Ultimate Guide for Budget Traveler and Adventure Seeker

Lamitan City offers unique experiences for adventurous tourists looking for a laid-back getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. The ...

Top Destinations to visit in Lamitan City

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



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