{"id":12212,"date":"2019-07-31T12:00:47","date_gmt":"2019-07-31T04:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/?p=12212"},"modified":"2019-07-31T20:35:53","modified_gmt":"2019-07-31T12:35:53","slug":"sabtang-island-batanes-home-of-heritage-villages-with-centuries-worth-of-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/2019\/07\/31\/sabtang-island-batanes-home-of-heritage-villages-with-centuries-worth-of-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Sabtang Island, Batanes: Home of Heritage Villages With Centuries&#8217; Worth of History"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Sabtang Island<\/strong> is only <strong>25 to 30 minutes away<\/strong> by boat from Batan Island, but many opt not to visit it because of the turbulent waters from the West Philippine Sea and Pacific Ocean.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Also read:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/2019\/07\/31\/south-batan-island-batanes-a-rustic-harbor-of-pasturelands-and-fishing-communities\/\">South Batan Island, Batanes: A Rustic Harbor of Pasturelands and Fishing Communities<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Batanes Travel Guide | Philippine Primer Travels\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JwA2Kkjfwk0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">But this magnificent island is truly worth going the extra mile for, especially once you see the heritage villages holding centuries&#8217; worth of history. Most of the locals still follow traditional practices, keeping them delicately preserved despite the ever-changing times.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Also read:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/2019\/07\/19\/batanes-travel-guide-preparing-for-your-trip-this-2019\/\">Batanes Travel Guide: Preparing for Your Trip This 2019<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt\"><strong>Chavayan Village<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12256\" src=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-9.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\"><em>Chavayan Village<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Chavayan Village<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is undoubtedly one of the most popular spots in Sabtang Island. Although a small community, the village has its own government to look over the people, and their primary means of living are agricultural and fishing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Perhaps the most beautiful story you\u2019ll get from the village is how they craft their stone houses\u2014made mostly from lime, a mixture of corals and lumber among other materials. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There was no cement on the island until the Japanese era, so they creatively invented their own mixture. As for the roof, they use cogon, which requires changing every 25 to 30 years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12217\" src=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-3.jpg 800w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-3-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tourists can also try wearing <\/span><strong><i>vakul<\/i><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which is the headgear that Ivatans use to protect themselves from both the sun and the rain. Renting a vakul only costs <strong>Php 20<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"534\" height=\"800\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12257\" src=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-11.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-11.jpg 534w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-11-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 534px) 100vw, 534px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\"><em>You can rent a vakul for only Php 20!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt\"><strong>Savidug Village<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12220\" src=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-6.jpg 800w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-6-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-6-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\"><em>Savidug Village<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Another village you should not miss visiting is <b>Savidug<\/b>, which, just like Chavayan Village, has a rich history featuring the early life of the Ivatans. The village used to be called <i>Nabadichid<\/i>, a place where the ancient tribal people held their funeral rituals.<\/p>\n<p>In the ritual, a dying person is placed over <i>ditadit <\/i>(edible green vines), and the locals eat the plant after they remove the dead. The nomadic tribespeople finally settled in Savidug, now known as a peaceful village in Sabtang. It is located along the hills, making it suitable for root crops and pasture.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt\"><strong>Chamantad and Tinyan Viewdeck<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12216\" src=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-2.jpg 800w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-2-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\"><em>Chamantad Viewpoint<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sharing the southeastern coast with Chavayan Village is <\/span><b>Chamantad-Tinyan Viewpoint<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The roads going here can be terrifying because of the steep road\u2014even trekking it can scare you off\u2014but what awaits you at the top is far beyond words. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12238\" src=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\"><em>Chamantad Viewpoint<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Imagine the vast Pacific Ocean sparkling through the horizon, as if the heavens are softly whispering that there\u2019s more for you\u00a0 to unravel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt\"><strong>Morong Beach &amp; Ahaw Arch Formation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12218\" src=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-4.jpg 800w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-4-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\"><em>Morong Beach<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Located on the northernmost tip of Sabtang is <\/span><b>Morong Beach<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which perfectly captivates the visitors of the island with its white-sand beach, calm atmosphere, and serenading waves. