Batanes is where you will find fine sand beaches, coves, mountains, rolling hills, canyons along the coastline that have endeared it to both foreign and local tourists. When visiting Batanes, it is always prudent to book  through online booking sites like Traveloka ahead of time.

History

Ivatan is the Filipino ethnolinguistic group living in the Batanes Islands. Their ancestors are from Austronesians, who migrated 4,000 years ago during the Neolithic era. They are sad to have been seafarers and boat builders.

Truth be told, there are a lot of beautiful places to visit in Batanes, here’s sharing the first 5 places to visit in Batanes when you’re in that part of the country.

Five Places to Visit in Batanes

First #ASUSxBatanes #IncredibleIsNow Stop: Mt. Carmel Church #Zenfone3Laser #zenfone #BuiltForPhotography #z3n #BreathtakingBatanes

A photo posted by jenaspacio (@jenaspacio) on Oct 27, 2016 at 9:17pm PDT

1.Mt. Carmel Chapel

Mt. Carmel was built through the dreams of the parents of Mr. Butch Abad, a kin of the most influential family in Batanes. They’ve always dreamt to a have a church nearby that they will just walk to. Before its construction, the nearest church was the Basco Cathedral, which is also known as the Santo Domingo de Guzman Cathedral. 

An attempt to capture the beauty of the #BascoLighthouse using #Zenfone3Laser #IncredibleIsNow #BuiltForPhotography #zenfone #z3n #astrophotography #astro #breathtakingBatanes

A photo posted by jenaspacio (@jenaspacio) on Oct 26, 2016 at 9:14pm PDT

2. Basco Lighthouse

The Basco Lighthouse, located in Naidi Hills, was inaugurated in 2003. The places where it was erected was an old site where a telegraph facility used to stand. It was used by the Americans and was destroyed during World War II by the Japanese.

Mahatao Town, Batan Island #Batanes #IncredibleIsNow #zenfone #BuiltForPhotography #z3n #BreathtakingBatanes #ASUSxBatanes

A photo posted by jenaspacio (@jenaspacio) on Nov 2, 2016 at 6:17am PDT

3. Mahatao Town

Mahatao Town is amongst the favorite stops of Batanes travelers. Mahatao is located next to Basco and is divided into four barangays: Hanib, Kaumbakan, Panatayan and Uvoy. Mahatao is the smallest town in Batan.

On the first day of #ASUSxBatanes, my true love sent to me, one cow a grazin' #IncredibleIsNow #wildlife #zenfone #BuiltForPhotography #z3n #BreathtakingBatanes

A photo posted by jenaspacio (@jenaspacio) on Oct 31, 2016 at 5:08am PDT

4.Vayang Rolling Hills

Vayang Rolling Hills is known for its undulating picturesque green meadow on the west side of Basco. This place is an ordinary pastureland to a lot of Idiptan (residents of Diptan or Brgy. San Antonio) farmers. The Vayang Rolling Hills encompasses several farms: Mahedhed, Maluyuluy, Vayang, Sakaan, Mayahaw, Mayawyawen, and Mapias Katakey.

A huge portion of Vayang Rolling Hills used to be public land covered in cogon grass, which is commonly shared by the people of Basco for their house roofing. Through the Agarin Reform Program, the public land was distributed amongst qualified beneficiaries.

These rolling hills boasts of perfect combination of landscapes, seascapes and what appears to be unending waves of rolling hills. Vayang Rolling Hills is the nearest in Basco proper where three major municipalities (Batang, Sabtang, and Itbayat), can be viewed, all at once.

#IncredibleIsNow goes to the #FountainOfYouth #zenfone #BuiltForPhotography #z3n #BreathtakingBatanes #timelapse #batanes #travelphilippines #horizon #vitaminsea

A video posted by jenaspacio (@jenaspacio) on Oct 29, 2016 at 9:17pm PDT

5. Fountain of Youth a.k.a. Rakuh-a-idi Spring or Spring of Youth

The Fountain of Youth is located at the eastern end of Madi Bay, Barangay Imnajbu, Uguyan, Batanes. It is a man-made pool with its cold spring water sourced from the mountain.

Batanes is an archipelago province in Cagayan Valley, approximately 162 kilometers north of Luzon mainland and around 190 kilometers south of Taiwan, separated by Babuyan Island and the Cagayan Province. Batanes has been tagged as the New Zealand of the Philippines, both having such picturesque characteristic.

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The Department of Foreign Affairs, in the past years, has continuously released and updated the public about visa-free privileges to tourists from countries that could visit the Philippines. Meanwhile, for Filipinos there is also a list of visa-free countries and visa-on-arrival countries that any Philippine passport holder can visit.

