Each afternoon after our child wakes from his nap, we’d shortly exit of our lodge, journey a jeep to pueblo, stroll alongside the outdated downtown space of Zamboanga Metropolis, and be transported again in time. In our thoughts, this was most likely how Manila appeared and felt, again within the day. The view would then divulge heart’s contents to the ocean. We’d purchase some snacks, sit beside the breakwater, and together with faculty youngsters out with their buddies, and watch for the solar to say adios. These are my reminiscences of our journey to Zamboanga.
We spent 4 days in and across the metropolis, exploring not solely its downtown space, however just a few of its outlying islands and islets as nicely. It’s, surprisingly, very walkable, and extra importantly, very protected. Moreover our standard afternoon jaunt to Paseo Del Mar, we had been capable of do various issues and had been capable of go to various sights in Zamboanga Metropolis. With its quite a few vacationer spots, a weekend journey is certainly not sufficient to see the whole lot.
PUEBLO / DOWNTOWN ZAMBOANGA
That is the guts of Zamboanga Metropolis. The downtown space, dubbed in Chavacano—the native language within the metropolis—as Pueblo. It’s situated proper beside the ocean, on the southern a part of the peninsula. That is the place it’s all taking place and likewise the gateway to Zamboanga’s Pink Sand Seaside in Sta. Cruz Island.
Let’s begin our steps from one of the iconic locations in Zamboanga Metropolis, Fort Pilar and transfer westward from there.
Fort Pilar
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| INSIDE THE WALLS OF FORT PILAR |
A Nationwide Cultural Treasure, Fort Pilar is a navy stone fortress constructed by the Spaniards within the 1600s. It was used as protection in opposition to pirates and Moro raiders from Jolo, and its cornerstone marked the founding date of Zamboanga as a metropolis. It was constructed with the assistance of Mexicans and Peruvians, resulting in the event of the Zamboangenos creole language, Chavacano. Guests are allowed to entry its courtyard and climb its fortifications.
ADDRESS: N.S. Valderosa St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.901139, 122.082225
Entrance Price: Free
OPENING HOURS: 8:00AM to five:00PM, Monday to Saturday
Our Woman Of The Pillar Shrine
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| THE FORT PILLAR OUTDOOR SHRINE |
Constructed on the outer japanese wall of Fort Pilar is a shrine devoted to Our Woman of the Pillar of Saragossa. It was in-built 1734 after the Virgin Mary was reported to have appeared in entrance of a soldier alongside town gates. It’s now used as an outside church the place mass is held each day.
ADDRESS: N.S. Valderosa cor. Lustre St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.901288, 122.082646
Entrance Price: Free
OPENING HOURS: 9:00AM to five:00PM, Every day
Nationwide Museum Western Southern-Mindanao
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| ENTRANCE PORTAL TO THE ZAMBOANGA NATIONAL MUSEUM |
Fort Pilar now homes the Nationwide Museum Western Southern-Mindanao regional museum. It has a everlasting exhibit of the 18th century Griffin Shipwreck, rock collections from across the Philippines, weavings from Yakan, Subanun, and Sama tribes, the Lepa houseboat, and over 400 species of marine life from Zamboanga, Basilan, and Sulu.
ADDRESS: N.S. Valderosa St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.901392, 122.082141
Entrance Price: ₱20.00, ₱10.00 for seniors and kids
OPENING HOURS: 8:00AM to five:00PM, Monday to Saturday
Paseo Del Mar
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| AFTERNOON AT PASEO DEL MAR’S FOOD STALLS |
Located beside Fort Pilar and proper by the ocean is Zamboanga Metropolis’s hang around place, Paseo Del Mar. The plaza has quite a few eating places and stalls hawking the whole lot from sticks of fish balls to plates of curachas. It additionally has an enormous playground full with a skate park and a dancing fountain. The ferry terminal to Sta. Cruz Island is situated right here.
ADDRESS: N.S. Valderosa St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.900753, 122.081361
Entrance Price: Free
OPENING HOURS: 6:00AM to 12:00AM, Every day
ZSCMST Hen Sanctuary
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| INSIDE ZSCMST’S BIRD SANCTUARY |
In case you don’t understand it, you couldn’t inform that there’s a small lake situated simply beside Fort Pilar. Located contained in the Zamboanga State School of Marine Sciences & Know-how (ZSCMST) compound, the lake is a sanctuary for migratory and non-migratory birds. It’s a welcome and sudden sight after visiting the favored Fort Pilar vacationer spot.
