Dreamy blue waters. Sands, as fine as sugar, yet finer. Clear skies reflected by the ocean. Deafening silence, the kind that sings sweet melodies to the soul. Towering coconut trees along the shore that sway as the wind blows. When you close your eyes, what do you see? Boracay maybe. Or some place in the beautiful Palawan. Perhaps a world famous foreign island, the likes of Maldives and Bali. Has the idea of this little piece of paradise being found some place where chaos once was ever crossed your mind? You haven’t given it a thought, have you? Even more mind blowing to learn I’m talking about an unspoken island in Basilan. Yes! The place that once made headlines due to terrorists and violence. Who would have thought, right? But such a stunning island exists and that folks is Malamawi Island.
Malamawi Island is not all sugar, spice and everything nice. It’s an island not more than five minutes away from the coast of Isabela City and is home to a thriving local community. Unlike other less known islands, it already has its share of trash which is to be expected. Proper waste management systems are seldom a priority in islands like Malamawi that trash more often go unchecked amidst gradual population growth and the local’s lack of information. But despite the ugly, it definitely has redeeming qualities. Its people are warm and accommodating. The island is quiet and simple. Its entirety speaks of sunshine and good vibes similar to Siargao. And speaking of, it also has roads lined with coconut trees! Like thousands of them! And beyond those dreamy coconut roads is a little piece of paradise they fondly called the island’s white beach. Cast away your worries now babe coz it’s absolutely safe!
From Manila – Fly to Zamboanga via Cebu Pacific or Phil Airlines. From the airport, hire a tricycle to take you to the port. Tell the driver you are headed to Isabela, Basilan. Ride a sea ferry going to Basilan (1HR ; P130/Way/Head). From the port, walk to the fish wharf and hire a boat going to Malamawi Island (10Min ; P100/boat/way). Upon reaching the island, ride a motorcycle going to the White Beach (20Min ; P200/2way). If you are in a group, there’s a multicab that you can hire for P600 and can fit up to 10 people.
Alternatively from Manila, you can ride a 2Go fast vessel to Zamboanga City. Travel time takes 18 hours.
From Cebu – Fly to Zamboanga via Cebu Pacific or Phil Airlines. Then make your way to Zamboanga Port to ride a sea ferry to Isabela City Basilan. From the port, walk to the fish wharf and hire a boat to Malamawi Island. From there, the island should be 15 minutes of motorcycle ride away.
I heard that there are still sea vessels plying the waters from Cebu to Zamboanga. You may want to check George & Peter Lines if they still operate this route.
From Davao – Davao City may sound as if it is near Malamawi Island since they are both located in Mindanao but for your info, they are thousands of miles apart. The best and fastest way to reach Malamawi Island is to fly via Cebu Pacific or Phil Airlines to Zamboanga. From there, Malamawi Island is just an hour of sea ferry, a 10-minute pumpboat and 15-minute motorcycle ride away.
You can spend the night in Malamawi Island’s White Beach. They have the amenities and type of accommodation that could suit your budget and preference well. However, if you feel like going back to the city to catch some night life after frolicking at the beach, here are some of your options.
Mid - High Range
Garden Orchid Hotel – Gov. Camins Ave., City Proper, Zamboanga City,
Grand Astoria Hotel – Mayor Jaldon St., City Proper, Zamboanga City
Hotel Primera – Canelar Moret, City Proper, Zamboanga CityBudget Range
Winzelle Suites – Gov. Lim Ave., Zamboanga City
Cityinn Hotel – Governor Alvarez St., Zamboanga City
Casa Canelar Pension – Mayor Jaldon St, Zamboanga City
| TIPS | 1. Malamawi's White Beach is best enjoyed when you have less people to share it with so time your visit during off peak season and weekdays. The beach resort management also limits the number of visitors to less than 300 a day so a reservation is also a must. 2. You can spend the night in the resort. You can either rent rooms or camp at the beach. 3. Your trip to Zamboanga will never be complete without you tasting their knickerbocker. Make sure to do a quick trip to Hacienda De Palmera for this sumptuous treat. |
| WHAT ARE THE FEES | 1-Way boat to&from Malamawi - P5/person 2-Way 4-Wheel Ride To White Beach - P600 (10Person Cap) 2-Way Motorcyle To While Beach - P200 Entrance Fee - P30 Cottage Rental Small - P300 (daytour); P500 (Overnight) Medium - P800 (daytour); P1000 (Overnight) Large - P1000 (daytour); P1200 (Overnight) Overnight Suites - P3000 |
| CONTACT | Malamawi White Beach Resort – 09974400765 | 09450628568 |
Food – Food is cheap. Here you can have a big slice of chicken with rice for a price of P25. There are also local eateries that sell tasty meals for P30. And if you are looking for something out of the ordinary, try their street foods. Plenty of them are found near the fish port at sunset.
Sunsets – Other than Manila Bay, I think the best sunsets are found in El Nido and Coron but not until I witnessed one of the most magnificent sunsets of our lives in Basilan. The collision of colors in the sky while we watched the locals go on with their lives as the day near its end made the spectacular scene more dramatic. It seemed like we were watching a clip from a movie which we left playing in repeat.
Easy Access – With transportation available daily from Zamboanga, getting to Basilan has never been so easy. Malamawi Island is also very accessible, you can go to the island anytime you want. Exploring other parts of the province is also not an issue as there are buses and vans traveling to the island’s every corner. And you’re sure to not run of options are there are tricycles scattered around town which you can hire to tour you around.
The Peace & Quiet – Had you not heard horrible stories about Basilan in the news, you would think it’s just another quaint town with hundreds of tricycles running on its streets. The presence of soldiers or the police randomly scouting the roads would not make you uneasy as this would be seen as something trivial or ordinary. At least that’s what I witnessed while I was there. I didn’t let my guard down but I wasn’t really worried.
There You Have It Lovelies!
I would love to tell all the things I love to love about this island but that would go on and on as I have so many things in mind. I hope this post gives you that push that you need to finally go and visit Malamawi Island. Until next time. Ciao!
2 Comments
I never knew Basilan has this beautiful island! I always thought Basilan is unsafe for travelers, yet here you are proving it’s all safe! 🙌🏻 Love this and hope I can visit soon! 💖
Hello Hazel,
Yes you should pay Basilan a visit soon. ♥️