【講師コラム】マデル講師No.19～Batanes: The Paradise of the North – A Tranquil Haven in the Philippines～

Good day, everyone! How are you, Mommies and Daddies? It is summer vacation now for students in Japan, so you must be busier than ever. Students here are also currently enjoying their 2 months school break before the new school year starts. Schools’ summer break was originally from late March to early June. But because of the covid-19 pandemic, schools here were forced to close down from middle of March until October in 2020, and resumed their classes thru online or modular distance learning program only… My mother is a public elementary school teacher, and I still have a little sister who goes to school, and this new school year calendar is confusing me…

Anyway, today I would be writing about an incredible and mesmerizing tourist spot in the Philippines. There are countless of beautiful places to visit here in my country. Many tourists who visit here often go to places that are popular for their amazing beaches and water sports and activities. Hence, Boracay, Palawan, Siargao, and many other provinces are extremely popular in demand among foreign visitors.

I, on the other hand, am not the type who enjoys the beach that much… Teacher Mel and I both cannot swim, so we seldom go the beach. I prefer going someplace where I can enjoy looking and appreciating the beauty of nature. That is why I have chosen to introduce this truly incomparable and uniquely beautiful province in the Philippines called BATANES.

It’s very well possible you have never heard about the islands of Batanes before. Batanes is an archipelago in the most northern part of the Philippines. The archipelago is located roughly in the middle of the ocean, between Taiwan and Luzon. Batanes is also named “the Paradise of the North”.

People who have visited it said that you won’t find the Batanes landscapes anywhere in the Philippines. Volcanoes, rugged cliffs, green hills with grazing cows, and beaches with turquoise seawater. What more could you ask?

Although Batanes is the smallest and least populous province in the Philippines, it is one of the top tourist destinations in the Philippines and is home to some of the best islands in the Philippines. It has a little bit of everything for different types of travelers: the mountains, the sea, the rolling hills, and the food. But above all, Batanes offers a unique type of refuge — peace and quiet, and the taste of a back-to-basics lifestyle.

So, if you are someone who loves laidback, quite and revitalizing trip, Batanes definitely is the place for you. Ah! I would really, really love to visit there someday with my family. (I am keeping fingers crossed!)

Thank you so very much for reading my entry, Mommies and Daddies. The Philippines has plenty of captivating places to enjoy and explore. I  do hope that you could visit here someday.

It’s summertime now, so take good care and don’t forget to keep yourselves and your little ones hydrated, Mommies and Daddies. Thank you always!