ADDRESS: Lustre St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.902486, 122.084644
Entrance Price: Free
OPENING HOURS: 6:00AM to 7:00PM, Every day
BPI Zamboanga Museum
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| UTHE MOST UNIQUE BPI IN THE PHILIPPINES |
Alongside one among downtown’s major avenues stand the outdated BPI Zamboanga constructing. It’s a standard functioning BPI department, solely it appears to be like like a home, is manufactured from wooden, and is distinguished as BPI’s second department within the Philippines. However greater than that, it has a museum on its second flooring. The constructing was once the residence of a rich Chinese language dealer, Don Francisco Barrios earlier than it grew to become Basic John J. Pershing’s home when he was assigned to suppress insurrections in Mindanao.
ADDRESS: 26 N.S. Valderosa St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.902486, 122.084644
Entrance Price: Free
OPENING HOURS: 9:00AM to 4:30PM, Monday to Friday. Inquire inside for museum entry.
Zamboanga Metropolis Corridor
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| THE STATELY ZAMBOANGA CITY HALL |
Stroll just a few extra steps and also you’d move by the stately Zamboanga Metropolis Corridor. Constructed in 1905 by the US Authorities in Filipino colonial design, it used to function the residence of the US Navy Governor of the Moro Province. The constructing, constructed from stone and wooden, is open to the general public—as all regular metropolis halls are.
ADDRESS: N.S. Valderosa St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.904023, 122.076357
Entrance Price: Free
OPENING HOURS: 8:00AM to five:00PM, Monday to Saturday
Rizal Park
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| RIZAL’S MONUMENT AT PLAZA RIZAL |
Proper in entrance of the Zamboanga Metropolis Corridor is a small park devoted to the Philippine Nationwide Hero, Jose Rizal. The plaza incorporates a tower with a statue of Rizal at its prime going through town corridor. The park is surrounded by hedges with cannons overgrown with blooming flowers.
ADDRESS: N.S. Valderosa St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.904603, 122.076397
Entrance Price: Free
OPENING HOURS: 24 Hours, Every day
McDonald’s & Jollibee Zamboanga
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| ADAPTIVE REUSE OF A HERITAGE STRUCTURE IN ZAMBOANGA |
Throughout the road from Rizal Park are two of the nation’s hottest quick meals chains. Whereas, these aren’t normally vacationer spots, those in Zamboanga Metropolis’s downtown are fairly curious since they’re housed on colonial-style constructions. McDonald’s occupies a repurposed Victorian neo-classical constructing that used to deal with the Chartered Financial institution of India, Australia and China in 1928. Jollibee, however, is housed in a pretend bahay na bato construction harking back to these in Vigan Metropolis.
ADDRESS: Maria Clara St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.904535, 122.076501
Entrance Price: Free
OPENING HOURS: 6:30AM to 7:00PM, Every day
Plaza Pershing
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| ZAMBOANGA CITY’S PLAZA PERSHING ~ PHOTO BY BERNARD ILARDE FROM WIKIMEDIA |
One other well-known park throughout the space is Plaza Pershing. It’s a pocket park with a neo-classical gazebo named after the American Governor that when lived on the second flooring of BPI Zamboanga. The park truly hosts small commerce festivals amongst different issues. Throughout one among my visits, the park was stuffed with stalls promoting cactuses and different decorative crops. I even purchased some as pasalubong for my mother-in-law.
ADDRESS: Don Pablo Lorenzo cor. I. Magno St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.904535, 122.076501
Entrance Price: Free
OPENING HOURS: 24 Hours, Every day
R.T. Lim Boulevard / Cawa-Cawa Boulevard
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| SUNSET AT R.T.LIM BOULEVARD |
From the Zamboanga Public Market close to town corridor, journey a jeep to R.T. Lim Boulevard or Cawa-Cawa Boulevard. Zamboanga’s baywalk is a well-liked place for locals, particularly throughout the afternoons and early night. The seaside park is clear and really protected. It’s place to stroll or jog because it stretches for about 600 meters. It’s additionally the most effective spots to observe the sundown whereas munching on avenue meals. On the far finish of the boulevard, tables and chairs are set for balut, penoy, and beef chicharon—the accompanying vinegar, which vary from delicate to very spicy, is a should strive.
