Lamitan City offers unique experiences for adventurous tourists looking for a laid-back getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. The town is home of the best Yakan weavers in the province of Basilan and it is the perfect place to witness the impressive art and style of traditional weaving.

Located on the west by Isabela City and on the north by Basilan Strait, it's home to the three main ethnic groups: the Yakans, Tausugs and the Chavacanos. The Yakans and Tausugs are mostly Muslim while the Chavacanos are mostly Christians. Lamitan City is famous for furniture-making, blacksmithing, pottery, and weaving.

During the Philippine Tourism Influencers Program tour, we visited some of the must-see destinations in Lamitan City. 

Bulingan Falls

If Isabela De Basilan has Cabunbata Falls, Lamitan City has Bulingan Falls. It's the most popular waterfall and a major tourist attraction in the province of Basilan due to its cold and clear water. The falls is about 30 feet tall and 40 meters wide surrounded by pristine forests. It's very accessible from the city proper and easy to reach from the main road. During our visit, the water was not clear due to the heavy rains for the past few days. Even it has muddy water, the cascading waters down to the natural pool were very pleasing to the eyes. It's so relaxing. 

Yakan Village

One of the exciting parts of our Lamitan tour was to meet Apuh Ambalang Ausalin, awarded with the National Living Treasure Award by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in 2016. We also met the new generation of magtetenun (weavers) at the GAMABA Weaving Center. It's great to see the traditional weaving process and how passionate these young weavers in order to create a beautiful colorful cloth. 

Lamitan City Library and Museum

To know more about the history of the city, Lamitan Museum is the perfect place to visit. It houses historical and cultural artifacts of the town and a mini library. It also features the town's most celebrated festival, the Lami-Lamihan Festival. Just to give you a brief background about the festival, it highlights the preservation of Yakan cultural heritage, historical customs, tradition. All of the participants are wearing unique and colorful Yakan clothes while performing its traditional tribal dance. 

Lamitan City Public Market

Just across Lamitan Museum, you can find the Public Market. This is a great spot to see how local delicacies are being prepared and cooked. Lokot-lokot is one of the products that you must try. It's made of rice flour which is fried in local oil until it became golden and crunchy. You can also find here the panyalam, their version of a pancake. 

Lamitan Plaza/Triangle

Located at the heart of Lamitan City, the Lamitan Plaza/Triangle was the last destination we visited. We found here the eye-catching statue of Datu Kalun, the founding father of Lamitan. The place was surrounded by several commercial establishments. 

Aside from the tourist destinations mentioned above, you might also want to consider their unspoiled fine sand beaches like Calugusan Beach and Palm Beach (People’s Paradise Beach).

How To get to Lamitan City

Take a ferry from Zamboanga City bound for Lamitan City. One of the best ways to go around the city is by habal-habal. Other option is to  travel to Isabela de Basilan. There are buses plying Isabela-Lamitan route every hour. Travel time is 1 hour. It's advisable to avail of the tour through to the Lamitan Tourism Office. Check out their Facebook Page.

The Philippine Tourism Influencers Program trip to Isabela De Basilan is organized by Tourism Promotion Board with the cooperation of the Department of Tourism - Region 9 Office, Zamboanga Itravel Tourist Lane,  Isabela City Tourism

Located in the Southern part of the Philippines, Isabela De Basilan is the most beautiful town in the province of Basilan (statistically independent and administratively grouped under the Zamboanga Peninsula region ). The town offers a lot of amazing tourist destinations and unique delicacies that will satisfy your travel cravings.  Don't be afraid of Basilan. It's a safe place! 

During the Philippine Tourism Influencers Program tour, we visited some of the best destinations in Isabela De Basilan. The place and food were overwhelming and you wouldn't expect that this city is truly a beautiful place.  I have listed the top destinations that you should visit if you are planning to travel to Isabela De Basilan.

Malamawi Beach

If you are looking for a white beach, Malamawi Beach is perfect for you. It's a very popular beach destination in Mindanao due to its fine white sands and turquoise waters. It features a long stretch of white sandy beach dotted with towering tropical trees. 

Aside from the powdery sands and crystal waters, another attraction is a stilt bridge with an overlooking view of the open sea. At the end of the bridge, there's an area with shades and chairs where you can relax while looking at the calm waves and flying birds. The resort offers plates of seafood where you can enjoy it while at the beach. 

Marang Marang Floating Cottage

One of the newest attractions in Isabela De Basilan is Marang Marang Floating Cottage. It only takes around a 10-minute boat ride from the city proper. This is the perfect place to try their authentic local dishes prepared by the Marang Marang Women's Association. They will serve recipes of Sama Cultural Community which is a mix of seafood, vegetables, and fruits. Putlih mandi, langka salad, utak utak and crabs are some of my favorites.

Don't forget to indulge Mangrove Tour. It features well-protected green mangrove forests, flying colorful birds, and several water species. As you cruise down the calm river, you will notice some of the traditional Badjao (Sea Gypsies) homes.

