Admire the rugged countryside. The stone thatched cottages in tune with nature. New Zealand perhaps? Or maybe the Faroe Islands?pic.twitter.com/L9j6UHrYvX
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The answer will surprise you. This is Batanes: the smallest and northernmost province of the Philippines - and undoubtedly the best. 162 miles north of the Luzon mainland and the smog of Manila, Batanes is a different world altogether.pic.twitter.com/V72tZvhAAc
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Battered constantly by high winds, it’s traditional architecture is very different to the rest of Southeast Asia. The local Ivatan people built sturdy cottages of stone, lime, wood and thatch in order to shelter from the frequent typhoons.pic.twitter.com/9JarVX8ncH
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The rugged rolling hills of Batanes, while picturesque, have limited the potential for expansion of agriculture in an already very small province. This means that Batanes and it’s people have developed in a very different way to the dense over-populated region of the Philippines.pic.twitter.com/eHgQSCw5Ad
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75% of the population are farmers and there are no built-up urban centres. Visitors can expect a clean and charming environment vastly different from anywhere else in Southeast Asia outside of the hill stations of Malaysia. Colonialism has also left unspoilt architectural charms.pic.twitter.com/0KaQvj2l1Y
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The capital of Batanes: Basco.pic.twitter.com/WJqEpWGcVL
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The local Ivatan people have a great respect for their environment and believe that buildings should work in harmony with their surroundings. Land grabbing is also a grave crime in Ivatan society which has presented some of the excesses endemic to the rest of the Philippines.pic.twitter.com/bqrqGhG4Y3
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Old stone Spanish bridges cross the many rivulets dotted throughout the archipelago.pic.twitter.com/PpsGiobx5T
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In summary, a quaint and charming destination, and a wonderful respite from Philippine urban chaos if you ever find yourself in the region. Worth a visit.pic.twitter.com/HdMRNjuNqr
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