ADDRESS: Gov. Lim Avenue., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.908116, 122.064305
Entrance Price: Free
OPENING HOURS: 24 Hours, Every day
JMDN Seaview
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| THE JMDN SEAVIEW SUNSET PANORAMA |
A few meters from the tip of R.T. Lim Boulevard is one other sundown viewpoint, JMDN Seaview. This place, nonetheless, has no benches, or anything for that matter. It’s only a vacant lot the place folks touring on automobiles and bikes park to see the view of the setting solar.
ADDRESS: Gov. Lim Avenue., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.910023, 122.061902
Entrance Price: Free
OPENING HOURS: 24 Hours, Every day
Zamboanga Cathedral
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| ZAMBOANGA METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL’S MODERN AND MASSIVE FACADE |
A couple of kilometer away from R.T. Boulevard is Zamboanga Metropolis’s Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Concepcion. Its curving modernist façade one way or the other jogs my memory of Le Corbusier’s Notre-Dame du Haut church. It changed the outdated cathedral situated close to Rizal Park which was bombed throughout the Second World Battle.
ADDRESS: La Purisima St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.909019, 122.075922
Entrance Price: Free
OPENING HOURS: 6:00AM to six:00PM, Every day
PASONANCA PARK
Situated on the northern a part of Zamboanga Metropolis in Barangay Pasonanca is a park designed by an American parksman in 1912. Being on a better elevation, some folks confer with the realm as Zamboanga’s Little Baguio.
Pasonanca Swimming Swimming pools
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| THE CHILDREN’S POOL AT PASONANCA PARK |
One of many major sights of the park are its free-flowing public swimming pools—an Olympic-sized pool, The Rotary Pool, and Kids’s Pool which has 4 slides. These are surrounded by bushes, giving it shade, and has picnic areas and cottages that may be rented out.
ADDRESS: Brgy. Pasonanca
GPS MAP: 6.9525692,122.0747515
Entrance Price: ₱10.00
OPENING HOURS: 8:00AM to 4:00PM, Friday to Tuesday
Pasonanca Tree Home
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| ZAMBOANGA’S ICONIC TREEHOUSE |
Who doesn’t dream of staying on a tree home as a child? Nicely, Pasonanca Park has its very personal tree home, which was initially in-built 1960 as a Youth Citizenship Coaching Heart. It’s free to entry by everybody, however the very best half is, you may truly lease it for an evening.
ADDRESS: Brgy. Pasonanca
GPS MAP: 6.9525692,122.0747515
Entrance Price: Free
Rental Price: Contact the admin
OPENING HOURS: 24 Hours, Every day
Pasonanca Science Museum
Assume The Thoughts Museum in BGC with much less tech, however no much less enjoyable. The Zamboanga Metropolis Science Park or Parque de Ciencia de Zamboanga options greater than fifty interactive displays, catering largely to youngsters. It’s the largest regional science museum within the Philippines.
ADDRESS: Brgy. Pasonanca
GPS MAP: 6.954197, 122.072308
Entrance Price: ₱130.00, ₱65.00 for seniors, Free for kids under two years outdated
OPENING HOURS: 9:00AM to 4:30PM, Every day / TEMPORARILY CLOSED
El Museo De Zamboanga
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| A CANNON RELIC INSIDE EL MUSEO DE ZAMBOANGA |
Located beside the science museum, El Museo De Zamboanga narrates the historical past of Zamboanga Metropolis in photographs, artefacts, and dioramas. If you need a fast overview of town’s roots, that is the very best place to brush up on it.
ADDRESS: Brgy. Pasonanca
GPS MAP: 6.9532029,122.0731422
Entrance Price: Free
OPENING HOURS: 9:00AM to five:00PM, Monday to Saturday / TEMPORARILY CLOSED
Butterfly Backyard
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| THE BUTTERFLY SANCTUARY IN ZAMBOANGA ~ PHOTO BY WOWZAMBOANGACITY FROM WIKIMEDIA |
Pasonanca’s Butterfly Sanctuary is among the extra common locations in Pasonanca Park. It’s situated in a small space close to the La Jardin de Maria Clara Lobregat, a backyard named after town’s former mayor. Nicely, who doesn’t love colourful butterflies?
