Dive Batanes Lodge and Restaurant

Yes and no, would recommend if other night hotel are fully booked. They advertise as a diving resort, it is definitely not. Pro: Room was clean We were upgraded (luckily, because room was quite simple..) Breakfast good (Filipino breakfast, no choice, but fresh). Possibly for diving! (But would then recommend to stay somewhere else and come for diving only). Cons: No room cleaning even when you ask for it. No signal on smart or Globe (very little in the lobby) and no WiFi, unlike in Basco town where you have signal. Location is not so good if you don't have your own motorbike, as you need to go to town or other places to have other dinning options. Diving was good, the marine sanctuary dive is really amazing, but this is definitely not a diving resort (no boat, it was broken, and therefore not so much dive spot without boat). Even ask for dive, weather was perfect, they say they will look for a boat.. and they didn't, sad :( After second night we ask for room cleaning during the breakfast, answer was yes and that we must leave the sign on the door.. we came back end of the afternoon the sign was still on the door, no house keeping, even can't find any staff to ask for toilet papers.. luckily I meet the owner on the way back. Staff came and give us what we need, saw the sign "clean the room" on the door and laugh saying sorry.. So, if other nice place are booked it's ok. If you are into diving you can just come in the day for diving.

We were happily surprised to see a padi sign at Batanes! If you think you’ve seen paradise on land, it’s equally amazing under water. Crazy formations makes you feel like swimming among underwater mountains. Serene sealife and the best visibility. We also had the luck of spotting two huge cuttlefish! I am open water certified and my partner is advanced, but even if you’ve never dived but is curious you can do a discover dive. They also offer sunset cruises. All staff and divers are all so friendly and you feel instantly at home. The equipment was all fresh and new. We did not stay at acommodation at the dive lodge, which we regret not doing because it’s a beautiful house and breakfast and dinner is delicious. Thank you for an amazing time that made our trip to the Batanes a memory for life!

We had the pleasure of staying at "Dive Batanes" for 10 days this past March and couldn't have been better treated. The staff at the Lodge was second to none - Gina in particular was fabulous attending to your every need - I don't think she ever leaves the property that we could tell! If your looking for a professional property with a great Oceanside location - attentive staff offering island tours, dive tours, snorkeling and anything else you can think up, they are willing to accommodate. If your looking for old world charm with present day amenities and attention this is the spot. The owners Doug and Josie are amazing hosts along with their dive master Jason and his lovely wife Amy you will not find a better or happier place on earth! Thanks SO much guys for a fabulous vacation.

Stayed here for 5d4n, and it feels like having your own rest house in Batanes. We were lucky to have met the owners during our stay. They serve good breakfast, where the owners themselves will cook and serve for you and always making sure you are having a great time during your stay. The staff are also nice, you just have to ask them if you need anything and they will cater to your needs asap. The signal is weak, which didn't really bother us, a break from the hustle at home is what we really aimed to get in Batanes and that's exactly what we got at Dive Lodge. They have a signal booster in their lobby, though, as well as cable channels and Videoke there for recreation if you have free time. Hot and cold water is always open as well as coffee and other snacks at the pantry of you needed to have one. They have a dive shop and offers diving and snorkling packages, or gear rentals which helped us a lot when we decided to swim at the Blue Lagoon and White Beach, I couldn't imagine swimming in the gravelly beach without their aqua shoes, flippers and snorkel sets. We will avail the diving lessons maybe next time😊 when we're ready. The rooms are great and cozy, our bed in the ocean view room is so big it could fit 5 people. The view of the Chanarian shore ocean showcases the famous Batanes sunset perfectly. Heated shower is available and water didn't run out. Walking distance to Casa Napoli (best pizza in town) and 5mins to the town proper and the airport bu trike. This place is away from the busy town proper which is perfect for a real relaxing and quiet getaway. Will definitely stay here when we come back to Batanes.

Pros: big room for 3 persons (family room), reasonable price with breakfast and airport pick-up, friendly staff, 5 minutes to airport, facing the beach though no a good one, walking distance to good restaurants such as casa napoli and amboy’s. Cons: aircon is not good for a big room it’s not cooling so they gave us 2 fans, they don’t do housekeeping unless you ask, location is a dead spot, no signal even their signal booster is ineffective, we don’t have tv for 2 days before they fix it. Staff is friendly but push button, they need to be told every time.

It’s a dump. Ants in the room and plants growing up against the windows. Needs some landscape upkeep. Bathroom was dirty and the drain was clogged. Staff is very friendly and helpful if you ask. They’re quick to try to help. Dive shop never appeared to be open. There are nicer places to stay. Avoid this hole.

