I have only heard good things and am keen to go myself. You do need to be mindful of the time if the year you go as strong winds means no planes and hence you can get stuck there for several days.

 

i been there, spent a week or so there, before I got hitched

from what I saw and felt, it isn't a bad place like many paint (apologies to Billfish) and the people are weather proofed ..

Some things .. from my visit 5 years ago ..

1) Flying:

It is / was cheaper to fly from Tugegarao - than Manila - that time, it was only Sea Air with their Do-328s flying from Manila, and costing a bomb

Draw back to taking "plan B" of Tugegarao - Basco - well, while it costs much lesser than Manila - Basco, you need to get to Tugegarao, and then book into one of the 10 seat BN 2, and then if the plane is not full, it doesn't move .. or you can top up the balance to move ..

Travel to Tugegarao - well, can be a while before you get there ..

It is unpressurised, so flying below 10,000 feet, and also noisy and also, if you hit air pockets .. it can get a bit hairy ..

And if the plane is full / or pax weight has reached max, they may ask you to leave behind some luggage. Yes, pax get weighed as the plane is small ..

The BN2 are piston engined plane, if anybody wants to know ..

There were two operators - Batanes Air / Cyclone, and Chemtrad. I don't know if they exist or went on to rebrand.

A large operator running Let 410s were banned from flying, possibly they didn't pay the right person the right amount .. when the operators using even older kit are flying albeit billing themselves as 'charter operators' and with in the legal limbo - you are not on a commercial flight so your insurance risk multiplies ..

Vs, flying from Manila, larger planes, fly at a higher altitude .. lesser turbulence ..

I understand some crazy-Ivans were flying there, i.e. the Zeste Air with their Crappy Ma 60s .. I feel safer in a 30 year old BN2 vs a brand new Chinese made Ma 60 (Modern Ark..

2) What to do there in Basco ..

No malls, no bars, no pubs, so that's out.

There is some KTV, for more like family type gatherings and such

Then you can try to charter a van to drive you to the top of the Marlboro Country, a nice clean place, and near the destroyed Wind Turbine and the weather station, and just be in awe at nature

if you have somebody to drive you - as I had, you can go on a tour around the Island, like the LORAN station with a thousand KM of South China see in front of you .. and the typhoon destroyed small town, see the new fishery harbour etc. etc .. all in One day ..

Then see the Sunset from the Light House at Basco - bring along a powerful torch, in case the sun sets and you are stuck in darkness.

For other stuff, you can opt for the Chemtrad / Batanes Air (if they still run) flight to the nearby Itbayat Island .. or opt for a ferry / banca ride to Itbayat (I didn't do that .. ) though I was told Itbayat has some nice scenery ..

All food outside the island comes by a Ferry, so if the ferry gets delayed, you may not have choice food, like Sausage .. for example

GO with what is available

Don't forget to sample some local seafood

Oh, if you are the outdoor type, climb the tallest mountain there in Basco

And don't forget to take a picture at the Honesty Coffee shop, a place with no staff - you eat what you like, pay what you like .. though there are indicative price lists there .. No cashier

image NOT MINE

3) Where to stay ?

There are some two pension located in the bay, like a Stone house .. but it is pretty far from the town. Though the owners will deliver food etc, so no worries, and nice to be aline

Batanes also has a few guest house, and a Resort sort of place (run by some proper authority - .. ) and all.

Make reservation before you go.

Oh, since the place is pretty near Taiwan, northern most, the weather can turn very chilly/cold.

4) communication:

had enough good signal, for 4 days, and the next day due to a storm, power tripped off for the whole island (yes, the whole island runs on Generator power) .. and then by evening, Smart become offline. People living there are used to it .. so life goes on .. and nobody cares. .

5) People: nice and friendly and Batanes has the record of virtually ZERO crime rate .. well, almost zero

Don't worry about robbery / thieves etc.

When I shifted from one pensionne to another, I had left my emergency light and power adaptor. Next day the owners came looking for me and gave to me ..

And another time, I was running back from rain, and a trike driver gave me free ride and refused to take money ..

Oh, BTW, Batanes also has the highest level of alcoholism, due to the people just winding down whenever there is a storm, and hitting the Gin bottle .. though it doesn't mean they are prone to fights ...

6) weather: though the rest of Philippines paint Batanes as storm hit, the people there are used to it, and the casualty rates is virtually zero, as the button the hatches and wait out the storms, whenever it hits. . and they know not to build in unsafe soil

So they are safer than other parts of Philippines, when a passing gale kills like dozens, like it happens in Manila or elsewhere.

That Batanes is storm / disaster prone, is a Myth propogated by the jealous of the other parts of PH, says me ..

7) other things: if you have a charitable mind, do communicate with the Batanes GH and see if you bring some stuff along, as it helps. I would bring some solar powered torches etc. and donate. That hospital, being the primary hospital for the whole area including nearby islands, goes offline, when power goes offline in Basco, as their Gen set too dies off ..

Or you can donate books to the Library in Basco

Lastly, make sure you take a lot of pictures

Some pictures : (none are mine .. credits due to the original owner)

Batanes Airport - Lovely ..

The Guest house in Basco

Basco Runway - one end is the town, other end, the Mountain .. With a Let 410 in the pan ..

Former Asian Spirit 146 Quad Jets .. (Asian Spirit became Zeste .. and all good stuff flew out of the window with that.. )

Reminder: None of the above pictures are mine .. as am too lazy to post my own pics, and re-hash, for now


======== >>> Apologies if my writing is a bit all over the place and long winded <<< ========
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Not long winded at all. In fact, one of the very best posts I have seen in a long-long time! Thanks for the great information and photos of a place very few people ever travel to.


Gene...

 

an anecdote: Most twin engined planes, like the BN2 = twin engined plane doesn't mean it can do ETOPs like some planes - or more safety vs single engined planes.

Proper ETOPs planes if one engine out - will fly on though may not be able to climb. and can go on for upto 2 hours or more .. unlike smaller planes

For most small twin engined planes, the saying is, if one engine fails, the other engine will just take you to the crash point ..

ETOPS- Engine Turns Or Passenger Swims !!!!!