Basilan: Malamawi Island
Danger Zone sign at White Beach
I know a lot of people would ask, “Why the hell would you want to go to Basilan?” I mean, with all the bad publicity it’s getting because of the Abu Sayaff years back, the place had a negative notion of always being in a state of strife. I myself couldn’t believe stepping on this part of the country as it is the last place on my list. But since one of my travel buddy and fellow photography enthusiast wanted to visit this part of the region since he has seen most of the major areas in the Philippines, I thought, why not, so I tagged along with other 7 adventurous individuals and ventured where only the daring go.
Locals at the Port
To reach Basilan, the fastest way is to fly to Zamboanga City and from there, head of to the pier where several vessels can take you. A fastcraft can take you in an hour for Php 130. But if you are on a budget you could also take the Ferry which will take you in for an hour and 20 minutes for only Php 50 if you are on the upper level and Php 40 when you are at the lower level. We took the cheap ferry actually since the 20 min difference isn’t a big thing to how much we would save. Besides, it’s comfortable enough with the strong wind. I was able to sleep during the travel. In no time you’ll find yourself at the pier of Isabela, Basilan’s Capital City.
Stilt houses
Before reaching Isabela City, you’ll pass by the Isabela Channel where on your left is the city town proper and on the right is the Malamawi Island, dubbed as the Gateway to Basilan. What surprised me most along the sea channel are the numerous stilt houses in the area. It reminded me of the Floating Villages in Tonle Sap in Cambodia and I never thought we also have one like it in our country.
More stilt houses among mangroves
Much like the people living at the floating village in Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia, our fellow kababayans here are mostly fishermen. It is easier to gather fishes being close to the sea. Most of them are called Badjaos or the “sea gypsies” of the Sulu and Celeb seas and they live mostly on house boats all their lives. In this region, once they have caught their fish, they just easily cross by the port and sell their fresh catch.
Sailboats among mangroves
In Malamawi Island, our first stop is their famous White Beach. But before that, let me tell you about Basilan, when we visited DOT, most people were surprised that we were brave enough to be here. We were looking for a place to stay that day in Isabela before we headed of to Malamawi the next day. We were pointed to Channel View resort and Farm Land Resort. In Channel View we fortunately and accidentally met local PNP Col. Sheppard who was dumbstruck to find us in the place without us not knowing anyone there. He cleared that the Abu Sayaff threat is no longer here, but what is sensitive at that time is the warring families since the official winner for the local positions have not been declared yet. So he promised to provide us 5 PNP Escorts on our visits around the area. I will write in detail about these local resorts at a later post.
An old lighthouse at Malamawi island and a boat
So at the port, we got a pump boat from a guy named Kaizer Adams (cool name huh?). We managed to get a boat that would take the 8 of us along with 4 PNP escorts and 2 boatmen to different points around the island for Php 1500 back and forth. We boarded and head off again in Isabela Channel. Malamai is very close from the pier but the White Beach is on the other side of the island and it would be faster by pump boat.
The stretch of Malamawi White Beach
It was a scenic ride along the channel passing by more stilt houses, mangroves, sailboats and other locals engaged in fishing by the sea. There’s also an old functional lighthouse which you’ll pass by. And shortly you’ll find yourself on a stretch of long white beach. There are no overnight facilities in the area save for some cottages and restrooms as well. There’s a Php10 entrance fee, a Php 200 charge on the Big Cottage and Php 50 charge on the Small Cottage. Fortunately for us, there was no one manning over the area so we didn’t have to pay for anything.
A lone sprout among the rocks of the beach
Admittedly the beach is very nice. The sand quality is very good and the shoreline wide enough and the sea bed is very fine with very few rocks, perfect to take kids along. But honestly it’s not the best beach I’ve seen but it ranks there high up as one of the best ones out there. Especially it’s private and secluded nature adds to the charm. Venturing off to where the sign in the first picture can be found are more rocky shorelines. I don’t know what the danger in the sign means but it could also be because of the rocky nature on this side of the beach. There I found a lone sprout among the rocks which somehow for me symbolizes a hope of peace in the area so more people could again enjoy what natural beauty Basilan has to offer.
Tags: Badjao, Basilan, Beach, Lighthouses, Malamawi Island, People
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Tuesday, June 12th, 2007 at 9:52 pm 
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June 12th, 2007 at 11:35 pm
oist! bro! natuloy pala kayo? hanep, ganda ng pix & stories mo! nainggit ako! then again, i also had a great time at siquijor. hamo, isang araw, magkakasama rin tayo
June 13th, 2007 at 12:08 am
wow! okay kaya kung magisa lang o with a companion?
June 13th, 2007 at 12:18 am
Nice pictures! It’s really not what you’d expect when you say “Basilan”
We definitely need more travelers like you
June 13th, 2007 at 3:16 am
wow!! as far as basilan ha, adventorous ka talaga ferdz
i was surprised to see these photos, i mean a hidden beauty of nature perhaps or talaga magaling ka lang mag capture ng photos
at least may escort kayo no, mahirap nga naman yung wala kayo kakilala dun tapos may politcal issue pa pala, saludo ako kay col. sheppard!
oh well, another great adventure i guess, ingat na lang lagi! *thubs up*!