Santa Isabel Cathedral

Even Islam is the dominant religion in the city, you can still find some Roman Catholic churches in the city. One of these churches is Sta. Isabel Cathedral. It's a small church located in the city proper. During Semana Santa (Holy Week), a lot of catholic join the city procession known as the Santo Entierro (Holy Funeral) on Good Friday which highlights the observance of Lent.

Cabunbata Falls

If Lamitan City has Bulingan Falls, Isabela City has its own waterfalls, the Cabunbata Falls. It's only around 5- minute walk from the main highway, the same route going to the Menzi Rubber Plantation. A lot of local travelers and motor riders are passing by this spot to witness the cascading waters from the mountains down to the basin of the falls. The view was very relaxing and pleasing to my eyes. 

Menzi Rubber Plantation

Isabela de Basilan is known for rubber trees. The town is the largest rubber-producing town in the region. You can find here the very famous Menzi Rubber Plantation, the biggest runner plantation in the province and said to be the pioneer rubber plantation in the Philippines.

Where To Stay in Isabela City

We stayed in Kasinnahan Hotel and Resort. It features several rooms air-conditioned with a comfy bed, hot and cold shower, a television with cable channels, a cabinet, table and chair. It has also an event place and an outdoor swimming pool. FREE WiFI is also available within the property.

Where To Eat in Isabela City

If you are craving local dishes especially halal-friendly recipes, you can go to The Farm Grille. It's a beautiful and spacious restaurant that serves mouth-watering dishes. You can also taste here Tausug delicacies. Don't forget to try their famous Chicken Sisig!

How To Get To Isabela de Basilan

If you are planning to visit the province of Basilan, you need to book a flight going to Zamboanga City. The city is located on the southern coast of the geographic Zamboanga Peninsula and Zamboanga City is the gateway to Basilan. There are fast crafts and ferries from Zamboanga City to Basilan as early as 6:45AM to as late as 4:45PM daily.

Please make sure to follow health protocols in Isabela de Basilan. Make sure to wear a facemask all the time especially if you will visit a community and interact with the locals.  Don't forget also to wash your hands or sanitize them with alcohol. 

With the success of the first leg of the Philippine Tourism Influencers Program, Tourism Promotion Board hopes to help the country's tourism recovery and help to restart tourism activities in the new normal. It will also help Pinoy travelers' confidence to travel again. 

The Philippine Tourism Influencers Program trip to Isabela De Basilan is organized by Tourism Promotion Board with the cooperation of the Department of Tourism - Region 9 Office, Zamboanga Itravel Tourist Lane,  Isabela City Tourism

Everyone is excited to travel. I know the feeling of desperately needing someone to travel again. Going to our favorite destinations is good for our body and mental health and we need it badly. Good thing that a lot of provinces have started to open up and this is the perfect time to plan our trips. 

Cebu Pacific recently announced that they are all set for domestic travel recovery in Q4. They shared that they will increase its flights in October to tourism havens Siargao, Boracay, and Bohol as the country’s leading airline push for domestic travel recovery, following the easing of quarantine restrictions.  

In October, the airline will expand its flights to Siargao from five times to six times weekly; raise its frequencies to Boracay from four to five times daily; and bump up flights to Bohol from nine to 10 times weekly. 

“We believe reopening domestic travel and the promotion of responsible travel is critical to rebuilding the trust and travel confidence in the industry,” said Candice Iyog, Vice President for Marketing and Customer Experience at Cebu Pacific. 

“We also know that the situation continues to be fluid, that is why we make it a priority to always make travel convenient for everyJuan, on top of providing the much-needed flexibility during this time,” added Iyog.  

For international destinations, Cebu Pacific will also resume its daily flights to Dubai on September 30. For Japan, Cebu Pacific will fly twice weekly to Nagoya starting October 2, and Osaka on October 4; and resume Fukuoka on November 5. Cebu Pacific will restart its flights to Kuala Lumpur on October 4. 

To encourage everyJuan to travel safely and affordably, CEB has an ongoing PHP 99 seat sale until September 26, to and from key cities like Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Dipolog, Iloilo, and a lot more. Travel period began on September 17, and may be used to book flights up to June 30, 2022.  

CEB continues to offer the most flexible options with unlimited rebooking available for everyJuan, following the permanent removal of change fees in March 2021.  Passengers are encouraged to travel responsibly and ensure their requirements are complete prior to proceeding to the Airport. Guests may refer to the list of travel requirements per destination via https://bit.ly/CEBTravel-Docs. 

CEB has been rated 7/7 stars by airlineratings.com for its COVID-19 compliance as it continues to implement a multi-layered approach to safety, in accordance with global aviation standards. These include daily extensive cleaning and disinfection protocols for all aircraft and facilities, antigen testing before duty for all frontliners and crew members, and contactless flight procedures. These are all in accordance with global best practices and the highest safety standards.  The aircraft are equipped with hospital grade HEPA air filters, keeping viruses at bay. 

CEB operates the widest domestic network in the Philippines covering 32 destinations, on top of its eight (8) international destinations. Its 73-strong fleet, one of the youngest in the world, includes two (2) dedicated ATR freighters and one (1) A330 freighter. 

