South Batan Tour – Team Promising Goes to Batanes

Just jump and have some fun!

Batanes is such a lovely place that you can stand in the middle of the road and do a jump shot without worrying of getting hit! Then you got that naturally picturesque background - indeed - breathtaking Batanes.

Paderes Point and Cliff Road

South Batan Tour start around 9 in the morning. Our first stop is @ Paderes Point and Cliff Road. No need for words, just look at those pictures :)

Chawa Viewing Deck

You can sit here for a while watch the mountain on your left and the ocean on your right. Breathe in the freshness of Batanes. 

Mahatao Boat Shelter Port

Mahatao Boat Shelter is said to be a safe harbor for boats to avoid being carried in the ocean during storm. With its bluish water, this is one amazing view!

San Carlos Borromeo Church

Before we take our lunch, we pass by San Carlos Borromeo Church. This church is also known as Mahatao Church.  

Next to Mahatao Church is where you can find their souvenir store where you can also find this library-looking room full of books with empty pages. Batanes travelers can write anything they want in these books hence they call it "Open Book".

The Principal of Open Book Library :)

Mahatao Lighthouse (front view)

This is one of the popular lighthouses in Basco!

Mahatao Spanish Lighthouse (side view)

Mahatao Spanish Lighthouse (back view)

Malapad Rock Formation

Lunch

Lunch is included in our tour package and we had one sumptous lunch @ Paulvanas!

White Beach and Hohmoron Lagoon

White beach in Batanes? Yeah they have one! 

House of Dakay and Old Spanish Bridge

This is the oldest stone house in Batanes.

San Jose de Ivana Church and Ruins

Before going to Honesty Store, it is perhaps best to pray first in this big church facing the sea!

On our way to the Big Bell!

The Bell of San Jose de Ivana!

Honesty Store

This is a test@!@!@!

With the traditional Ivatan dress!

How to pay in Honesty Store

Our Lady of Miraculous Medal in Itbud

Another part of our Visita Iglesia in Batanes!

Kunwari mabait pose!

Alapad Hills and Rock Formation

Where the road leads to better view!

Racuh a Payaman aka Marlboro Hills

And yeas, this is the better or rather best view that you can get. Enjoy lying in the grass, watching the ocean and waiting for the sunset!

For things to know before visiting Batanes, click here.

For our North Batan tour, click here.

For our Sabtang Tour, click here.

For our Daguisit (Baler) Tour, click here.

For our Sirao Farm (Cebu) Tour, click here.

For our Minalungao Tour, click here.

Visiting Dipaculao, Aurora (Family Time it is)

Visiting beaches is one of the best things to do when planning to spend time with family. Since we are just a few hours from Baler, the family decided to visit the province but went past it to get to DIpaculao. Dipaculao is just 30 minutes away from Baler.

What to do in Dipaculao?

Once you enter the town of Dipaculao, you will be greeted by its beautiful shoreline. Unlike the rocky shorelines of Baler, Dipaculao beaches are better options when it comes to people who wants to just take a dip and are not into surfing. There are rocky parts as well though that gives it an Instagram worthy background. 

A number of resorts are also in the area so you don’t have to worry where to stay for the night. As for food, if you are into seafood, then you are in the best place where to get them fresh!

Always find a resort with swimming pool around!

Sidetrip to Baler

Although the family had been to Baler before, we still dropped by and visit the famour Baler landmark near the municipal hall and the famous Balete tree.

For a part of our Bolinao tour, click here.

To view our El Nido Tour, click here.

To view our El Nido Tour’s Day 1, click here.

To view our El Nido Tour’s Day 2, click here.

Three top beaches to visit this summer!

@Lingayen 100 Isands

So it is summer and most people are now into travelling, out of towns, swimming, going hiking and going swimming. Everyone seems to be ready enough, both physically and financially to go all over different places so they can enjoy the heat and be with families and friends. Want to know where to go this time of the year? Check this out!

