HomeAsiaPhilippinesMindanao10 Days in Southern Mindanao – Davao, Lake Sebu, Gen San, Sarangani, Zamboanga, & Basilan By Marcos Detourist on August 23, 2011Since my first visit to Mindanao barely a year ago, I’ve found myself back in this southern island for the fourth time now. I love how different it feels wandering through its city streets and exploring its lush countrysides. The opening of new direct flights between the Iloilo, my hometown, and Davao City was definitely a major factor, which made Mindanao more accessible for me (and many travelers from Panay Island). On this particular trip, I really enjoyed my visit to a couple of places situated in the bottom half of Mindanao … most for the first time.Davao City and Tagum City, Davao del NorteI started my 10-day journey in Davao City and tucked in a day trip to Tagum City in Davao del Norte. Being a bit of an urbanphile, I wanted to see new constructions like Abreeza by Ayala Malls and the New Tagum City Hall. Flying out from my beautiful City of Iloilo. Love love how the winding Iloilo River dominates the aerial urbanscape. From this angle, you could see the nose-like shape of the river bend, which is how the early settlement got its name “Irong-irong” (later shortened to Ilo-ilo). “Ilong” is the local translation for nose and “Irong” was derivated because early Chinese traders could not pronounce the letter “L” very well.Arriving in Davao CityAerial View of Davao’s Bajada AreaModern Architecture of the New Tagum City Hall in Davao del Norte ProvinceOld Tagum City HallWide 6-lane highway in Tagum City with room for 4-6 more lanesSarangani, General Santos City, and South CotabatoMy plan to visit SOCSKARGEN Region (South Cotabato, Sarangani, and General Santos City) was supposed to be part of my (unsuccessful) first visit to Mindanao … I didn’t get to go on the trip all because I missed my early morning flight to Davao. This time, I was determined to experience the region had to offer: Gumasa Beach in Glan, Sarangani Province (known for its gorgeous long white sand beach), General Santos City (tuna capital of the Philippines) and Lake Sebu in South Cotabato (ancestral home of the T’boli tribe of South Central Mindanao).Kuya Avel toured me and Bernie (HabagatCentral, my travel buddy during my visit to General Santos and Lake Sebu. Kuya Avel is the blogger behind GenSan News Online Mag. He is a General Santos resident and passionate advocate of the city’s tourism campaign: Magandang GenSan (translated as “Beautiful GenSan”).Abroad the bus from Davao City to South CotabatoInviting blue waters of Isla Jardin Beach Resort in Glan, Sarangani Province Beachfront of Isla JardinView of 1km+ white sand stretch of Gumasa Beach in Glan, SaranganiSouthern end of Gumasa BeachSelf-portrait at Gumasa BeachSarangani Provincial CapitolBatchoy and Dinuguan at Batchoy King in ECA Complex, General Santos CityHealthy Cashew treats at House of Cashew in ECA Complex, General Santos CitySeafood plate dinner at Piyesta Restobar in Robinsons Place General SantosPhoto-ops with Boxing Celebrity and General Santos City resident, Manny Pacquiao (photo grabbed from Berniemack Arellano)Relaxing massage at The Horizon Spa and Fitness Studio, which can be found on the 2nd Floor of Tan Building, corner Manansala Subdivision- Aparente Avenue in Purok Malakas, General Santos CityMorning visit in General Santos Fish PortTuna Overload at the Tuna Capital of the PhilippinesPhoto-ops with a tuna being weighed before it is graded and stored for canningBreakfast of Balbacua, a Cebuano soup dish, at Gamay Eatery found along the way between the Fish Port and General Santos City ProperPlaza Heneral Santos at the General Santos City Hall ComplexRobinsons Place General SantosKoronadal City (Marbel) RoundballFirst Falls in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato ProvinceView at the COWHED Products Showcase Center in Lake SebuFiery sunset in Lake SebuEarly morning overview of Lake SebuSunrise canoe ride at the lotus flowers of Pag-asa (bend) in