Rapitan di Vasay
Where do I begin? I couldn’t find the words that would suffice as to how perfect of a bed and breakfast is Rapitan di Vasay.
Our family of 6 stayed in RdV from Dec 23 to Dec 30, 2018. We were originally booked from 23rd to 27th but due to bad weather, our flights got cancelled and we had to stay for 3 more nights. On our first 3 nights in RdV, we had the whole house to ourselves. Our family booked the 2 rooms upstairs and the room on the lower level was vacant. It was only during our 3rd night when another family came in and occupied the room on the lower level.
RdV is a house full of character. If you’re reading this review, you might have already chanced upon reading all other reviews for RdV. When we planned our trip to Batanes, I have been searching for the perfect accommodation for our family. I have googled, searched AirBnB, checked every blogs, and talked to homestay owners and hotel managers. In fact, we were on to the final steps of making a deposit to another guesthouse when I chanced upon reading about Rapitan di Vasay in one travel blog. It is such a shame that RdV does not truly appear on top of search engines. Just like Batanes, RdV is a hidden gem of homestays in the island! I believe it is because some lodges, inns, hostels, etc in Batanes are tied up with some tour agencies and RdV’s advertisements are not as aggressive as other accommodations in Batanes. It was only when I went to tripadvisor where I read very outstanding reviews about RdV. Most reviews were all praises about RdV, and at first, I thought these reviews must be too good to be true. Most reviews are saying the same thing —- the house is immaculately clean. I had very high expectations about the house and lo and behold, when we arrived in RdV, they have exceeded each and every expectation.
The reviews are real. Only when you actually arrive in RdV then you would truly appreciate the house. The beds, linens, pillows —- all are hotel standards. All rooms have air-conditioning. The utensils in the dining area are all fine silverware and the plates are all ceramics and not the usual ones that you can see in ordinary hometels anywhere. The dining room always has hot water in the thermos and coffee, tea, and milo are just sitting there whenever you feel like making a cup of joe.
The bathrooms, especially the one upstairs, are immaculately clean. At one point, I had to ask Ate Tina as to what cleaning products they use so I can use them in our own house because I am absolutely impressed as to how sparkly the bathroom tiles are.
RdV room rates do not include breakfast but if you want breakfast to be served, an additional 250 pesos per pax will be charged. And what the heck, Ate Azon serves the BEST breakfast in Batanes. She makes the BEST HOMEMADE LONGGANISA AND TOCINO. Wow!!! Just writing about this now makes my mouth water. They serve the best pako salad ( which they harvest from RdV’s very own backyard!) and are very generous of their kamote fries.
Our family had numerous Christmas adventures and months before traveling to Batanes, I’ve been exchanging emails with Yolanda —- one of the managers/owners of the house. I have shared that our family have been having Mcdonalds, KFC, Jollibee for Christmas dinners whenever we go on Christmas trips because most restaurants are close on Christmas eve. I have kindly requested from Yolanda if RdV can serve our family a simple Christmas dinner although they only strictly serve breakfast in RdV. Luckily, they agreed. Ate Azon, Ate Tina, and Ate Edna whipped up a very special Christmas dinner for our family. For an additional 350 pesos per pax, they have prepared for us a special dinner that is worth more than what we have paid for. We weren’t expecting much because Yolanda, as per her email, told me that they will only serve whatever is available in the island. And knowing Batanes, supplies are very scarce. But then again, RdV has exceeded our expectations. They have prepared a Christmas feast for our family and our tummies were absolutely filled just in time for the Christmas Eve mass. Did I mention that RdV is a stone’s throw away from the plaza and the church? It was truly the perfect time to go to Batanes because at night time, the plaza would play Christmas songs from 6pm until 10pm and you can hear the tunes in RdV whilst you’re in the balcony enjoying the breeze or in the rooms at the comfort of your beds. It was truly magical.
When our flights got cancelled, Florecita, one of the owners, called Ate Azon to check on us and she had a conversation with my mom. She was calling all the way from Australia just to check on us. It was so funny that Florecita was apologizing to my mom about our cancelled flights when it is absolutely out of RdV’s hands as to why our flights were cancelled. You can truly tell that they care about their guests and that they weren’t after the gain of us extending our stay. Florecita even asked Ate Azon to whip up a simple lunch for our family that day because we were too stressed about our cancelled flights. And of course, Ate Azon impressed us again with her cooking skills. (I truly adore her and I think she can boil an egg and it will be the tastiest boiled egg in the planet! ). They served that lunch for free. On our 2nd extended day, our flight got cancelled again and it was when Florecita waived the no cooking policy in RdV and gave us the liberty to use the kitchen and have ourselves prepare our own meals because she understood that our extended stay in Batanes is already creating a hole in our pockets. Instead of us going out and eating out at restaurants, they gave us the permission to cook in their kitchen even if it is something that they strictly not allow. Moreover, Florecita even insisted that we can pay them the excess nights once we get back in our hometown (we still paid cash before we checked out but we appreciate the offer ) And again, our family is grateful.
When our family had the chance to walk around the streets of Basco (RdV being at the center of it all), we had the opportunity to see the other hometels and inns that were our first choices before we booked RdV. When we saw those hometels/inns, we knew that we made the perfect choice with RdV. I think RdV is the only homestay in Batanes that has a proper yard and a balcony, not to mention a high fence covered in vines (?) / bushes that would give you the utmost privacy from passersby.
There is only one thing that truly stood out in RdV and our whole family agrees on this. RdV isn’t just about the house itself. It isn’t just about the very rich history that the house has, not about the hotel standard linens, not about the ultra-comfy pillows and beds, not about the free coffee and tea nor about the immaculately clean bathrooms and towels being changed when need be. RdV is absolutely about the people who take care of its guests —— Ate Azon, Ate Tina, and Ate Edna (and of course the homeowners: Yolanda and Florecita). I couldn’t find the words to express how grateful we are to all of them, most especially the three angels who took care of us during our stay.
It definitely wasn’t like staying in your usual hotel. It was like staying in your Auntie’s house because they welcome you and treat you like family.
It was hard for us to leave RdV and we wanted to take Ate Azon, Ate Tina, and Ate Edna with us back to our hometown.
Thank you for taking care of us and thank you for letting us spend a memorable Christmas in RdV.
To the owners of RdV, take good care of Ate Azon, Ate Tina, and Ate Edna just like how they take care of your guests. They contribute a lot on why we are all praises of RdV.
Rapitan di Vasay translates to “a place to stay”. But for us, Rapitan di Vasay is “A PLACE TO COME HOME TO”.
Dios mamajes, RdV!
PS
If planning to stay in RdV, bring some treats for the 3 angels. They do not have Jollibee, Dunkin donuts, goldilocks, etc. in the island.