ADDRESS: Brgy. Pasonanca
GPS MAP: 6.953276, 122.072101
Entrance Price: ₱10.00
OPENING HOURS: 6:00AM to six:00PM
Camp Limbaga
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| BOY SCOUT TENTS AT CAMP LIMBAGA |
Then there’s the Boy Scout huts at Scout Limbaga. That is truly an actual camp website for Boy Scouts and the place the group began in Mindanao. Most vacationers in Zamboanga come up right here to pose for a photograph alongside the tents.
ADDRESS: Scout Limbaga Highway, Brgy. Pasonanca
GPS MAP: 6.952484,122.0748105
Entrance Price: Free
OPENING HOURS: TEMPORARILY CLOSED
Abong-Abong Park
For the devoted, Abong Abong Park is a pilgrimage vacation spot particularly common throughout the Holy Week. Going up Mount Pulong Bato, its fourteen Stations of the Cross, every one about 50 to 75 meters aside, result in a large white cross dubbed as Cruz Mayor.
ADDRESS: Mount Pulong Bato
GPS MAP: 6.964652, 122.076147
Entrance Price: Free
OPENING HOURS: 24 Hours, Every day
Pasonanca Trails & Viewing Decks
Additional out of Pasonanca Park is the Pasonanca Pure Park. The protected space has trails for hikers and excessive grounds with magnificent views of the encircling areas. With an space of 12,107 hectares, it serves as a serious watershed within the Zamboanga Peninsula.
Entrance Price: Free
OPENING HOURS: 24 Hours, Every day
AROUND ZAMBOANGA CITY
Listed below are a number of the vacationer spots round Zamboanga Metropolis that aren’t situated in downtown and even the Pasonanca Park. A few of these are only a few minutes from town heart, whereas others are fairly far and would possibly require a full day go to.
Rainbow Mosque
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| THE UBER COLORFUL RAINBOW MOSQUE |
Probably the most colourful mosque you’ll most likely ever see is situated at Barangay Sta. Maria, a jeepney journey away from Zamboanga’s downtown space. Formally known as Masjid Al-Islamia, it has since been dubbed because the Rainbow Mosque because of its ultra-colorful façade. Nevertheless it wasn’t at all times like this, its rainbow hues had been painted on its white partitions after the Marawi Siege as a name for peace and unity.
ADDRESS: Tumaga Highway (Veteran’s Extension), Brgy. Sta. Maria
GPS MAP: 6.930399, 122.078478
Entrance Price: Free
OPENING HOURS: Daylight Hours
Yakan Village
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| BEAUTIFUL TAPESTRIES MADE AT THE YAKAN VILLAGE |
Situated about seven kilometers away from town corridor, off the west coast of Zamboanga Metropolis is a small colourful village populated by Yakans, a bunch of people that originated from Basilan throughout the seventies. And what colours their village are the textile weavings they do by arms. Historically, they weave semmek clothes for carrying, however now, they’ve included luggage, desk runners, blankets, and even sneakers into their repertoire.
ADDRESS: Higher Calarian, Labuan-Limpapa Highway
GPS MAP: 6.910023, 122.061902
Entrance Price: Free
OPENING HOURS: 8:00AM to eight:00PM, Every day
Taluksangay Mosque
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| THE HISTORIC TALUKSANGAY MOSQUE ~ PHOTO BY TRAVEL TRILOGY |
On the east coast of Zamboanga, about half an hour drive from downtown, lies one of many extra vital mosques within the metropolis. The Taluksangay Mosque was in-built 1885 and is the oldest mosque in Western Mindanao. It’s the place Islam first unfold within the Zamboanga Peninsula.
ADDRESS: Brgy. Taluksangay
GPS MAP: 6.9507456,122.1792455
Entrance Price: Free
OPENING HOURS: 8:00AM to eight:00PM, Every day
Merloquet Falls
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| THE MASSIVE MERLOQUET FALLS ~ PHOTO BY TIMOJO508 FROM WIKIMEDIA |
On the border of Zamboanga Metropolis and Zamboanga Sibugay lies one of many grandest waterfalls in Zamboanga Peninsula. Merloquet Falls is a two-tiered waterfall, rising to a peak of about fifteen meters with a width of ten to fifteen meters. It’s fairly removed from downtown Zamboanga, however it’s a superb vacation spot if in case you have a free day to spare within the metropolis.