Lake SebuLake Sebu’s signature deep pink lotus flowers, only blooming during sunriseMajestic 2nd falls in Lake SebuSelf-portrait in Punta Isla Resort, Lake SebuDurian Coffee at Punta Isla Resort in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato ProvinceZamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Isabela City, BasilanOriginally, I was bent to pursue what was probably my most ambitious travel plan yet. I really wanted to see Tawi-tawi, a province in ARMM (Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao) not many Filipinos would dare to visit. Unfortunately, I had to cut my travel plans for the whole trip from 14 days to (a shorter) 10 days because of my sister’s wedding back home. I scourged Zamboanga City for ferry schedules but realized that I wouldn’t have enough time to travel to Bonggao, Tawi-tawi by sea … airfares were already too expensive also. While deciding on a “Plan B,” I decided to kick back and have a leisurely rest in Zamboanga City. I ended up having a very worthwhile visit to the stilt house colony of Rio Hondo in Zamboanga City, day trip to Malamawi Island in Basilan, Merloquet Falls (also in Zamboanga City), and Ipil (the capital of Zamboanga Sibugay).Cawa-cawa Boulevard in Zamboanga CityTuna pasta at Lantaka Hotel in Zamboanga CityZamboanga City Hall, one of my favorite old city halls in the PhilippinesFort Pilar ShrineFort Pilar National MuseumBajao kids fishing for coins at the Zamboanga City PortArrival at the pier in Isabela City, BasilanBoat ride to Brgy. Carbon in Malamawi IslandWhite Beach in Malamawi IslandViewdeck at the White Beach (Resort) property in Malamawi IslandView of mangrove forests in Malamawi Island and the mountains of Basilan from the viewdeck of White Beach (Resort)Isabela City HallRubber Tree Plantation in Isabela CityMaligue Falls located along the highway going to Maluso, Basilan (at the 7km mark from Isabela City)ISAWAD Inland Resort in Isabela CityRubber Processing Plant in Isabela CityMuslim architecture along the river of Isabela CityFacade of the Basilan Provincial CapitolStilt houses at the eastern coast of Malamawi Island Old lighthouse at Malamawi Island during sunset Sunset view of Little Sta. Cruz Island on the ferry back to Zamboanga City Stilt house colony at Brgy. Rio Hondo in Zamboanga City Samal tribe kid wearing a traditional patadyong at Rio Hondo, Zamboanga City Sunset view of Paseo del Mar in Zamboanga City Trek to Merloquet Fall at the northern hinterlands of Zamboanga City Smooth cascade of Merloquet Falls in Zamboanga City Self-portrait at the lush jungle surrounding the Merloquet Falls Unfinished Provincial Capitol of Zamboanga Sibugay, one of the youngest provinces in the Philippines View of Zamboanga Sibugay from the Provincial Capitol Complex regally located atop a hill in Pili town Aerial views of Zamboanga City on the outgoing flight to Cebu Patches of interesting islets lying off the eastern coast somewhere in northern Zamboanga City / Zamboanga Sibugay area Connecting flight at the Cebu International Airport Arrival back at the Iloilo AirportAs always, unplanned trips are always the best. Mindanao is just so beautiful, I can’t help but feel inspired every time I am presented with the gorgeous sights that it has to offer. Tourists who skip visiting Mindanao just because they are scared of the security issue are missing A LOT. Since my first visit to Mindanao last year, I’ve been to 15 out of 26 provinces in Mindanao … each province has so much beautiful places to offer for tourists, I still want to see more of Mindanao!Don’t leave yet. There’s more!Cebu, Bohol, Cagayan de Oro, Ozamiz - DIY Travel Tips &…Arrival at Davao International Airport; My First Touchdown…Ambot-ah Season 2011 Finale: a year of memoriesDavao to Zamboanga Flight: Arrival in Zamboanga Airport6 Days in Davao & Zamboanga - First time in Southern…19 Days Northeast Mindanao Itinerary — Surigao, Agusan,…Comments Yvette saysAugust 23, 2011 at 9:39 pmI am so glad you visited my mom’s hometown – GenSan. She