This list from the Philippine Government shows the visa policies of countries towards Filipinos that are Regular/Ordinary Passport Holders and Diplomatic/ Official/ Passport Holders. From the official list, and from Wikipedia, Tourist Spots in the Philippines, extracted a list of countries where regular and ordinary Philippine passport holders can visit without any visa required, arranged alphabetically.

List of Visa-Free Countries and with Visa 0n Arrival Policies for Regular / Ordinary Philippine Passport Holders and Length of Stay

1. Bolivia – Visa-free for a period of up to 90 days annually (permitted length of stay is initially 30 days, then it can be extended free of charge)
2. Brazil – Visa-free up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes (unless otherwise noted)
3. Brunei Darussalam – Visa upon arrival for stay up to 14 days; Asian Country, member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
4. Cambodia – Visa on arrival for stay up to 21 days; Asian Country, member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
5. Colombia – Visa-free for a maximum stay of 180 days
6. Comoros – Visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 45 days. Fee: USD $50
7. Costa Rica – Visa-free for a maximum stay of 90 days.
8. Djibouti – Visa on arrival. Fee: Stays of max. 1 month: DJF 15,000, EUR 75 or USD 90. Stays of more than 1 month: DJF 20,000, EUR 100 or USD 120.
9. Dominica – Visa-free for tourists or those in transit holding return/onward tickets for a maximum stay of 21 days.
10. Ecuador – Visa-free for a maximum stay of 90 days.
11. Fiji – Visa-free for a maximum stay of 4 months.
12. Gabon – e-Visa valid only for those wanting to visit Gabon by air via Leon Mba International Airport in Libreville
13. Gambia – Visa-free for a maximum stay of 90 days.
14. Georgia – e-Visa for stay of less than 90 days
15. Guinea-Bissau – Visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 90 days. Fee: XOF 55,000 or EUR 85.
16. Haiti – Visa-free for a maximum stay of 3 months.
17. Holy See (Vatican) – Visa-free (for Filipinos who are already in the Italian territory, otherwise a Schengen visa must be applied first in order to enter Italy)
18. India – Visa on arrival valid for 30 days (limited only to New Delhi and Mumbai airports). e-Visa also available.
19. Indonesia – Visa on arrival for stay up to 30 days; Asian Country, member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
20. Israel – Visa-free for a maximum stay of 3 months.
21. Iran – Visa on arrival valid for 7 days (Filipinos must have with them copy of their hotel booking and contact number of their hotel; must be able to provide the name and contact number of the person inviting them for a visit)
22. Kenya – e-Visa
8. Korea, Republic of – Visa-free to Jeju Island only
23. Kyrgyzstan – Visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 1 month. Fee: varies between USD $40 and USD $100.
24. Laos – Visa-free for 30 days; Asian Country, member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
25. Madagascar – Visa on arrival for Holders of confirmed onward/return ticket for a maximum stay of 90 days. Fee: Max. 30 days: MGA 80,000. Max. 60 days: MGA 100,000. Max. 90 days: MGA 140,000 (or equivalent in EUR
or USD).
26. Malawi – Visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 30 days. Extension of stay maybe applied for, for an additional 60 days.
27. Malaysia – Visa-free for 30 days; Asian Country, member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
28. Maldives – Visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 30 days. Extensions of stay possible up to a max. of 90 days, for a fee: MVR 750.
29. Marshall Isl. – Visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 90 days.
30. Mauritania – Visa on arrival can be obtained at Nouakchott (NKC).
31. Micronesia (Federated States) – Visa-free for a maximum stay of 30 days.
32. Mongolia – Visa-free for a maximum stay of 21 days.
33. Morocco – Visa-free for a maximum stay of 90 days.
34. Mozambique – Visa on arrival visa on arrival for a max. stay of 30 days at Beira (BEW), Nampula (APL), Maputo (MPM), Pemba (POL), Tete (TET) and Vilankulo (VNX).
35. Nauru – Visa upon arrival (provided the applicant has a visa for his/her next destination)
36. Nepal – Visa on arrival for a max. stay of 90 days. Fee: between USD 25.- and USD 100.- or equivalent in convertible currency. Not applicable to nationals of Philippines traveling with a temporary passport, who must obtain a visa prior to travel.
37. Myanmar – Visa-free for 30 days; Asian Country, member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
38. Nicaragua – Visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 30 days. Fee: USD $50.
39. Palau – Visa on arrival for a max. stay of 30 days. Free of charge. Extension possible for a fee: USD $50.
40. Peru – Visa-free for a maximum stay of 183 days.
41. Rwanda – Visa-free for a maximum stay of 90 days.
42. Samoa – Visa-free; Entry (or Transit) Permit can be obtained on arrival for a maximum stay of
60 days.
43. St. Lucia – Visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 6 weeks. Fee: USD $50.
44. St. Vincent and the Grenadines – Visa-free for a maximum stay of 1 month.
45. Singapore – Visa-free for 30 days; Asian Country, member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
46. Somalia – Visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 30 days.
47. Sri Lanka – Visa on arrival for a max. stay of 30 days. Fees vary and must be paid in USD. Extension of stay
possible for additional 150 days. Passengers traveling as tourists must obtain an ETA on arrival, or before arrival at www.eta.gov.lk . Passengers traveling for business must obtain an ETA before travel from a Sri Lankan representation.
48. Suriname – for a maximum stay of 90 days.
49. Tajikistan – Visa on arrival for a max. stay of 45 days. Fees vary. If holding: 2 passport photos (3.5cm x 4.5cm) and a passport copy. Those traveling for business must hold a letter of invitation from hosting organization.
50. Taiwan – Visa-free for 30 days provided that: 1) The Filipino national has never worked in Taiwan as a blue collar worker; and 2) Currently holding valid visas or permanent resident cards of U.S.A., Canada, Japan, U.K., Schengen, Australia and New Zealand.
51. Tanzania – Visa on arrival, if holding travel documents valid for at least 1 month beyond the period of intended stay. Fee: between USD $50 and USD $100 (cash only). The fee can only be paid with notes of USD 50 or USD 100.
52. Thailand – Visa-free for valid 30 days; Asian Country, member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
53. Timor-Leste – Single entry visa on arrival, for a maximum stay of 30 days, provided passport contains 1 unused visa page. Fee: USD $30 (payable in USD only). Multiple entry visa on arrival, for a maximum stay between 30 and 90 days, provided passport contains 1 unused visa page; and holding a Visa Application Authorization issued by the Immigration Department, which must be used within 12 months after issuance. Fee: USD $30 (payable in USD only).
54. Togo – Visa on arrival for a max. stay of 7 days, provided holding return/onward ticket; and 3 passport photos. Extension of stay possible for additional 90 days. Fee: vary between XOF 10,000 and XOF 90,000 depending on duration of stay.
55. Trinidad and Tobago – Visa-free. A “Waiver of the Visa” canbe obtained on arrival. Fee: TTD 400.
56. Tuvalu – Visa on arrival, for a max. stay of 1 month, provided holding confirmed return/onward tickets.
57. Uganda – Visa on arrival. Fee: USD $100.
58. Vanuatu – Visa-free for a maximum stay of 30 days.Visitors are required to hold proof of sufficient funds to cover their stay and documents required for their next destination.Visitors not holding return/onward tickets could be refused.
59. Vietnam – Visa-free for 21 days; Asian Country, member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
60. Zambia – Visa on arrival, if traveling as tourists, for a max. stay of 90 days. Fee: USD $50 (single entry) and USD $80 (multiple entry). If traveling on business, for a max. stay of 30 days.Fee: USD $50 (single entry) and USD $80 (multiple entry). Passport must contain at least one unused visa page for the visa sticker. The maximum stay is granted within 1 year. Passengers can apply for an e-Visa if arriving at Livingstone (LVI), Lusaka (LUN), Mfuwe (MFU) or Ndola NLA). They must hold a printed copy of their e-visa approval letter. Payment for the e-visa is made upon arrival.

