENJOY TRAVELLING! 🙂

Exploring Leyte, Philippines

Travelers cannot explore Leyte without visiting the famous San Juanico Bridge. It is the longest bridge in the Philippines with a total length of 2.16km that connects Samar and Leyte. The bridge passes over the San Juanico Strait and is part of the Pan-Philippine Highway (Maharlika Highway), a network of roads, bridges, and sea routes that connect the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao in the country. 

Beautiful Islands in Leyte..

One of the islands we visited in Leyte is the Mahaba island which is one of the Cuatros Islas tour. The beach have fine white sand, crystalline waters that is perfect if you need to relax and unwind for a while.

From Tacloban airport, go to Tacloban New Bus Terminal, Brgy, Abucay and look for a van traveling to Inopacan; the fare is around Php250 and may take approximately 3 hours. Once in town, you can rent a boat for island hopping. The rates will depend on how big your group, minimum rate is Php3,000 per boat.

You can stay overnight here in this cute hut for Php250 per night (good for 2)

Another popular tourist destination in Leyte is the Kalanggaman Island. “Langgam” means bird in Bisaya languange and that is the reason why the island was called Kalanggaman. Locals said that many migratory birds from other countries are staying in their island during winter season.

From Tacloban airport, go to Tacloban New Bus Terminal, Brgy, Abucay and ride a van going to Palompon (approximately 3 hrs drive). You can get off at Palompon public market then go to the port where you can ride a pump boat. Travel time is about 60-90 minutes.

So here is the famous island. You can see the blue colors of the sky touching the sea. They perfectly blended with the white powdery sand.

You can go to Kalanggaman island for whole day or stay overnight but you should take note of these things prior your visit.

  • There are no restaurants, hotels/rooms on the island so bring your own food, drinks and equipment.
  • There is mobile phone signal on the island.
  • Overnight camping is allowed for a fee, you can bring your own tents.
  • There is no electricity in the island.
  • There is a public restroom with saltwater.
  • There is a tourism officer/police assigned on the island 24/7 who maintains order and enforce rules imposed by the local Tourism Office.