My first trip overseas so far was to Batanes. I stayed at Dive Batanes Lodge and was greeted daily with respect and smiles. The room was very clean with an armoir,satellite TV, large windows, air/con and comfortable bed. My bathroom was clean and the water pressure was excellent with instant water heat installed. Clean linen daily. On site laundry when arranged with staff. The food was a completely new experience for me. Many new favorites with a bakery near by. Try the cinnamon buns!!! I will be back for sure by jan 2019. So much diving to do. I am looking forward to diving in the sanctuary next year. The people are second to none. Always respectful and a bit shy. Dive Batanes is close to a marine sanctuary and is a must do. Although the cellular service can be sketchy, it is improving. Transportation is readily available to the lodge and at reasonable prices. The scenery surrounding the lodge is amazing. Sun sets that are Unforgettable. Islands that are just visible in the distance. All this is visible from the property. When leaving the lodge particularly on a Sunday to go for a walk along the beach, don't be surprised that somebody will invite you for something to eat or to join their family while they are getting together for their weekly feast and family gathering. It was an all-around positive experience at Dive Batanes Lodge and am looking forward to my future visits.

I came to Batanes with a friend who stayed here in October last year due two weeks. They arranged collection from the airport by car and on arrival no room rates were shown at reception or provided despite all other hotels showing them clearly. We were just told the price after checking in as staff didn't seem to know and probably had to ask the owner! At 60 Euros a night the rooms were double the price my friend paid before (albeit that was low season). A sign on the check in counter displayed the most ridiculous check out time I've ever encountered of 6am! Internet was not provided despite there being a strong signal. We had to go to another hotel to pay for WiFi, maybe this is an island wide policy but at the price we paid it was mean to not include WiFi for free or even to offer a paid service. The staff were not very helpful about offering advice - they just sat huddled in groups playing with their phones (presumably reserving the hotel's WiFi for their own exclusive use). Another hotel close by with paying WiFi had staff who very helpful with advice. Despite being the only dive shop on the island (and PADI affiliated) there was no Divemaster present during our stay, just an Open Water qualified guide who offered beach only diving from in front of the hotel. This was despite them having a large boat down at the boat pier which we saw. We were told the Divemaster was away even though this was the busiest time of year! I later understood that the Divemaster was on the island and the Open Water qualified dive guide us his brother. The diving cost was over double the price of boat dives on other islands by comparison. We asked to rent a motorcycle but was told it was 3,000 Pesos a day, 10 times the price of elsewhere. We found a scooter for rent in town for 700 a day which was newer and better conditioned. We snorkeled instead which was very good. I was told the owner was in Canada on holiday! At breakfast there was no fruit or even fruit juice available despite there being several banana and papaya trees in the hotel grounds and fruit juice available in every shop. The fresh filtered coffee mentioned by other reviewers was never made and the staff didn't even refill the tea/instant coffee area so we were forced to search for items ourselves! The rooms were turned down well and the facilities and bed in the room were very good but I think there are much better and cheaper places on the island to stay. Next time I'll book a homestay for a fraction of the price or visit other islands.

Let me start with the good... the staff was amazing. Super friendly and they make delicious breakfasts, even if you have to leave for an early tour they make sure you're fed. They also cleaned our room well, including folded all our clothes (you didn't have to do that but we appreciated it, thank you). We got a room with a private bathroom and it actually has 2 beds (a double and a twin). The room and facilities are older but there is hot water. Some rooms share a bathroom though so beware. There was just a little bit of stress and confusion at the beginning when we thought nobody was picking us up at the airport, even though we arranged it. I called the 3 cell numbers listed in the tourism list at the airport and got no answer. After asking around, we found the driver and he thought we were coming in another airline. So make sure you specify your flight again before you leave, just in case. In my experience, replies to email were scarce but that may be due to the network issues in the island. We also thought they offered tours because it's listed on the website. When I inquired they said to check another tour company. That was a little extra work but in the end it worked out. We used Bisumi and I wrote a review on them on TripAdvisor as well. There's also no wifi and hardly any data or cell reception on the island. I do recommend you get a local phone though so you can call a tricycle if you're on a bind. (If you have reception) Nevertheless, we had a nice stay here and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to save money or have basic needs for accommodations but still wants the comforts of home.

The staff was great! Since flights from Manila all come in the morning they let you check in right away. The main house is just off the beach. Two hotel restaurants are within walking distance. While we were there the WiFi and data for the entire island was down but it was nice to disconnect for the time. The beach right outside is the best I found as far as sand and not too rocky.