The Tragic Trouble that Happened in Itbayat, Batanes (Day 3)

They say that a trip to Batanes will never be complete until you traverse Itbayat, the last inhabited island in the northern part of the Philippines.

And since we were already there, we decided to just go for it.

Little did we know the tragedy that would soon happen.

Well, if you all don’t know yet, I’m the frail one in the family. I have poor eyesight. I have stomach issues. And I have crazy allergies. Let alone, motion sickness.

The trip from Basco to Itbayat requires a three-and-a-half-hour Faluwa boat ride, which means I had to endure the sea journey — waves, undercurrents, and all. Itbayat is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, the South China Sea to the west, and several small uninhabited islands to the north, such as Siayan, Matarem, Misanga, and Mavudis Island.

I foolishly thought I was tough enough to conquer the ride with nothing but a light breakfast in my system. Big mistake. Three relentless hours at sea, crammed in a small boat, with waves slamming and tossing me around like a rag doll, completely obliterated my sense of balance. It felt like my inner ear signed off and left me for dead. By the time we hit the fourth hour, I was hunched over the side, throwing up like there was no tomorrow — dramatic, messy, and utterly defeated by the ocean.

At first, I thought it was just a mild case of gastroenteritis — no big deal, right? But oh no, my stomach had other plans. Within minutes, it felt like my insides were doing Olympic-level somersaults. You know that awful, gut-wrenching feeling? Now, multiply it by two… no, scratch that, by ten! And as if that wasn’t enough, my head wouldn’t stop spinning — like I was trapped in a washing machine set to “destroy.” I threw up so many times I lost count, until all that was left was that lovely, bitter yellow bile — you know, the final boss of vomiting. At that point, I was dramatically hunched over the side of the boat, questioning every life choice that brought me to that moment.

I know it sounds gross. But that was how bad it was.

When we finally reached Chinapoliran Port in Itbayat, I was so weak I couldn’t even pull myself out of the boat — people around me had to help me up and out. It’s honestly embarrassing to even think about it now. But what’s a helpless girl supposed to do? I guess I was already half-unconscious at that point, so I didn’t really care.

Take note, we only had 1 day to explore the island. Can you guess how I managed it?

Pictured below is our homestay in Itbayat. To be specific, we stayed on the second floor. Even I could NOT believe how I managed to make it up the stairs in the condition I was in. We were warmly welcomed by the people there, even though there was an ongoing commotion downstairs due to an event happening later that day. Perhaps they truly understand what it feels like to ride the Faluwa to their island.

As I remember, I was fighting not to go upstairs because my stomach was still painful and my world was still spinning. So, the kind people let me stay downstairs for a while. Eventually, though, they had to help me up because the event was about to start. I was still feeling unwell even after lunch, so the rest of the group decided to just go on with the tour without my mom, a friend, and me.

Here are some of the beautiful scenes that I missed. (In no particular order, since I didn’t see them myself and I really had no way of describing them better, other than how the rest of my group described it.)

As you can see, my friend, I tragically missed out on all the scenic wonders—while everyone was off frolicking through nature’s masterpieces, I was busy bonding with my internal organs. The moment the tour ended, it was unanimously decided (by people who looked very concerned and mildly panicked) that I should be carted off to the hospital, plugged into an IV like a sad houseplant in need of urgent watering. Naturally, I agreed—because we were leaving the next day, and I had absolutely no intention of reliving the pain parade during the ride home. One episode of dramatic suffering was quite enough, thank you very much.

The doctor confirmed that I, indeed, threw up so much bile. He said that we should have decided to go straight to the hospital right after we docked. But since we didn’t, he just advised us not to let it happen again. 

Once you throw up thrice, go to the doctor.

That was the piece of advice he gave us, and it’s the same advice I’m offering you—just in case you ever plan to visit. I wasn’t the only one who had an incident there; apparently, this kind of thing happens to a lot of inexperienced city folks who visit the island.

And let me just say— the resident doctor didn’t charge us anything. It was completely free! I mean, how is that even possible in a small town? They do accept donations, though, which is totally fair. Honestly, you’d feel incredibly guilty not giving something after all the kindness and hospitality they show you.

Even though this tragic event happened to me, it didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the visit. I didn’t just learn about the warmth and kindness of the people there—I also discovered something about myself that I’d never realized before: that I could be stronger, mentally and emotionally, no matter how weak my body might be.

Because yes, to get back to Basco, we had to take the boat again. The plane service they used to have was shut down at the time, so we had no choice. And yes… I threw up again. And yes… it was painful. But this time, I bounced back quickly. Still, let’s be real—who wants to throw up right after being hospitalized? Not exactly on anyone’s bucket list.

But if you ask me whether I’d ever want to go back after all that, my answer is a big YES! I know my family would probably laugh at me, but I’m telling you—even if I didn’t get to fully enjoy it myself, just looking at the stunning photos is enough to say that a trip to Itbayat, Batanes is totally worth the experience!

Other Batanes Related Posts:

• More than an Escape ft. Honest Batanes Part 1
• Beyond the Rolling Hills ft. Honest Batanes Part 2
• 4 Unexpectedly Unique Beauties Found in Sabtang, Batanes

Would you exchange comfort and ease for a once-in-a-lifetime experience on a secluded island, even though you know you could lose your total calm?