PS. 1st and last photo are awesome
keep on clicking :p
June 13th, 2007 at 7:20 am
this photos are amazing…. indeed this destination is one of my targeted place to visit this year…. astig
June 13th, 2007 at 8:02 am
i learned a lot about the place….
kaizer adams ang name ng guy ? wow
I like the stretch of the Malawi Beach.. ang ganda.. ang ganda ng kuhaaa mo, sa baba rin.. pati ang first pic… hayyy….
June 13th, 2007 at 8:54 am
w0w! ang ganda! i wanted to go here too, no one’s brave enough to go with me nga lang. estan sama ko pag punta ka?! hehe.
is the island filled with live corals and fishes? it’s what i always look for in the water kse, watching the city underwater.
gusto ko din yung mga view ng stilt houses and fishing villages, panalo!
June 13th, 2007 at 9:07 am
Talagang adventurer ka. Next stop: Iraq ha. hehe. Meron pa ng police escort. galing!
Kaiser Adams is definitely a cool name. hehe
Basilan looks beautiful. Good thing the Abu Sayyaff are not as big as they once were so others can enjoy Basilan’s beauty.
June 13th, 2007 at 10:15 am
Another great adventure Ferdz. i’m sure the scenic sights are all worth the travel and that feeling of negative notion soon faded away. What with escorts to boot, feeling safe ba? Beautiful photos!!!
June 13th, 2007 at 11:22 am
grabi! ang layo na ng narating mo… buti n lng ksama kmi dito hehe
June 13th, 2007 at 11:46 am
i had no idea ganito kaganda sa basilan. how come ang dami mo yatang spare time?
June 13th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
hey! Great post! Would love to go there (and Tawi-tawi, Sulu, Batanes, Palawan… etc.. hehe) too.. Keep blogging!
June 13th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
hello ferdz,
wow! i admire your courage dude!!!
ganda pala sa Basilan .. at need mo tlaga ng PNP escorts when getting around.
June 13th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Each time I visit your blog makes me think that I still have a lot of place to visit. Good for you that you’ve travel a lot of places. TFS.
June 13th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
Grabe, ang ganda ng Basilan! Baket ba naman kasi sinisira nyang mga Abu Sayaff na yan ang rep ng lugar ayun tuloy sayang ang ganda nung place.
Di ba nakakatakot nga? I mean wala bang mga kakaibang nilalang dyan na baka anytime kidnapin ka?
Sarap naman ng travel-travel, Ferdz! Inggit!
June 13th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
The first photo amazed my and even though it’s dangerous, I’d love to be there as well. The beach looked wonderful.
[:
June 13th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
I’ve always wanted to go here too. Nice of you to come, and especially during the election season. You must be one brave, fearless traveller. And the photos are great as always:)
June 13th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
wow! astig talaga ang mga destinations mo… love the last three pics, the color of the boat, the clod formation and the clarity of the water on the last pic. good job ferdz!
June 13th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
wow! can’t believe na may ganito pala kagandang lugar sa basilan! ang ganda pala ng malawi island, parang boracay!
buti yung mga bahay dyan hindi natatangay ng malakas ng hangin tuwing bagyo.
June 13th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
Boy, you were gutsy enough to venture into Basilan bro
Nice shots, esp the stilt houses with the lush greenery in the background 
June 14th, 2007 at 12:39 am
Basilan whatta cool place! Yun nga lang takot mga tao bec of that abu sayaff group pero bilib talaga ako sa’yo Ferdz kahit saan pa yan basta ok na lugar.
Once again ang ganda ng mga shots lalo na yung mga stilt houses and ang ganda ng white beach ng malamawi. Ganda talaga ng bansa natin
June 14th, 2007 at 9:02 am
You are right… it is indeed like Tonle Sap. Funny the things in common with other countries. You know my Dad and my uncle have vacationed in Basilan about twice now. They also needed escorts.
As usual, your photos are spectacular. You really are artistic Ferdz.
June 14th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
wouldn’t mind going to Basilan as well and any other place publicized for being “dangerous” and “risky” for that matter.
dami talagang “White Beach” sa Pinas, minsan kahit hindi na white, yun pa din tawag. Bakit “Keeo out Danger Zone” ang sign? may mga masamang elemento bang nagtatago sa dagat na yan?
panget ng mga pictures mo Ferdz, walang ka-art, art, walang dynamics, panget ng framing, nuknukan ng common ang mga angulo, eklat ng contrast ng kulay…super panget at higit sa lahat, super gasgas! —> o ayan, para maiba naman ang comment ko, hahaha!
June 14th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
baka naman malalim yung place…
i dread lone mangrove for now
remember my palawan journey?
tapang mo talaga, idol!
June 14th, 2007 at 9:00 pm
wow! these are picturesque. totally different picture i have in mind. now, these give me the reason to put basilan on my to-visit list! galing mo tlga ferdz!
June 14th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Another fabulous adventure with unforgetable experienced.
wishing you’ll take your time visiting Siquijor and Subic….these are the places closest to my heart.
