Destinations » Sabtang

South-west of Batan lies Sabtang, which is widely regarded as the stronghold of Ivatan culture. Here, fewer concessions have been made to the modern building materials now used on other islands. Rows of stone houses flank cobbled streets in the villages, which are perched precari­ously on the edge of rocky outcrops. Gar­den trellises support a profusion of pink bougainvillea. Kitchens, which are situated away from the main dwellings, provide the focus for family activity during the day. The dim interiors are lit by the glowing embers of open-hearth fires and the ancient tim­ber rafters are blackened by soot. There are no chimneys so the fish hanging overhead are smoked dry — creating a supply of preserved food for the days when the men cannot put to sea. Grandparents and children sit together cleaning the piles of onions and cloves of garlic which lie scat­tered across the floor.

Sabtang has no cars and only three motorcycles. It is worth the effort to go around the island on foot and visit the four villages. The road the only one on the island wanders around the giddy sum­mits of tall cliffs, then changes into a red clay path carved from the hillside. Later it becomes a delightful, palm-fringed avenue, cobbled with large paving stones and flanked by carefully constructed rock walls. Occasionally, the road curves inland through verdant forests and pastures, alive with the calls of migrating birds. On the eastern coast of the small, neighbouring island of Ivahos there’s an extensive coral reef. You can get there by boat from Nakanmuan or Sumnanga, the two villages on the west coast of Sablang.