Tawi-tawi Stay | Sandbar Lepa Beach Hotel and Restaurant

Night at the Sandbar “Oooh! I got my own water dispenser in the room. That’s something new and unexpected for a place like this.” That was m...

Night at the Sandbar

“Oooh! I got my own water dispenser in the room. That’s something new and unexpected for a place like this.” That was my first reaction when I saw my room at Sandbar Lepa Beach Hotel and Restaurant. Back in 2008, when I first visited Tawi-tawi, there were no cottages in this Sandbar Lepa beach. Only the lepa-styled (a house boat by the native Sama people) restaurant stood there since year 2000. Almost six years after, they now have a hotel and a huge convention hall.

At the Sandbar Lepa Beach

More than Comfortable Rooms

Sandbar Lepa Beach Hotel and Restaurant is far off from town, about 15-20 minutes tricycle ride to Baranggay Pasiagan. It’s quite popular among the locals since the place is quite scenic and has a nice beach. They do have gates now for security. The ground is large but not all is manicured yet. They got mushroom cottages for chilling out in the open and to enjoy the view of Bud Bongao at the background.

What was indeed a pleasant surprise were the rooms they have. They have detached cottages a few meters from the beach. Each cottage has amply spaced rooms with twin beds, large bathroom, own balcony, refrigerator, cable TV and water dispenser. They don’t have WiFi yet which is understandable since internet signal is quite weak for all telecoms when outside of town. But for Php 1,500/night for all this, it’s quite a good value.

The hotel cottages

Standard twin bed room

I got my own water dispenser and balcony

View from my room balcony

The convention hall seen from the sandbar

Restaurant and other Facilities

I’ve been to the new Sandbar Lepa Beach Hotel and Restaurant before I started when they held some of the activities for the annual Kamahardikaan Festival. The Convention Hall has a capacity of 1000pax. They also got a restaurant which at that time is undergoing renovations but the kitchen is open for orders. Meals aren’t that cheap at Php200-300 but the servings are huge that it’s good for two people and their quite tasty too. Staff were accommodating to have half of my meal reheated for the next day.

The Lepa restaurant currently undergoing renovations at that time

The Beach

I had the chance to swim at the beach. It wasn’t fine and is mostly crushed corals but as expected the water is crystal clear. A bit rocky and a lot of sea weeds on the sea bed but I still enjoyed my swim.

It’s nice to know that there are now accommodations like this in Tawi-tawi. It’s a way to upgrade the standards of lodging in the area. Development is quite slow in this province but is welcome still. Sandbar Lepa Beach Hotel and Restaurant is a good option for stay when one likes to stay by the beach yet still accessible to the town proper of Bongao. It’s probably the most luxurious of the accommodations in Tawi-tawi at a mid-range price.

Cottages by the beach for guest use

The beach at the Sandbar

Sandbar Lepa Beach Hotel and Restaurant
Pasiagan, Bongao, Tawi-tawi
Contact: (globe) 09177243214, 09359790413
(smart) 09206109477