The Magic of Batanes

The Magic of Batanes 

 

Modern contemporary living has its own appeal to most people. However, a rest from its noise, pollution, and crowded cities is always a welcome rest for the jaded soul. One sure place to give this respite is Batanes, an island province in the northernmost part of the Philippines.

Unlike any other place in the country, my fascination with Batanes lay in its raw and pristine beauty. Compared by some to the Scottish Highlands, Batanes is rugged and provincial. With no posh hotels, elegant malls and classy restaurants, its charm lies in its rustic setting amidst a backdrop of magnificent scenery only heaven could match.

Touring the island, I was completely in awe at the majestic mountains of Racuh a Payaman. The endless rolling hills, known to some as Marlboro Country because of its wide grasslands, is home to cattle and horses that roam around it freely. We reached the top of the mountain just as the sun set across the horizon. The shades of yellow, orange and red were bright and beautiful. It was so beautiful in fact I had to remind myself that this was actually real and that I was not looking at a heady mix of colors splashed on a painter’s palette. This, and the cool mountain wind, provided a tranquil spirit for the nature lover that I was.  

BATANES ISLAND

• The Batanes island group is the smallest province in the Philippines in terms of population and land area. The capital of Batanes, Basco is 280 kilometers north of Apari, Cagayan. Batanes