Picturesqueness: Batanes #gawinMoNaLahat

The hiatus was long enough so we tried our feet at Batanes, the trip was expensive but was well worth it. I encourage you to visit the place, you'll just need three full days for 3 half day tours to appreciate the beauty of the island.  The last week of February schedule worked for us, the weather was perfect, either that or we were just lucky.  No picture can replace the experience.

B e l o w   E c o n o m y   C l a s s

We took Skyjet to Batanes, from what I heard it has one flight for Monday, Wednesday,
Friday and Sunday going to and from Batanes. Here I am seated below the economy class.
We got the tickets for 14k at an expo.

A m b o y   H o m e t e l

The first time I heard the term hometel, catchy!

Booking at Amboy Hotel came with a service ride,
this is me seated with the check-in luggage.
The hotel reservation and guided tour also included breakfast and lunch.
Everything cost around less than 8k

The room is fully furnished!!! It was quite surprising and not what I originally expected.
Good service and a nice place to stay, I highly recommend it.

The room is air-conditioned and comes with a ceiling fan, fascinating.

The hometel's facade, newly developed definitely an eye catcher

The rocky beach is just across the road in front of the hometel
There are other places to swim in which is more elegant than the beach at the hometel front
 I advise you to choose another location

V i e w p o i n t

First breath taking view I saw; Vayang Rolling Hills is awesome indeed
First picturesqueness of me with the rolling hills

Just like any other attempt, I do suck at timing a jump shot

shit!

Chamantad-Tinian Viewpoint; awwwww amateur shot doesn't really capture
the grandness of Batanes, go see it for yourselves

This picture of me at  Racuh-a-payaman or Marlboro country doesn't
bring justice to the place :)) I love observing nature while lying on green grass

C h u r c h

Oh well the photographer might still be drunk, this is Simbahan ng Basco

My friend Serena doing a cartwheel in front of
the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Chapel

This is a miniature replica of the Simbahan ng Mahatao
Rene went on to have an Attack on Titan pictorial here
Poor little old me, I ended up being the food for the titan

The church has a blank book library where you can write your wishes on
a blank page of a book.
I wished for world peace "like a boss" and drew doodles of ugly dolls and what not.

L i g h t h o u s e   a n d   t h e   l i k e s

I climbed up the Basco lighthouse and it taught me a very important lesson
Never ever climb a light house again

It may look the same but the Tayid Lighthouse gave us the needed rest and
time to sit, chat and relax by the viewpoint

They really love their chit-chats, them Pointwest people

I found a Sunshine Recorder at Basco PAGASA complex and played around with it.
I turned the instrument into the ever seeing eye of Turny Burny, my precious

Not much photos were taken inside the dark reconstructed Japanese tunnels
but I managed to take a picture of the bright exit; glad the spelunking was over.

The Traditional Vernacular Houses at the UNICEF nominated town

Another jump shot attempt that resulted to a fail, yup the roof is that thick
and yeah I fell down a drainage

B e a c h

Took this from the hometel's beach front, the smoke streak at the left
adds flavor to the sunset at the middle, ten!

Spent some time sitting at the Valugan Boulder Beach

Until I managed to screw it up by a boulder misstep
trapped! help me...

The visit to the white beach is one of my favorite!

I was so captivated by Morong Beach that I was not able to take a picture of it
At least I get to pose with these two people in black by the rock arch formation
My friends tried to do a century tuna video commercial here
but just like all of my jump shot attempts it was also a fail

Mahatao Chawa is one scary place, the waves were unpredictable
Glad that everyone was safe

C o n s u m a b l e

I visited and met the owner of the honesty coffee shop,
she was kind and warm hearted; and I was so darn honest

We brought in Korean Rice wine at Batanes for our after tour sessions

Coconut Crabs are a specialty and are a delight

One restaurant that serves great food is Fundacion (Fundathion) Pacita

So there you go, a five star place to visit that would definitely empty your pockets.  The experience was a high and definitely worth every peso. Ano pa hinihintay nyo ipon ipon na!

Picturesqueness: Bella Rocca

As late as it can get.  It has been a year.

Friendz organized a summer trip to Bellarocca taking advantage of the citibank discounted rate promo offered for May 2012.  All we did is fax in our personal details and our card's info to an agency (I forgot the name); waited for a flight sale and wallah an instant getaway with my family and friends.

J o u r n e y

We took Zestair the only airline offering a flight to Gasan, Marinduque.  From there the Bellarocca van fetched us at the airport and dropped us at Buenavista where a private port for the island is located.  From the port we took a speedboat going to Bellarocca Island.

It's a small propeller plane; the trip is about 50 minutes or so from Manila 

The island from afar

A 5 minute speedboat ride from the port to the island

I s l a n d 

It was once called elephant island up until it was bought and managed by Bellarocca.  The buildings were inspired by Greece's Santorini houses and the island has been leveraging from that idea.  Besides the location, scenery and structure, Bellarocca came with deluxe service from the management and crew complimenting the ambiance of the island.

Behind is the clubhouse and the location of the infinity pool by the beach

H o t e l

We stayed at a hotel room located at the top most part of the island.  Rather than describing it in words I'll just post pictures of the room.

The bed

I'm inside the bath :)

The receiving area beside the bed

The other side of the room, completeness.  plus a view of the lap pool

D u g e n i a   V i l l a 

Lucky for us the Dugenias upgraded to a villa.  So by default it was the place where we stayed most of the time.  

Villa Dugenia: The upgrade really made our stay more memorable.

View from the villa's back door terrace and pool

The Villa's pool

The Villa's jacuzzi

The spacious bedroom

Our favorite hangout; the dinning area.  The villa is pretty much a house with one huge bedroom, 3 bathrooms, kitchen, living room area, dining room, a terrace, it's own pool and a good view of the Marinduque island

I n f i n i t y   P o o l

The island has its public infinity pool for guest although it's only open until 6 in the afternoon.

The infinity pool beside the clubhouse

The Marinduque island as backdrop

G r o u n d s

There are a lot more places to go to and relax one self on the island.

The beach

The hotel lobby and other hotel facilities

The restaurant

The leisure room; beside the table games there are computers and shelves full of books, board games and DVDs.

Areas where you can take pictures of yourself with your crazy friends

and love ones

A place where you can meditate or read a book

View from the helipad during sundown

The other pool

Stroll around the island

Drink and be merry

Jump! and just do what you want to do.

F o o d

It's quite expensive but I believe we fairly got what we paid for.  Either this or get the buffet.

T r a n s p o r t a t i o n

You can go about the island either by foot or by service golf carts that can take you around the island's facilities.

Foot or

ezgo

If you are looking for a place to relax and enjoy indoor or hotel amenities, Bellarocca may offer something different from your usual hotel stay. I do hope the pictures I posted might encourage you to try the place, I do use a point a shoot camera so that's the best I can offer; me don't know photography --- point and shoot is the best!  Hahahaha :P

Yeah good times indeed!

Go on and visit the province where my parents grew up!