The main objective of my Sulu archipelago trip is to visit the famous province of Tawi-Tawi, an island blessed with so many beautiful natural wonders. From Zamboanga I boarded a PAL Express flight bound to Tawi-Tawi.
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| Tawi-Tawi Provincial Capitol |
After an hour I arrived at Sanga-Sanga Airport in Tawi-Tawi. The iconic Bud Bongao is visible from afar. I go straight to the town center to look for a place to stay for 2 nights. I stayed at Hotel Juana along Salamat road.
I wander around the busy town. I found this coffee shop and got curious about the food there offering. I go inside sit for a while then I ordered coffee and they served different kind of delicacies place in a tray. How can i eat all of this? The lady told me that I’ll only pay the food I consumed. It was a filling breakfast for me.
I headed to the Tawi-Tawi Provincial Capitol which is located on top of the hill. It is overlooking the vast Celebes and Sulu bay and the busy town of Bongao.
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| Bud Bongao |
I decided to climb Bud Bongao past noon. This is considered as a burial site of Muslim locals. This is also a place where they pray and meditate. It took me an hour to reach its peak. There is a Muslim family praying inside the shrine (tampat). I rested for a while then one of their family members went out. I say hi to them and give some chocolates to her children. They shared to me that their father prayed that her children be a good person and also seeking help that she can find a decent job. We talk for a while then I leave them and I headed to the peak. I went down and visited some of the stilt houses along the road back to the town center.
On the second day I roamed around and I found out that there’s a lot of budget accommodation in Bongao and also observing the business activities along the Chinese pier.
Some of the restaurants in Tawi-Tawi serve Malaysian cuisine.
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| Chinese Pier |
Along the streets of Bongao you can a lot of pawnshop, sea foods and vegetables. Tricycles were also the mode of transportation. I got to witness also the harmonious interactions of our Christian and Muslim brothers. That two days stay in Tawi-Tawi was a life-changing experience for me.
How to get there:
Major carriers fly to Zamboanga City from Manila daily. The flight takes 1.5 hours. From Zamboanga City, take a ferry to Bongao in Tawi-Tawi. PAL Express and Cebu Pacific Air flies also to Bongao daily.
This is part of the 1st leg of my solo backpacking in Mindanao.
Zamboanga City | Basilan | Tawi-Tawi | Sulu
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