ADDRESS: Brgy. Sibulao
GPS MAP: 7.310163, 122.213463
Entrance Price: ₱5.00
OPENING HOURS: Daylight Hours
Those that journey to buy received’t be dissatisfied with Zamboanga. The town has mixture of contemporary malls and native and conventional retailers. Make sure you get sufficient baggage allowance in your flights again.
Canelar Barter Commerce
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| COLORFUL WARES AT THE CANELAR BARTER TRADE CENTER |
Among the finest locations to buy in Zamboanga Metropolis is on the Canelar Barter Commerce. It’s a open-air dry market promoting largely Malaysian textiles, garments, and meals stuff. Make sure you convey residence batik shirts, colourful scarves, distinctive instantaneous noodles, egg udang noodles for making mee goreng at residence, Malaysian white espresso, teh tahrik, and Apollo candies.
ADDRESS: Wee Siu Tuy St., Brgy. Camino Nueva, Canelar Buying and selling Heart
GPS MAP: 6.913952, 122.074112
ENTRANCE FEE: Free
OPENING HOURS: 8:00AM to five:30PM, Every day
Plaza Pilar
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| AFTERNOON AT PLAZA PILAR |
Situated proper throughout Fort Pilar, Plaza Pilar is a small space surrounded by a colonnade promoting souvenirs, native foodstuff, and spiritual gadgets. Make sure you get a bunch of apa, a crispy wafer-like rolled deal with, if you go to. It’s additionally place to have a photograph of the Fort with a foreground of flying pigeons—as there are tons within the space.
ADDRESS: N.S. Valderosa St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.901990, 122.082111
ENTRANCE FEE: Free
OPENING HOURS: 8:00AM to eight:00PM, Every day
Magay Zamboanga Public Market
Close to the Zamboanga Metropolis Corridor is the hustle and chaos of the Zamboanga Magay Public Market. In case you like market locations, that is essentially the most large this facet of town. It’s place to see and purchase native wares, and the most affordable place for avenue meals.
ADDRESS: N.S. Valderosa Annex St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.904784, 122.074419
ENTRANCE FEE: Free
OPENING HOURS: 4:00AM to 7:00PM, Every day
Pettit Barracks Night time Market
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| CHEAP UKAY UKAY FINDS AT THE PETTIT BARRACKS NIGHT MARKET |
As night arrives, Rizal Avenue closes to vehicular site visitors and stalls upon stalls of ukay ukay garments begin to line the street. This Zamboanga evening market stretches for 2 blocks, with meals stalls hawking native avenue meals like mee goreng on the rear half, excellent for after-shopping snacks. It truly jogs my memory of Baguio’s Harrison Highway Ukay Ukay.
ADDRESS: Rizal St., Downtown
GPS MAP: 6.903054, 122.079123
ENTRANCE FEE: Free
OPENING HOURS: Night Hours, Every day
Procuring Malls
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| INSIDE KCC MALL IN ZAMBOANGA ~ PHTO FROM WIKIMEDIA |
Zamboanga is a bustling metropolis and most of the people from the neighboring islands of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi do their procuring right here. And like all massive cities, there are quite a few procuring malls within the space—KCC Mall, SM Metropolis Mindpro, Southway Mall, South Supermall, Gaisano Grand Mall, CityMall Tetuan, to call just a few.
OPENING HOURS: Most open at 9:00AM and closes at 7:00PM to 9:00PM
ZAMBOANGA STA. CRUZ ISLAND TOUR
One of the common vacationer spot in Zamboanga Metropolis is its Pink Sand Seaside—one among solely a handful on the earth. And that is situated in Sta. Cruz Island, which is just a few minutes by boat away from downtown Zamboanga.
Subic Pink Sand Seaside
Komodo Island Pink Seaside
Little Sta Cruz Island & Sandbar
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| LITTLE STA. CRUZ ISLAND’S SANDBAR ALSO HAS A PINK HUE |
The primary place vacationers go to when going to Zamboanga’s Sta. Cruz Island is the sandbar that extends from Little Sta. Cruz Island. It is a small islet earlier than the primary island. Vacationers are usually not allowed on the island, however they’ll go down on the sandbar if the tide is low and the sandbar is above water. Swimming is prohibited although, as the realm has riptides which may sweep swimmers away.
