The Girl Behind the Pen

It's a traditional recipe of pork cooked with just rock salt. It is then stored in jars drowning in its own lard. This is the Ivatans' way of preserving pork. Luñis is quite similar to dried pork adobo. This is best served with supas (turmeric rice), another Ivatan specialty.

I also tried the unconventional sinigang na luñis and it's undeniably delicious!

When I'm traveling, I make it a point to not visit a foreign country or province during the wet season. I've never been a fan of the rain. So when the time came that I'll head to Batanes for vacation, it was really hard to think about the best time to visit Batanes because it's like the ground zero of typhoons before it hits the greater Manila.

But, does timing really matter?

Of course, and it will always be. So come June of this year, the start of typhoon season in the Philippines, I traveled to Batanes— on the season I'm most afraid of. Because of seat sale? No, in fact, I bought my one-way ticket two weeks before the trip.

Best time to visit Batanes

The best time to visit Batanes depends on your preferences. March to May is the dry season so you may want to make the most of your summer by visiting Batanes during this time since the province is frequented by typhoons. But if you want to experience Batanes at its finest, the best time to visit is in the last week of June for Batanes Day or Vakul-Kanayi festival.

I went to Batanes on June because it's the best time to visit Batanes as locals say. Every June, the locals celebrate Batanes Day— one should experience when in Batanes—where they hold fun activities, parades, sports fest, pageants, trade and food fairs for a week-long festivity.

One of the things I enjoyed during the Batanes Day was the Tatus Relay. Tatus means coconut crab. In this game, participants will race to finish line. The fun part here? They race backwards with their hands and feet on the ground like a crab. This sure was very entertaining both to locals and tourists.

The Miss Batanes 2019 finalists also paraded their beautiful faces wearing native dresses while on their respective floats.

And the thing that excited me most was the community lunch where people would line up for Vunung and eat it together. There were at least four trucks loaded with Vunungs for the locals and tourists to feast on. 

TRIVIA: Vunung is the Ivatans' traditional way of serving food. They wrap the meal on Kabaya leaves. Usually, these are served on special occasions like weddings where people help hand in hand in the preparations without compensation.

Even the day was scorching hot, I lined up with the Ivatans to experience the famous Vunung. And for the first time, ever since I traveled, I felt like a local.

On the Vunung I ate, there were Luñis (Ivatans' version of adobo) and Supas (rice with turmeric pulp, garlic and pork bits.)

Indeed, Batanes Day was all sorts of fun. You'll find yourself smiling even for the simplest reasons there could ever be. When in Batanes, prepare for a wonderful journey waiting for you.

I thought it would only remain a dream until June of this year, I found myself setting my feet on the solid grounds of Batanes.

Before going to Batanes, I've always thought why "Breathtaking Batanes" appears on geo tags on Instagram. I wondered if there's such place, but there's none.

When I saw Batanes, I finally understood why it's called "Breathtaking Batanes." Its vast greenery, hills, stunning sunset views everywhere, and crashing waves from the ocean surely take one's breath away.

Racuh A Payaman which many refer to as Marlboro Country is something I'd never forget. Once up there, there's an unexplainable pleasure you'll get that only nature can give. I've gone there twice, yet same feelings arose.

At Racuh A Payaman, you'll get a view of the Mt. Iraya, Diura Beach, Tayid Lighthouse and the Pacific Ocean.

I also noticed, there are no huge establishments, fast-food restaurants or malls in the province. Most of the houses and buildings are small. From my research, there were lesser structures back then than now. Some structures stand in the way, blocking views, but not tall enough to block the hills and clouds like in Manila.

Traffic is nonexistent here. The primary mode of transportation in Batanes is motorcycle or tricycle. If you know how to drive a motorcycle, it's better to rent one because it's cheaper than tricycles or vans. 

Another iconic sign of Batanes is the lighthouse. They never run out of lighthouses. Some that I saw are the Basco Lighthouse, Sabtang Lighthouse, and Tayid Lighthouse. To me, the most beautiful is the latter.


The Honesty Shop is also a must-visit for the tourists. It's the famous coffee shop in the province where no one mans the store. Customers can buy food and souvenirs there and put the payment on the counter. What surprised me was there's a kubo and hammocks down the shop and in front of it is a serene view of the beach.

Although Batanes is not known for palm trees and beaches, they too, have beautiful beaches to boast of. One is the Morong Beach in Sabtang where you'll also find the Nakabuang Arch. The sand there is finer than other beaches in the province.


Add also to your list the Valugan Boulder Beach. Taking it from its name, the beach is full of boulders and less sand.

I'd also have to say that Batanes is very clean. Labeled trash cans are everywhere, locals' backyards are neat. I almost bowed to Batanes government for keeping the province incredibly clean, until I saw plastic wrappers lying on the sand and one floating on Blue Lagoon. But, these are not as worse as Manila Bay's trash. 

Of course, no Batanes trip is complete without visiting the stone houses. Good thing the traditional Ivatan houses made of stones and cogon still exist. You can see more in Sabtang and only few in Basco, the province's capital.

I live in a small town dubbed as the place where everybody knows everybody. Same goes in Batanes. It's the smallest province in the Philippines after all so it's not impossible to know everyone. My relatives said, Ivatans are some of the nicest people in the country. And they're right. 

I was told to greet the elderlies even if I don't know them, to show respect. Because this was something I'm not used to do, it was awkward for me but I had to so I did. Ivatans greet everyone by honking, waving and simply smiling to one another.

Words aren't enough how happy I was visiting Batanes because even for a short period of time, I was away from the urban mess and the pressures of modern life.

Through the eyes of a first-timer, Batanes is undeniably fascinating and worthy to come back for.