I'm fortunate enough to arrive in Zamboanga City unscathed with no further mental distress other than the physical exhaustion from the 18-hour boat ride. I was memorable in all ways I never dreamed in my life. As I previously mentioned, I was with another backpacker from Manila. We were both starving and in agreement, we went inside a restaurant that offered Malaysian dishes. Jollibee was a few meters away but we're traveling, we're supposed to try things we don't normally have back home.
We parted ways right after eating our late lunch. I was supposed to reach Basilan that day but because of the changes in my travel back to Zamboanga, I had nothing lined up that afternoon. I remember how weak I felt. There was barely energy left in my body but there was one last thing I had to accomplish before calling it a day: Buy a ticket to Basilan.
There's no denying that the Philippines' network of transportation is way behind our neighboring Southeast Asian countries. If you travel to my beloved Philippines, please bring with you extra patience when buying a boat ticket for inter-island getaways. I had to line up again just to buy a ticket for my Basilan trip the following day. Then, I was back at Kuya Ritchie's Airbnb for the 2nd time. I had a sumptuous meal for dinner and of course, took a restful sleep to prepare me for the adventures that await.
New day, new adventure
Solo backpacking is not for everyone; I know people who love to travel but solo traveling is just not their cup of tea. I've traveled with my friends, my boyfriend, and my family (back in the day), but if you ask me what type of traveling I prefer, without skipping a heartbeat, that'd be solo backpacking. There's this rush and joy that traveling solo pumps in my bloodstream. I'm an unapologetic introvert and I find joy in my own company. I hate compromising just to please others so traveling with myself is the one for me. 🤣
I was confident to ride the fastcraft this time; I bought a ticket a day before the trip and this wasn't a long boat ride, I looked forward to sitting in a comfortable chair with a view of the Moro Gulf. This boat ride reminded me of my trips to Bohol via Oceanjet except Oceanjet is way cleaner and bigger.
It took around 1.5 hr to reach Isabela, Basilan's capital. Despite traveling towards the end of the first half of the year, the ride was smooth and peaceful. I don't know what to expect in Basilan. The words of my mother saying "Be careful. Trust no one." kept crossing my mind but who cares, I was just living my dream, my biggest dream.
Nothing in particular
It was my second or third to the last day and I was probably running out of energy to stay logical. Call me crazy but I went to Basilan with no clear plan in mind. My friends would never believe this but I did. I haven't even booked a room for that night. That's not me, I know. But gonna be reckless at times.
I might be crazy but I'm strategic. I know that I should heed my mother's instructions and stay safe the entire trip. The only way to ensure this while in Basilan? Pay a visit to their Local Tourism Office. With help from Google Maps, I found myself knocking at the front door of Isabela's Tourism Office. My presence and courage took them by surprise. They invited me inside their office which was adjacent to the Governor's Office. I could tell by their welcoming smiles how happy they were to receive a guest in their humble office; it's not every day that this happens.
Heavy rain decided to ruin the day's mood. For the next hours, I was stuck in their office with no definite plan for the rest of the day. But I had nothing to complain about; they bought me lunch, offered snacks, helped me find a safe space to spend the night, exchanged stories with the friendly staff, and toured me around their Capitol.
I was told it was for the best to take the day off and resume the fun the following day. This broke my heart; I was hoping to get the most out of my 2-day stay in Basilan. But I when heard the loud rumbling outside, I knew right there and then, the best thing to do was hit the pause button and relax. Perhaps I hadn't fully recovered from the exhausting 18-hour boat ride. They encouraged me to take a nap but I tried not to fall asleep; what would they think if I fell asleep in the Governor's office, right?
The next thing I knew, I fell asleep in their Governor's guests receiving area. You could picture me peacefully sleeping in that yellow couch with my body occupying every inch of the sofa. I just hope they didn't judge me. You could day I went to Basilan to check out if their sofa is good enough for sleeping. I'd rate it 7/10. 🤣
Rain, rain go away
Just before sundown, the rain finally decided to take a break. What was left were streets covered in puddles of water, trees drenched in rainwater and almost empty streets. Ate Virginia, a staff of the tourism office, dropped me off the place they found for me. Then I decided to get out for a quick walk around Isabela's business center.
Towns and cities in the Philippines vary from one to the other but if there's one apparent similarity, it's what you could find at the heart of the town or city's center which usually comprises of churches, plaza (park), public market, school, and government offices. Turned out the same holds true here in Isabela, Basilan. I unwarrily walked from the Capitol down to their port where I arrived earlier that day. I stopped by a few stores to buy dinner and snacks. I thought I've wasted so much time sleeping that walking around even when it was starting to get dark won't hurt; Anyway, I had the contact number of the people in the Tourism Office should I need some rescuing.
It was already dark when I went back to my homestay; the streets were well-lit but if you aren't confident of the place you're exploring, it's best to buy everything you need before it gets dark.
Fall for you
The following day, the sun was up and I'm beyond excited to check out what Basilan had to offer. "If only the tourism vehicle is here, you won't be commuting." The head of Isabela's Tourism Office told me. That's how welcoming they are; they're willing to give me a free tour of must-visit destinations in Basilan.
Nonetheless, they ensured I wouldn't be exploring on my own; Ate Virginia was assigned to be my guide the entire day. It was like hiring an exclusive tour of their Province. 😂 We met at the Capitol and rode a tricycle that took us to their bus terminal.
Our first destination is a waterfall in Lamitan City which is about 22km or a 30-minute bus ride away from Isabela. There are various ways of reaching Lamitan, you could either take a van or a bus. In our case, we took a bus ride. Their buses are like the minibus we have in Cebu; in a matter of minutes, it was full of passengers. It's not the most comfortable ride but better than walking huh.
We alighted at D'biel Transportation Terminal in Lamitan City. There were traces of mud in the terminal; it could've flooded the day before. From there, we hailed a tricycle to take us to the only destination we were visiting in Lamitan City, Bulingan Falls.
We passed by ricefields, and forests until we reached Bulingan Falls. Grateful that Ate Virgie was with me; we were in the middle of nowhere and if someone abducted me, there would be no one to help me. 😭
Unlike other waterfall I've visited, reaching Bulingan Falls was no sweat, you just have to go down a few meters from the entrance and you'd see this massive falls doing what it does best, displaying its glory, commanding respect from each tourist that comes in this part of Basilan.
Generally, tourist destinations in Mindanao are less crowded that those in Luzon (such as Ilocos, Baguio, La Union). And it's to my advantage most of the time, I had Bulingan Falls all to myself.
Here are photos I took of Bulingan Falls:
I was curious what was at the top of the waterfall. So when I learned there was a narrow path that would take me there, I hiked up and reached the top. There's a rocky stream that spans a few meters from the edge of the waterfall. I didn't go any further but by the looks of it, the stream was long and the water source could be mountains away.
Bulingan Falls isn't the type of waterfall you'd want to jump into; it's the kind that would take your life if you make the slightest mistake of dipping even a finger. At first, I thought its muddy color was due to the heavy rain the day before our trip but when I checked out other blogs, it seems it's its natural color all year long. If you decide to swim here make sure you're with people who know how to swim, just in case.
On our way back to the bus terminal, we passed by Lamitan City Hall for a quick photo op.
Before lunchtime, we were back in Isabela City for our next destination. It was a quick but sweet trip to Lamitan City. I hadn't heard of this city before my trip and I'm glad I did take the road less traveled. There's truly more to the Philippines than Palawan, Bohol, and Boracay. It's a privilege to explore beyond the usual destinations and get to know my country more. ❤
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