Sta. Cruz Island Mangrove Lagoon
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| EXPLORING THE MANGROVE FOREST ABOARD A BOAT |
Earlier than heading to the seashore, a side-tour to the mangrove forest of Sta. Cruz Island is a worthy expertise. You switch to a smaller paddle boat, and journey across the mangroves the place you may benefit from the surroundings, have a style of the freshest seagrapes or lato, and expertise dealing with stingless jellyfishes.
Vinta Experience
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| RIDING A REAL VINTA BOAT |
One of many highlights of a Sta. Cruz tour is their vinta journey—these colourful boats you solely see on textbooks. After the lagoon tour, a small vinta awaits guests—one which you’ll truly paddle and journey round on.
Zamboanga Pink Seaside
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| ZAMBOANGA CITY’S FAMOUS PINK BEACH |
And eventually, the primary occasion of a Sta. Cruz Island tour, Zamboanga’s Pink Seaside. The seashore is definitely not as pink as Barbie pink, however it solely has a touch of pinkness when considered on a sure angle, particularly on the foreshore space the place the sand is moist. This is because of crushed crimson corals that blend with the sand. Swimming and snorkeling is an efficient exercise right here, simply pay attention to the sturdy present.
Seafood Picnic Lunch
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| SEAFOOD GALORE BY THE BEACH |
Relying on the tour you availed, it could or might not have a seafood lunch bundled with it. We booked ours with iTravel Vacationer Lane and it does have a superb seafood lunch on a cottage by the seashore. Shrimp, crabs, roasted fish and squid, rooster barbecue, and fruits—it was the most effective meals I’ve had in Zamboanga.
Badjao Cemetery
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| THE OLD BADJAO CEMETERY AT STA. CRUZ ISLAND |
Earlier than going again to mainland Zamboanga, we dropped by the Badjao Cemetery in Sta. Cruz Island. The burial floor was utilized by the Badjao and Sama Bangingi tribes even earlier than Sta. Cruz Island grew to become well-known as a vacationer spot. The graves are small and are normally adorned with gravestones manufactured from wooden and small picket boats—reflecting the Badjao’s seafaring lifestyle.
Scuba Diving at Sta. Cruz Island
One other exercise that may be performed in Sta. Cruz Island is scuba diving. The entire Sta. Cruz Island is definitely surrounded by a reef wall, however diving isn’t allowed there because of very sturdy rip tides. The one authorised diving website is situated close to the Little Sta. Cruz Island the place there’s additionally a reef wall.
As of the second, there’s no dive operator or store accredited by the LGU because the pandemic occurred. I’ll replace this as soon as diving resumes in Sta. Cruz Island.
ONCE ISLAS ZAMBOANGA
One of many latest vacationer spots in Zamboanga could be present in Barangay Panubigan, the As soon as Islas Island Hopping Tour. It’s situated about an hour away from downtown, however the journey time could be very a lot value it. I discovered the seashores right here to be even higher than at Sta. Cruz Island. Whereas there are eleven islands within the neighborhood, solely three islands are open to vacationer.
Bisaya Bisaya Island
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| CLEAR WATERS AT BISAYA BISAYA ISLAND |
Probably the most adventure-filled island on the tour is Bisaya-Bisaya Island. It has a path that circles across the half the island with lovely rock formations, a pure tidal pool off one among its islets which you’ll attain by strolling on a sandbar throughout low tide, and a reasonably fantastic seashore besides too.
Sirommon Island
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| SIROMMON ISLAND HAS A SANDBAR DURING LOW TIDE |
The island finest for snorkeling is Sirumon Island. And there’s truly a raft that may take you to the very best snorkeling spot. But when the tide’s too low, snorkeling just a few meters from the shore isn’t that unhealthy too. Plus, it has a sandbar too. The seashore can also be tremendous fantastic.
Baung Baung Island
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| BAUNG-BAUNG ISLAND IS NAMED AFTER THE COCONUT SHELL |
The ultimate island on the listing is Baung Baung Island. I like this island finest for its waters, completely no present—an actual pleasure to swim on. It additionally has a view deck that may be hiked up via 248 steps.
ZAMBOANGA FOOD TRIP
The meals scene in Zamboanga Metropolis is admittedly good. Level in truth, I gained weight after visiting town. For a devoted article for Zamboanga’s meals scene. Verify these out.
