Home » Beach » Batanes (Day 3) Sabtang Island – December 30, 2009

Batanes (Day 3) Sabtang Island – December 30, 2009

Posted by Lakwatsero on Jan 7, 2010 in Beach, Travel | 7 comments

I woke up early the morning on the third day. Today was my tour of Sabtang Island… just off the coast from the town of Ivana where I was the afternoon before. My guide, Dwight, picked me up from the lodge and this time we took a motor bike from the lodge to Ivana. The trip was fun and only took 15 min… but it was damn cold!

Batanes, Sabtang Island

The sun was bearly up when we got to the Port of Ivana as we waited for the boat to Sabtang.

As we approached the port of Sabtang Island, I was greeted by my forth light house of the trip. This one, appropriately called… Sabtang Lighthouse.

Batanes, Sabtang Island

We waited for our island guide Mel to get a jeep to drive us around the island. I lingered around the town and took a few shots of the nearby church

Batanes, Sabtang Island

Unlike Batan Island, understandably bigger, Sabtang island has only one priest who goes around the few churches on the island saying mass.

Our first stop was Barrio Savidug. A rustic old town of Ivatan stone houses.

Batanes, Sabtang Island

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Batanes, Sabtang Island

The house above, we me looking through was, like most of the Ivatan stone houses in the area…

Batanes, Sabtang Island

…With one really odd feature…

Batanes, Sabtang Island

… they were building… a modern bathroom :)

Batanes, Sabtang Island

One of the three churches I found on Sabtang.

Next, we went through a hill with again… fantastic views, the hill is called Bundok Susong Dalaga… which apparently is translated simply as “sleeping beauty” (haha… you dirty minds). That bay you see in the distance is Devek Bay.

Batanes, Sabtang Island

Wherever I looked… breadth taking views!

Batanes, Sabtang Island

My guide for the past two days, Dwight.

Next.. the town of Chuvayan

Batanes, Sabtang Island

The narrow streets of Chuvayan

Batanes, Sabtang Island

This is the oldest church on Sabtang, and the only church with a cogon roof.

Batanes, Sabtang Island

I found several of those pully systems all over the beach. During strong waters, these were used to reel in boats to shore.

The last stop was a beach. Ok… I though… beach? I wasn’t expecting much. Whoa!!! Once again I was in awe at at the beauty of the place.

Batanes, Sabtang Island

That is one side… again with cows on the hills :) Look closely!

Batanes, Sabtang Island

And then the other side!

Batanes, Sabtang Island

I love this rock formation

Batanes, Sabtang Island

After staying at the beach for roughly an hour, we headed back to the port of Sabtang to catch the boat back to Batan Island. At the port I had my late lunch, which was to my surprise, a Batanes delicacy… Coconut Crab!

Batanes, Sabtang Island

As a final reflection, Sabtang Island was indeed interesting. However the whole complication with the boatride schedules was a tad traumatic. When I do come back to Batanes, I probably won’t bother going back to Sabtang.

Batanes, Sabtang Island