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another landmark you\u2019ll instantly notice is the<\/span><b> Ahaw Arch <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">made of limestone, which easily became a spot for picnickers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12219\" src=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\"><em>Ahaw Arch<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There is a local eatery across the beach that serves authentic Ivatan dishes, called <\/span><b>Paypanapanayan Canteen<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. A set meal good for two persons costs<strong> Php 700<\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It comes with <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">lu\u00f1is <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(Ivatan-style braised pork), sweet and sour fish, beef soup, vegetables, a platter of white and turmeric rice, and their famous <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">bukayo <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(sweetened coconut). Eating lunch by Morong Beach is an incomparable experience, best enjoyed using your hands to eat (locally known as <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">kamayan<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt\"><strong>Sta. Rosa de Lima Chapel<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12214\" src=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-8.jpg 800w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-8-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-8-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\"><em>Sta. Rosa de Lima Chapel<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are also churches in Sabtang Island, among which the most culturally significant is <strong>Sta. Rosa de Lima Chapel<\/strong>, which is the only church left with cogon grass roofing. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Except for the facade, this church in Chavayan looks much like a traditional Ivatan home. A product of the early Ivatans&#8217; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">bayanihan <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(community spirit) or <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">yaru<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, this beautiful chapel took almost eight years to construct\u2014starting in 1951 and finally opening its doors in 1959.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt\"><strong>San Vicente Ferrer Church<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12215\" src=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-1-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\"><em>San Vicente Ferrer Church<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>San Vicente Ferrer Church<\/strong> or Sabtang Church is considered a National Historical Landmark. You may walk about 3 to 5 minutes from Sabtang Port\u00a0should you want to visit the beautiful church.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt\"><strong>Sto. Tomas de Aquinas Chapel<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12221\" src=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-7.jpg 800w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-7-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/Sabtang-Island-Batanes-7-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel<\/strong> in Savidug Village is also as beautiful. At first glance, it\u00a0will remind you of Greece with its white and blue colors, but the interior still retains its Ivatan atmosphere.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><strong>How to get here<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">The Sabtang Island tour is a part of\u00a0the 4 days, 3 nights tour with Batanes Travel and Tours, Inc.<\/p>\n<p>Batanes Travel and Tours provides an all-in-one complete package with accommodation, eco-tours, and full meals guaranteed to make your stay hassle-free. They also offer private eco-tours or budget packages for solo or group travelers. All packages provide you with a local tour guide, driver, and a tour coordinator to help you get the most out of your stay.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Note that you will have to register and pay some fees at the<strong> Ivana Port<\/strong>.\u00a0The fees include a port fee of <strong>Php 5\/pax<\/strong> and your boat fare from Ivana Port to\u00a0Sabtang Port of <strong>Php 200\/pax<\/strong>\u00a0roundtrip, which should be settled in the Ivana Port.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Upon arriving at Sabtang Port, you need to register with a fee of <strong>Php 200\/pax<\/strong> and wait for your van with your tour guide.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">A day trip to the island will end before you know it, as the last boat travels back to Batan at 1 p.m.\u00a0If you feel that one day isn\u2019t enough with so much to explore in Sabtang, there are no fancy hotels but rather homestays that offer modest accommodation to eager travelers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><b>Details<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Manila Address:\u00a0<\/b>Unit B One Sapphire Condominium, 858 Fabella St., Mandaluyong City<b><br \/>\nContact:\u00a0<\/b>02-633-0859 \/ 0998-568-2637 \/ 0977-806-3040<br \/>\n<b><br \/>\nBatanes Address:\u00a0<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Amboy St., Kayhuvokan, Basco, Batanes<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><br \/>\n<\/span><b>Batanes Office:\u00a0<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">0998-531-1908 \/ 0917-343-2420<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Website:\u00a0<\/b>www.<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">batanestravelandtours.com<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><br \/>\n<\/span><b>Email:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0info@batanestravelandtours.com<br \/>\n<\/span><b>Facebook:\u00a0<\/b>www.facebook.com\/batanestours<br \/>\n<b>Instagram:\u00a0<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">@batanestours<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\"><em>This first appeared in Philippine Primer\u2019s Japanese and English Magazine August 2019 issue.<br \/>\n<\/em><em>Written by Yana Bautista<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sabtang Island in Batanes is truly worth going the extra mile for, especially once you see the heritage villages holding centuries&#8217; worth of history. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12238,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2361,30,144,342,1407],"tags":[2362,2363,2364,2365,2366,2367,2368],"class_list":["post-12212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-batanes","category-travel-tips","category-philippine-islands","category-travel-guide","category-travel","tag-sabtang-island","tag-sabtang-island-batanes","tag-sabtang-batanes","tag-sabtang-island-itinerary","tag-sabtang-island-tour","tag-sabtang-island-itinerary-2019","tag-where-to-go-in-sabtang-island"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12212","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12212"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12212\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12282,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12212\/revisions\/12282"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12212"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}