Puerto Galera

The Gang @ Galera

Puerto Galera is known for its white beaches and night life parties. Before Boracay became Bora or El Nido was known as part of Palawan, Puerto Galera has been the party place of people from the corporate world – the call center people.

Puerto Galera is in Oriental Mindoro. To go to Puerto Galera, the best way is to go with your family or friends on a private car. Travel to Batangas Port and have the option to leave your car at the port or bring it with you to Puerto Galera. Regardless of your option, there will be a fee for it.

@Batangas Port waiting area

During the hour boat ride to Puerto Galera 

What to Enjoy in Puerto Galera

At Puerto Galera, you can enjoy the white sand beach. If you are brave enough or your friends are up for a challenge, ride at least two of the water sports available in the area. The more participants, the cheaper it will be. There are people offering island hopping and snorkeling packages as well. If you will avail of this island activity, better hear a few offers before committing. The first offer we got was 500/head for a group of 14 people and the last offer we received was 250/head for the same number of people for the same list of activities.

Extreme Bandwagon Adventure

Night life and fire dances

Where to eat in Puerto Galera

We were not able to explore the different restaurants in the area because our hotel included breakfast, lunch and dinner on our package. A look around the area tells me though that you won’t go hungry here. The restaurants are buzzing with customers from morning till night as the atmosphere turn to parties and fire dances.

Breakfast buffet courtesy of our hotel

Patar, Bolinao

Patar White Sand in Bolinao has been one of the famous destinations in the north as of last year. Friends from different call center companies had endured 7 to 8 hours of road trip just to get here. If you are from Manila, there are bus liners who directly pass by Bolinao such as Five Star and from Bolinao main market; you just have to take a 30 to 45 minute tricycle ride to Patar where the white sand beach is.

@Patar with the fam

What to Enjoy in Patar

Spend a day at the fine, white sand of Patar beach. You can stay at the hotels around the area or just set up your own tent. If you still have time, visit Enchanted Cave, one of the tourist attractions in the area. The Enchanted Cave features cold, clean and crystal clear water. There is an entrance fee of P150 for the Enchanted River escapade.

Sunset in Patar

What to eat in Patar

Most hotels in Patar allow guests and visitors to cook their own food which is very practical. If you are travelling with family like us, bring your own rice cooker then just buy fresh seafood from Bolinao market and cook it our way! For those who want to have something special, there are decent restaurants along Patar and they even deliver.

Our resort where we cooked our own meals!

Sto Domingo, Albay

After seeing two white beaches, how about visiting a black sand beach this time? This is what you will have in Sto Domingo,Albay. The black sand is due to the ashes that came from the perfect shaped Mount Mayon in Albay.

The Mayon from our resort!

What to Enjoy in Sto Domingo, Albay

Aside from swimming in the fine and soft black sand beach of Sto Domingo, this is the perfect time to take a selfie with the Mount Mayon as your background – if you are lucky enough. The Mayon is always covered with clouds hence getting a clear picture of it is often near to impossible. If you don’t want to swim in beach with black sands, choose a hotel with pools. Luckily, we got a hotel with natural seawater tide pool.

That is just me!

My travel buddy on her best post!

Where to eat in Sto Domingo, Albay

Our hotel in Sto Domingo, Albay offer decent meals hence room service was our first option. Most of the time, we were in Legazpi City to tour the city where we found some of the best restaurants in the area like Small Talk Café and 1^st Colonial Grill (watch out for my Legazpi Tour).

Have a weekend to spare and some money to spend? Give in and treat yourself to an awesome weekend trip in one of these beaches in the country! Bring the people closest to your heart because wherever you are, if you are with them, everything can be beautiful! 

For places to eat in Legazpi City, click here.

For places to eat in Sagada, click here.

For a part of our Bolinao tour, click here.

To view our El Nido Tour, click here.

To view our El Nido Tour’s Day 1, click here.

To view our El Nido Tour’s Day 2, click here.