• The Greatest Mee Goreng Zamboanga
Moro Delicacies
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| A MENAGERIE OF MORO CUISINE |
Zamboanga’s culinary panorama could be very totally different from many of the Philippines. A number of the finest locations to strive these are at Andi’s Particular Satti, Bay Tal Mal Restaurant, and Dennis Espresso Backyard.
Seafood
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| CURACHA LATHERED WITH ALAVAR SAUCE |
The town is known for its curacha or spanner crab and there are a number of eating places you may attempt to get the very best out of it. A number of of the well-known ones are Alavar Seafood Restaurant (their Alavar sauce is a should) and Vista Del Mar Restaurant.
Malaysian Meals
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| ONE OF THE BEST MEE GORENG WE TRIED WAS FROM OLE OLE RESTAURANT |
Being so near Malaysia, their meals has seeped in to the tables of Zamboangeños. We hunted for the very best mee goreng and different Malay dishes this facet of the Philippines and located them at Ole Ole Restaurant, Tinis Restaurant, and on makeshift stalls promoting mee goreng alongside the streets.
Avenue Meals
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| A SAMPLE OF ZAMBOANGA;S STREETFOOD |
Zamboanga’s avenue meals can also be very distinctive. Make sure you strive their native fishballs, gata-laden taho, crispy salvaro and apa, okoy, pastil, and expertise having balut, beef chicharon, and mee goreng alongside the breakwater of R.T. Lim Boulevard.
Every part In Between
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| ZAMBOANGA’S FAMOUSE KNICKERBOCKER DESSERT |
And if you would like one thing much less adventurous, Zamboanga Metropolis additionally has the same old quick meals chains, plus eating places serving conventional Filipino and Western fares—if you would like Chinese language, they’ve these too. We tried a number of the finest at Bar Code, Nation Hen Restaurant, and Hacienda De Palmeras Restaurant.
ZAMBOANGA HERMOSA FESTIVAL
The very best time to go to Zamboanga Metropolis is throughout the month of October once they rejoice the Zamboanga Hermosa Competition. Listed below are a number of the pageant highlights.
Regatta De Zamboanga
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| VINTA RACE AT REGATTA DE ZAMBOANGA |
That is the last word vinta boat race in Zamboanga Metropolis. Multitudes of vintas race throughout the waters fronting R.T. Lim Boulevard utilizing solely hand energy or paddling.
ZAMPEX
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| DELICIOUS FOOD PRODUCTS DISPLAYED AT ZAMPEX |
The final word in procuring in Zamboanga Metropolis. ZAMPEX or the Zamboanga Peninsula Expo options the very best of what the area gives—textiles, garments, sneakers, luggage, equipment, furnishings, and most significantly meals merchandise! That is normally held at a conference heart, and the final one I attended was held on the Palacio del Sur, the occasion corridor of Marcian Backyard Resort.
Asao Lechon Competition
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| ROASTING FOR THE ASAO LECHON FESTIVAL |
A part of the Zamboanga Hermosa Competition is the Asao Lechon Competition the place lechoneros from throughout Zamboanga Metropolis compete for the very best lechon within the metropolis, parading them, and letting everybody have a style—at no cost! By the best way, Asao isn’t a spot however quite a chavacano time period for grilled or roasted meals.
Mascota De Zamboanga
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| THE GRANDEST OF THE GRAND GOWNS CAN BE FOUND AT MASCOTA DE ZAMBOANGA |
Probably the most lovely terno robes—impressed by opulent women throughout the Spanish period in Zamboanga Metropolis—competes for the annual Mascota De Zamboanga. Native artists generally take a 12 months to create these masterpieces.
Zamboanga Hermosa Avenue Dance
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| THE REVELRY OF ZAMBOANGA HERMOSA’S STREET DANCING COMPETITION |
The Zamboanga Hermosa Competition climaxes in a avenue dancing competitors by numerous barangays within the metropolis. The dancing spreads via the streets of town earlier than culminating on the Paseo Del Mar for his or her ultimate efficiency.
iTravel Vacationer Lane Zamboanga Excursions
Deal with: Mayor Jaldon St., Canelar, Zamboanga Metropolis
Contact Quantity: (0917) 724-3199
E mail: information@itraveltouristlane.com
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