is one of General Paulino Santos’ grandchildren and we are proud descendants. :) It is a beautiful city and after seeing your pics, I am now longing for some GenSan tuna kilawin, panga, and tuna belly! Did you get a chance to eat at Lake Sebu? They do a wonderful performance of T’boli dances at the floating restaurant. Marcos saysAugust 24, 2011 at 3:01 amKewl, it’s a proud heritage indeed. I’m a big fan of tuna also, which why I liked GenSan a lot :D We stayed at Punta Isla Resort but didn’t eat at the floating restaurant since they charged a premium for the dining experience. Yvette saysAugust 25, 2011 at 1:28 amAh yes, Punta Isla, is the restaurant we ate at. We did not stay in Lake Sebu kasi we stayed in GenSan proper in one of the apartelle places near KCC. Saranggani Highlands has a great view of the whole city at night. Marcos saysAugust 25, 2011 at 11:02 pmNice. Parang okay nga yung hilltop location ng Saranggani Highlands. janet saysAugust 24, 2011 at 1:10 amhm, durian coffee, interesting :) i’ve always wanted to travel to mindanao, to see Lake Sebu, because i read it’s really beautiful there, but with the not-so-good news about the place and all, medyo hesitant ako. so thank you! your blog is SUPER! more fun trips to come! :) Marcos saysAugust 24, 2011 at 3:04 amIt was … wouldn’t mind to come back. It was raining heavily during our visit … we didn’t get to visit more of Lake Sebu. South Cotabato is a relatively safe place to travel. It (security) is just like visiting any other place in the Philippines. Yvette saysAugust 25, 2011 at 1:24 amSouth Cotabato is definitely much safer than it’s neighbor to the north – North Cotabato/Cotabato City where much of the gulo occurs. Davao is also relatively safe as well. Marcos saysAugust 25, 2011 at 11:04 pmTrue. Only selected areas in Mindanao should be approached with caution, most of it is not as dangerous as many think. Gel saysAugust 27, 2011 at 11:34 pmHello Marcos,I like your Basilan album. A friend of mines is from Basilan, they told me interesting stories of the place, anyhow how you able to tour the area without encountering danger? you went there all by yourself? Just recently went to Zamboanga, but even there I went with a companion. Marcos saysAugust 28, 2011 at 4:40 pmYes, I went there all by myself. I guess looking like one of the locals helped (with my dark skin and all)… I kinda grew out my beard intentionally to blend in, haha. Seriously, I was really scared going to Basilan. When I was at the port in Zamboanga, I texted my friends back home so they’ll know my whereabouts … that’s something I haven’t done before … and knowing that, my friends got scared for me also (even scolding me). I made sure to be discrete and take all precautions. When I arrived at the port in Isabela, I went straight to the city tourism office (located at the back of Isabela City Hall) for assistance.Many bloggers have been to Basilan too. From what I gather reading their posts (and from my experience also), Basilan is a relatively safe to travel if you have a local companion. They would know if it’s safe to visit or not. Though, Isabela City is a relatively safe place if you stick at the city proper area… there are military stationed there with multiple checkpoints set up during “volatile” periods. Going beyond Isabela, take extra extra precaution.During my first visit to Zamboanga, I was scared also. I wouldn’t dare bring out my camera without thinking thrice. When I went back though, I realized it wasn’t as dangerous as I thought … I’d be more scared now roaming around many parts of Metro Manila than Zamboanga City. Chester Bryan saysSeptember 16, 2012 at 3:14 amthank you for that nice comment to zamboanga city,that would really help to erase the bad image of the city and attract more tourist to come; Zamboanga city isn’t that dangerous at all! Journeys and Travels saysNovember 3, 2011 at 8:38 amGrabe byahe mo ah. I wanted to go to Merloquet Falls but had no time so omit it from my IT. I never had been to Basilan