I always dream of going to Batanes, Philippines.
A very beautiful and pristine place.
This is how travelphilippineisland.com describes BATANES:
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 (the tip of main island of Luzon) while it is only 190 kilometers south of Taiwan. Batanes lies in the vast waters of the Pacific ocean where the Pacific meets China sea. An area that for generations is almost isolated from the rest of the Philippines. Batanes consist of 10 tiny islands and islets namely: Batan, Sabtang, Itbayat, Mavudis, Siayan, Diogo, North Island and Y'ami. Only the first three islands are inhabited.
The wind swept islands of Batanes are beautiful and enchanting and they are like no other in the Philippines. Since Batanes is separated from the country by miles of rough waters, the Ivatans (the name of the people of Batanes) have developed a different culture. Ivatans are honest, gentle and polite but brave and robust. They are proud of their their heritage and their land.
View overlooking the beach sea and mountainsThe landscape of Batanes is also distinct from other Philippine provinces - steep cliffs, rolling hills, deep canyons and boulder-lined shores - not unlike New Zealand in some way. But the most noticeable of all features of Batanes is the architecture of the houses - stone walled and thick thatched roofs to withstand the battering of typhoons.
Places of Interest in Batanes:
● House of Dakay (1887) a UNESCO heritage building
● Lighthouses of Batanes
● St. Dominic de Guzman Parish Cathedral
● Mt. Iraya - A 1008-meter mountain on Batan Island
● Mahatao View Deck
● Burial Caves - Pre-historic burial caves in the town of Itbayat
● Sumhao Wind Power Plant
● Nakaboang Beach, Ark & Cave
● Songsong Ruins
● Beaches - Chadpidan Beach, White Beach and more
● Payaman - known as "Marlboro Country", a pasture overlooking farm fields & the Pacific Ocean