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Zamboanga ia also a shopper’s paradise, where a vast array of imported Asian wares compete for attention with local handicrafts such as brassware, woodcarving and shell products.

Fort Pilar Shrine

Fort Pilar was built in 1635 by a Jesuit priest engineer and Spanish authorities to ward off attacks from Moros and foreign invaders. The fort was eventually converted to a shrine and miraculous powers are attributed to the statue of Our Lady of the Pillar.

Plaza Perishing is a quaint remnant of a typical Spanish square, renamed in honor of a former American Governor of the Moro Province. Pettit Barracks was established by US Occupation Forces in 1899 and named after its commanding officer.

Sand is pinkish at the Great Santa Cruz Island

The major natural tourist attraction is Great Santa Cruz Island, which is known for its pinkish sand beach. On the island is a fishing village, a lagoon and an old Muslim burial ground.

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Found in Guimaras are the Navatas Church and the Buenavista Wharf which are some of the living legacies of the past. Religious attractions are the Trappist Monastery in Barangay San Miguel and the Balaan Bukid Shrine. Best beaches are Alubihod, Tatlong Pulo, Baras and Inampulugan.

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Bislig Surigao Del Sur Tinuy-An Falls

The waves of Luzano Bay are ideal for top performance surfing. The kissing islets of San Agustin are a unique natural formation. The multi-tiered Tinuy-an Falls located in Bislig are among the spectacular in the country. The soothing Malinawa Cool Spring in Cantilan also attracts tourists.

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