too. Marcos saysNovember 11, 2011 at 6:37 pmAhh… I was only able to go to those places because it was my second trip. On my first, I didn’t venture out of Zamboanga City because there was already a lot to do in the city. Michael saysNovember 19, 2011 at 1:09 pmhello marcos,i very much like this.. i am now at Zamboanga City and i’m planning(i think i will) go to Basilan next week. I am reading travel blogs and articles about Isabela, Basilan to gather information and to make myself comfortable when i go there. I was inspired that you go there alone because I am hesitant to go there all by myself. Marcos saysDecember 20, 2011 at 11:32 pmJust seek the advice of the tourism office in Zamboanga if it’s a safe time to travel to Isabela :D Nagbabasang Pinoy saysDecember 8, 2011 at 5:09 amThis is a cool (and brave!) way of exploring Mindanao. I’m from Gensan and I’m glad you got to visit my hometown. Marcos saysDecember 20, 2011 at 11:49 pmhehe. Your hometown is very beautiful … clean, orderly, good street layouts, lots of breathing space, promising economy :) Glad we have cities like GenSan in the Philippines! shane saysMarch 15, 2012 at 6:26 amhi. im off to zamboanga first week of april 2012– first time ever to travel solo. i was really inspired with your mindanao travel. i want to go to basilan but im hesitant coz i’ll be alone. =( do you have contact person in basilan? can you share your itinerary? Marcos saysApril 14, 2012 at 12:24 amGoing into Basilan, I didn’t have contacts. I went straight to the City Tourism Office after I arrived in Isabela City. Will have to check my baul first. Tzietzie Salac saysJune 26, 2013 at 2:22 amWow! Nice pictures. I’m from Bukidnon and never been to this awesome places before. I love to visit this places some time. Marcos saysJune 26, 2013 at 1:45 pmThanks Tzietzie. Those places are just a bus or short plane ride away :D Posting of new comments is disabled temporarily.Connect with Marcos on:Detourista.comMarcosDetourist.comFacebookInstagramTwitterDetourista.comDiscover more travel guides and blogs about the Philippines and beyond by Marcos DetouristChoose your next destination: Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Yvette saysAugust 23, 2011 at 9:39 pmI am so glad you visited my mom’s hometown – GenSan. She is one of General Paulino Santos’ grandchildren and we are proud descendants. :) It is a beautiful city and after seeing your pics, I am now longing for some GenSan tuna kilawin, panga, and tuna belly! Did you get a chance to eat at Lake Sebu? They do a wonderful performance of T’boli dances at the floating restaurant.
Marcos saysAugust 24, 2011 at 3:01 amKewl, it’s a proud heritage indeed. I’m a big fan of tuna also, which why I liked GenSan a lot :D We stayed at Punta Isla Resort but didn’t eat at the floating restaurant since they charged a premium for the dining experience.
Yvette saysAugust 25, 2011 at 1:28 amAh yes, Punta Isla, is the restaurant we ate at. We did not stay in Lake Sebu kasi we stayed in GenSan proper in one of the apartelle places near KCC. Saranggani Highlands has a great view of the whole city at night.
Marcos saysAugust 25, 2011 at 11:02 pmNice. Parang okay nga yung hilltop location ng Saranggani Highlands.
janet saysAugust 24, 2011 at 1:10 amhm, durian coffee, interesting :) i’ve always wanted to travel to mindanao, to see Lake Sebu, because i read it’s really beautiful there, but with the not-so-good news about the place and all, medyo hesitant ako. so thank you! your blog is SUPER! more fun trips to come! :)
Marcos saysAugust 24, 2011 at 3:04 amIt was … wouldn’t mind to come back. It was raining heavily during our visit … we didn’t get to visit more of Lake Sebu. South Cotabato is a relatively safe place to travel. It (security) is just like visiting any other place in the Philippines.
Yvette saysAugust 25, 2011 at 1:24 amSouth Cotabato is definitely much safer than it’s neighbor to the north – North Cotabato/Cotabato City where much of the gulo occurs. Davao is also relatively safe as well.