June 14th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
‘Am just absolutely astonished of the pictures…galing mo talaga dude.ano ba camera gamit mo?
June 14th, 2007 at 10:17 pm
Wow, it actually looks nice.
What in the world is a fastcraft? Hehe.
As usual, even pictures of poverty turn to beauty thanks to your shots.
June 14th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
hi there! i am also going to basilan and the pink-sand islands in october. i’m happy to hear that it’s not as dangerous as some people perceive it to be. i’m wary about having pnp escorts though. a friend of mine from marawi city said (after asking half-jokingly if i had to bring my own bodyguards) that being in the company of armed personnel can be misinterpreted by some people as an intimidation/ threat (and therefore attract more attention/ potential violence). in his own words “parang naghahanap ka ng gulo”. but still, it was nice for the colonel to offer help. good to know someone actually cares for people’s safety. anyway, looking forward to your write-up about the resorts. hoping for travel tips and contacts =) thanks!
June 15th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
So natuloy ka talaga
Awesome! don’t stop exploring my friend.. continue sharing and showing the best of the world to the rest of us 
June 16th, 2007 at 2:42 am
Basilan is evidence that bad publicity can lead to the decline of a place’s tourism.
Who knew Basilan was this beautiful. Living far from the place and hearing only such news about the place just makes it Basilan, not Basilan with white sand beaches and clear waters.
Breathtaking place.
June 16th, 2007 at 9:46 am
Kaya pa tahimik ka ng ilang araw hmmm….Nag BASILAN ka pala. Hindi naman ganun ka scarry ang place. Bali-balita lang yan. Pagdating mo doon ano? di ba hindi naman….mga militar lang kalaban nila…Nice photos ha…
June 27th, 2007 at 2:13 am
[...] why go to Basilan, and without any invitation from a local there at that matter. Like I said before, he cleared that the Abu Sayaf threat is no longer there, but at that time during the elections [...]
June 28th, 2007 at 10:49 pm
anu kaya ang feeling pag ang bahay mo ay sa ibabaw ng tubig.. Ü
great shots ulet! Ü
September 1st, 2007 at 5:25 am
Im proud of you and you made it!!…I was born in this tiny island of Basilan, it didn’t change, the shape ,the color of the water & the clouds that always matches when you take pictures..being part of this island is such a great opportunity because we have it!..
September 1st, 2007 at 5:25 pm
hi, im merza from basilan,nice details.and pid2re.but actually there are lots os pic spot other from that island.
September 3rd, 2007 at 10:02 am
malamawi is really a nice place. It’s like a paradise you will never forget once you set your foot on this island. people are kind and hospitable. I remember before when we were kids, we see foreigners freely exploring the island, unafraid of anything, and they were mingling with our folks and the kids too. Just so sad that nowadays, if we see a foreigner he or she is always occampanied by a bodyguard.
October 21st, 2007 at 9:31 pm
[...] Yakans are a land bound people in contrast to their Badjao counterparts. They live through farming rice, corn and other root crops. Aside from that they are [...]
March 24th, 2008 at 7:14 am
first person i came across with who has visited. malamawi as well. cheers!
April 7th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Sana nakilala kita brod. Pinasyal kita sa ibang magandang beach ng Basilan. Salamat sa pagkuha mo ng magandang tanawin ng aming bayan.
April 16th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Buenas dias, thanks for coming dito sa Basilan. sana you also visit kumalarang beach and bulingan falls….. hope balik you uli.
June 15th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Glad you visited our beach. Kelan pa nga ulit yon? (at nang mapagalitan ang nagbabantay…sayang din ung income! haha…joke!) Anyway, please do visit us again…and again…and again… mas marami mas ok. Huwag kayo matakot sa mga taga-Basilan… ang babait nga namin eh. Heheh. Kahit saan naman may mga masasama rin… kung kami may Abu Sayyaf, ang Maynila may Sigue-Sigue Sputnik… kanya=kanyang gimik… mas sikat nga lang internationally yung amin. Heheh. Pero joking aside, give us a call anytime you come back, I’m sure maraming mag-volunteer as tourist guide na walang bayad… makunan lang sa picture (galing mo kasi kumuha!). 09165430198… sa mga gustong mag day trip… please call/text anytime. Enjoy! Basilan awaits you.
(by the way, yung sign sa beach…pinalagay namin dahil mejo malakas yung current sa may parteng yun… medyo mabato pa… =)
July 23rd, 2008 at 8:32 pm
this pLace is nice, i want to go there..:)
September 19th, 2008 at 11:55 am
harlooo.. gumus ta kana… we from sabah at MALAYSIA… can your reply email to me at welmah_87@yahoo.com.sg
mag kilala kita… wow maganda ng sabasilan tayo..
ng tatai n nanay ko taoo ha basilan.but ako hinde simampai sa basilan..
sino panganalan mo..???? smile mag uyum ka arau-arau.. ok tata..
we want search friend from plipiness… plezzzz
October 19th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
hey, nice pics ah.. Halos every year akong pumupnta ng Basilan But I never went to Malamawi Island, ndi ba mkatakot?