Your visit to Batanes is not
complete without visiting one of the Philippines’ best Boutique hotels, the
Fundacion Pacita Batanes Nature Lodge. It
lies on top of a hill with perfect views of mountains, the Pacific Ocean and
the clear blue skies.
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| Overlooking the Pacific Ocean at the Fundacion Pacita Batanes Nature Lodge. |
It was once the home of the internationally acclaimed artist Pacita Abad, in whose memory the lodge was named after. Pacita Abad was born in
Basco, Batanes on October 5, 1946 and later became an globally recognized Ivatan gypsy artist who left behind some 3,500 works of art prior to her death
in Singapore due to cancer. She was buried on the Tukon Hill adjacent to the
Fundacion Pacita. Some of her work adorn the corridors of the hotel.
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| A sculpture of the Abad Patriarch and Matriarch in one of many gardens at Fundacion Pacita. |
The rooms in the hotel carry a distinct
interior design and its architecture mirror the traditional stone and wood
houses of the Ivatan with a remarkable window view of natural landscapes. It
is said that no two rooms have the same views in the hotel. The rooms are fully
air-conditioned with its own private toilet and bath. Accommodations include
breakfast and airport transfers are also available.
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| Artwork at the fireplace before the dinning room. |
Fundacion Pacita Batanes Nature
Lodge continues to promote the unique culture of the Ivatans through its cuisine
served at the adjacent Café du Tukon. It also supports projects that benefit
the Ivatan artists and it regularly undertakes some projects for Batanes’ heritage
conservation.
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| Some of the many artworks adorn the corridors. Its like having an art gallery right in your home. |
The Fundacion Pacita Batanes
Nature Lodge is an icon of the people’s struggle to adapt with Batanes’ harsh weather
and how they thrive with their own endemic flora and fauna. There are at least
fifty (50) varieties of root crops on the islands of Batanes. The landscape is
also teeming with mountain goats, organically grown pigs and large cattle who freely roam and graze
along the mountain slopes. The seasonal flying fish locally called Dibang abounds in the waters around Btanes. It is usually processed as Spanish sardines and some are dried for the lean season.