Marcos saysAugust 25, 2011 at 11:04 pmTrue. Only selected areas in Mindanao should be approached with caution, most of it is not as dangerous as many think.
Gel saysAugust 27, 2011 at 11:34 pmHello Marcos,I like your Basilan album. A friend of mines is from Basilan, they told me interesting stories of the place, anyhow how you able to tour the area without encountering danger? you went there all by yourself? Just recently went to Zamboanga, but even there I went with a companion.
Marcos saysAugust 28, 2011 at 4:40 pmYes, I went there all by myself. I guess looking like one of the locals helped (with my dark skin and all)… I kinda grew out my beard intentionally to blend in, haha. Seriously, I was really scared going to Basilan. When I was at the port in Zamboanga, I texted my friends back home so they’ll know my whereabouts … that’s something I haven’t done before … and knowing that, my friends got scared for me also (even scolding me). I made sure to be discrete and take all precautions. When I arrived at the port in Isabela, I went straight to the city tourism office (located at the back of Isabela City Hall) for assistance.Many bloggers have been to Basilan too. From what I gather reading their posts (and from my experience also), Basilan is a relatively safe to travel if you have a local companion. They would know if it’s safe to visit or not. Though, Isabela City is a relatively safe place if you stick at the city proper area… there are military stationed there with multiple checkpoints set up during “volatile” periods. Going beyond Isabela, take extra extra precaution.During my first visit to Zamboanga, I was scared also. I wouldn’t dare bring out my camera without thinking thrice. When I went back though, I realized it wasn’t as dangerous as I thought … I’d be more scared now roaming around many parts of Metro Manila than Zamboanga City.
Chester Bryan saysSeptember 16, 2012 at 3:14 amthank you for that nice comment to zamboanga city,that would really help to erase the bad image of the city and attract more tourist to come; Zamboanga city isn’t that dangerous at all!
Journeys and Travels saysNovember 3, 2011 at 8:38 amGrabe byahe mo ah. I wanted to go to Merloquet Falls but had no time so omit it from my IT. I never had been to Basilan too.
Marcos saysNovember 11, 2011 at 6:37 pmAhh… I was only able to go to those places because it was my second trip. On my first, I didn’t venture out of Zamboanga City because there was already a lot to do in the city.
Michael saysNovember 19, 2011 at 1:09 pmhello marcos,i very much like this.. i am now at Zamboanga City and i’m planning(i think i will) go to Basilan next week. I am reading travel blogs and articles about Isabela, Basilan to gather information and to make myself comfortable when i go there. I was inspired that you go there alone because I am hesitant to go there all by myself.
Marcos saysDecember 20, 2011 at 11:32 pmJust seek the advice of the tourism office in Zamboanga if it’s a safe time to travel to Isabela :D
Nagbabasang Pinoy saysDecember 8, 2011 at 5:09 amThis is a cool (and brave!) way of exploring Mindanao. I’m from Gensan and I’m glad you got to visit my hometown.
Marcos saysDecember 20, 2011 at 11:49 pmhehe. Your hometown is very beautiful … clean, orderly, good street layouts, lots of breathing space, promising economy :) Glad we have cities like GenSan in the Philippines!
shane saysMarch 15, 2012 at 6:26 amhi. im off to zamboanga first week of april 2012– first time ever to travel solo. i was really inspired with your mindanao travel. i want to go to basilan but im hesitant coz i’ll be alone. =( do you have contact person in basilan? can you share your itinerary?
Marcos saysApril 14, 2012 at 12:24 amGoing into Basilan, I didn’t have contacts. I went straight to the City Tourism Office after I arrived in Isabela City. Will have to check my baul first.
Tzietzie Salac saysJune 26, 2013 at 2:22 amWow! Nice pictures. I’m from Bukidnon and never been to this awesome places before. I love to visit this places some time.
Marcos saysJune 26, 2013 at 1:45 pmThanks Tzietzie. Those places are just a bus or short plane ride away :D