Aside from listening to music or watching Netflix, playing online games is another way for us to stay entertained while traveling.  It makes us busy to pass the downtime or to get rid of boredom especially while on the road. There are many free and premium games that you can play while traveling. 

I have listed some of the benefits of playing online games while traveling. 

To Kill Boredom

As a frequent traveler,  I travel a lot. I can’t even count how many times I traveled every year. Traveling is fun and exciting.  I see a lot of beautiful destinations, eat authentic local dishes and indulge in several outdoor activities. But, if I come back to my room and still have some energy, sometimes I got bored. Good thing, there are many online games that I can play. 

One of the games I enjoy playing online is Solitaire. It’s one of the simplest and easiest games. I play Solitaire through www.solitaire.org. I can play this game for FREE. The website offers several kinds of Solitaire games. You may want to choose Klondike, Spider, Freecell and a lot more. If this is your first time playing this kind of game, no need to worry. It's easy to play and there's instruction on the website on how to play it.

To Help You To Relax

Playing online games will not only help you to beat your boredom, it will also help you to relax and to distract from anxiety. Yes, playing online games will calm your mind ( with the right choice of games). There are many easy games that feature stunning and amazing settings and features that are pleasing to the eyes. Most of these games don’t need to fight with other games to win, so it’s not toxic to play. 

To Bond With Your Friends and Family

While on vacation, sometimes we just stay in the hotel room or sitting on the beach bed with our friends and family. We talk about lives, drink some refreshing drinks and playing online games together. There are many online games that require joining a team or having a partner in order to push the games. Playing online games with our friends or family is the best way to bond with them.  It’s nice if you will conduct a virtual night game as part of your activity while on vacation. 

To Help You Your Mental Health

Some of us are affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. It ruined some of our plans, especially our #travelgoals. With some community restrictions, our travel adventures became limited. Good thing we can still travel to some destinations. Aside from swimming on the beach, walking in the forest, and hiking to the mountains, playing online games also help me to avoid anxiety. It makes me mentally strong. Even you are traveling outside and when you return to your room, you still feel sad because of the bad things that happened in the world. That’s how I feel! I play online games to make me sleep easily so I can avoid thinking too much. 

Playing online games can be good and bad for you. Please make sure to play moderately. Use your time wisely especially if you traveling. 

Buy all you can and fly when you can to any PH destination for only PHP99 each 

Cebu Pacific’s 25th year celebration is far from over as the Philippines’ leading airline once again offers its innovative, first-of-its-kind CEB Super Pass from 10AM today, September 9, until the 16th! 

Because CEB remains committed to enable everyJuan to fly, it is determined to welcome ‘Ber’ months in a SUPER way with this limited time offer! Made especially for Juans who value flexibility, convenience, and affordability, this 99-peso (one-way base fare) is perfect for you! Whether you want to go on a vacation, or travel to visit family and friends, or even for work – CEB has you covered with the CEB Super Pass which you may use for ANY of the airline’s over 30 domestic destinations! 

What’s more – you can buy all you can and fly when you can – perfect as gifts to our loved ones this Christmas season! Travel period for these passes is September 16, 2021 all the way up to September 30, 2022. 

Passengers who have existing Travel Funds may also make use of their virtual wallets to stock up on these vouchers. 

“We want to keep inspiring everyJuan to look forward to traveling no matter what their reason may be – be it for immediate travel, or for the coming months. Because the situation continues to be fluid, we know the CEB Super Pass is a timely option for guests who know they want and need to travel, but are unsure of destinations and dates. With this voucher, everyJuan is guaranteed a very affordable fare,” said Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific Vice President for Marketing and Customer Experience.

How to purchase the CEB Super Pass

Purchasing the CEB Super Pass can be done in just four easy steps: all “Juan” has to do is go to http://bit.ly/CSP9-9, input the number of passes you want, add passenger names, and pay! Payment may be settled via existing Travel Funds, or other online payment options such as credit cards. Once successful, your CEB Super Pass will be sent via email, for keeping until you are ready to redeem with a final place and date in mind.

How to redeem the CEB Super Pass

Booking the CEB Super Pass can be done via the “Redeem CEB Super Pass” tab on the website as early as thirty (30) days before the flight’s departure or until seven (7) days before intended flight date, as long as seats are still available. Vouchers may be redeemed from September 9, 2021 to September 23, 2022. 

Guests may redeem CEB Super Pass by clicking the ‘CEB Super Pass’ icon under 'Book' on the menu on the CEB website. A maximum of 10 vouchers per transaction is allowed, however there is NO limit to the number of total vouchers each passenger can avail until September 16 – allowing everyJuan to buy as many vouchers as they want!

"You can count on us to ensure we continue fulfilling our commitment to provide seamless connectivity and value-for-money deals so we keep enabling everyJuan to fly,” added Iyog. 

CEB currently flies to 32 domestic destinations, mainly from its hubs in Manila and Cebu. For more information on CEB Super Pass, visit www.cebupacificair.com