Monday, August 22, 2016

Let's Explore Batanes - Paradise of the North

Rolling hills. Grassy lands. Limestone-made houses. Cattle freely roaming the hills.

Welcome to Batanes! It is the smallest province in the Northern part of Philippines, both in population and land area. Basco is the capital of the province.  It consists of 10 islands but only three islands are inhabited, namely Batan (second largest), Sabtang and Itbayat (largest). People of Batanes are called Ivatans and they speak either Ivatan, Itbayet or Ilocano.






People often think this this province is always battered by typhoons. Not so according to Wikipedia.
"Batanes is mentioned frequently in connection with typhoons because it holds the northernmost weather station in the Philippines and is thus a reference point for all typhoons that enter the Philippine area." Monthly average temperature ranges from 22 degrees Celsius to 28 degrees Celsius.

Weather in Batanes is relatively cooler even during summer.  The coldest months start December and lasts until February.  Rain is distributed throughout the year.  Dry season is from April to June.


Ivatan traditional cuisine, though simple, is worth trying. They say it will make you go back to Batanes.
  1. Bagun a yuyunu – Salted small fish (local anchovies)
  2. Vunes – Dried young gabi stalk chopped in fish, beef, pork, or fowl.
  3. Lataven – Raw fish mixed with minced ginger and onions,  calamansi juice,
    hot pepper,  and blanched with boiling fish broth.
  4. Lunyis – Salted pork fried in its own lard
  5. Chinavules – Steamed young gabi leaves mixed with diced ginger, garlic, onions and salt.
  6. Uved (called Tabtab in Sabtang island) – Grated banana corm mixed with minced fish or ground pork or beef.
  7. Yellow rice – Sticky rice cooked in yellow ginger (turmeric) extract and pork

Juana Explore Travel Desk offers various tour packages in Batanes. 

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Source:
Wikipedia and Batanes.gov.ph

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