11 Island Panubigan, Zamboanga City

Posted by the thick key on December 31, 2017 in 11 islands, 11 islands zamboanga city, island hopping in Zamboanga, zamboanga beach,

They say love is sweeter the second time around. In deed it is.

It was my second time visiting the 11 Islands in Panubigan, Zamboanga City and it definitely was sweeter than the first time. I fell in love with this place on the first time and I fell in love even more this time. The weather was perfect. The water was clearer. And most of all, it was a DIY (do-it-yourself) adventure which is my thing.

Check out the vlog here: 

The 11 Islands in Panubigan is now an emerging tourist destination in Zamboanga and other nearby cities. More and more people are getting aware of this hidden gem that has been unknown for quite some time. With the rise of social media popularity, photos and stories are easily shared and propagated. That's how this secret gem was disclosed. Also, the improved security of the local government has made this place easy and safe to visit. These islands used to be infested by pirates. Now it is swarmed by tourists.

For this trip, we hopped first on Bisaya-bisaya Island. Bisaya-bisaya island is endowed a beautiful white sand beach and majestic rock formations. Once you get on to the island, the first thing you'll be amazed about is its white sand beach with fine sand and clear water. It will temp you to dip yourself in the water and swim. However, you also see the rock formations that entice you to discover itself. So you tell yourself to do the swimming later and explore the rock formations first. You get your camera and start taking selfies and groupies with the boulders and sea as the background. You walk further through and you discover more rock formations with colors ranging from brown to green to orange. You have the rocks on the right side and sea on the left. As you keep on exploring, you would not expect that you already circumnavigate the whole Bisaya-bisaya island.

Unfortunately, many are still hesitant to visit this place. But with proper coordination with the local government of Panubigan, there's nothing to worry about safety. The Brgy. council of Panubigan provides escorts for security to ensure the safety of every tourists. They provide AFP personnel, all buffed to ensure your safety. However, you'll need to coordinate with the Brgy. Panubigan at least a week before so they'll have a time to prepare for a escorts. Visit them in their Barangay Hall to schedule a trip. 

How to get there?

Good news! We finally got the contact number for you to coordinate with the Brgy council of Panubigan.
If you're interested in visiting 11 Islands, you may reach.

MHOY BUAH or TARIH ASMAJIN
0906-855-2497

A Big thanks to Dave Fabian Gramatica for making this trip smoother for us

How to get there? 

For commuters, from Zamboanga City
1. Take a curuan-bound van from the van terminal in Tomas Claudio, Zamboanga City (near Gateway Mall) 70 pesos
2. Drop-off at Brgy Panubigan and take the Habal-Habal to Panubigan Brgy Hall. 20Php
3. Look for the Brgy Official you coordinated with at the Brgy Hall, he will lead you to the boat ride to Bisaya Island which is just few meters away. Boat Ride to Bisaya-Bisaya Island = 150 round trip.

If you have your own wheels, drive straight to Panubigan Brgy Hall and find the coordinator. :)

How we got there (the best way) IMO

Since there was 11 of us visiting the island, we rented an entire van to bring us straight into Panubigan's Brgy Hall where the boat's docking station is. The van operators normally charges 2500 pesos for the van service to-from Panubigan. However, depending on your haggling skills, you might get a cheaper deal. Luck us, we were able to close the deal at 180 pesos pero pax. That's 1980 pesos for the 11 of us. Good deal!

Our expenses breakdown (per Pax)

Van to boat ride = 180 pesos

Boat to Bisaya Island = 150php

Food and water= 100 (there is no food and potable water for sale in the island, you need to bring your own)

ENJOY 👍👍👍

MORE PHOTOS HERE