It was love at first sight. After years of pure imagination, I was finally able to set foot on Batanes, a group of islands at the northernmost tip of the Philippines. Three islands are inhabited -- Batan, Sabtang, and Itbayat. It is actually nearer Formosa, Taiwan than Luzon mainland. Together with 4 friends (they just first met one another at the airport), our adventure was one that would be hard to forget. These compressed-amateurish-pictures-lacking-depth do not give Batanes justice. We stayed at a local lodge the first night; the room has a great view but it was a bit cramped. Being on a tight budget, we transferred to a nearby a government-run hostel-type inn (Ivatan Lodge). The room was much, much bigger and better (with 5 individual beds), at half the price. We hired a local
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