Back in 2023, we considered our trip to Batanes as a major achievement. It was rightfully so. The northernmost province of the Philippines is a much coveted destination for most travelers. Its location makes it relatively challenging to reach, adding to the shroud of mystery to the fabled island province.

Equally able to provoke curiosities is the counterpart of Batanes in the extreme opposite edge of the Philippines. Two years hence since Renegade Junctures conquered the northernmost frontier, we embarked on an adventure to conquer the southernmost expanse, the island province of Tawi–Tawi.

Originally home to the seafaring Sama–Bajau people, the province got its name from its main island of the same name, and that island got its name from the Malay word jau, meaning far. In time, owing to reduplication that is characteristic of Malayo-Polynesian languages, jau evolved to jaui-jaui, further evolving into the name that lent itself to the island province.

Known for its seascapes, landscapes, biodiversity and multiethnicity, the island of Tawi–Tawi was part of the dominion of the Sultanate of Sulu and its successor entity, until it was established as a separate province in 1973.

Our travel to Tawi–Tawi and to Mindanao at large is unique in at least a couple of ways. First, it was the first time that we set foot in Mindanao. Second, apart from our travel to Abra with our family, that was the first time we would travel with fellow adventurers.

The journey to the southernmost province started where the adventures in Mindanao begun. We were already in Zamboanga International Airport at around 09:00 AM. It was early for our 11:35 AM flight, but we opted to let time pass in the airport since we were still to meet the joiners to Tawi–Tawi. While waiting, Ran and I bought some breakfast in the airport shops around and took some photos.

At around 11:00 AM, our companions have arrived. We approached our main coordinators, Corina and Raphael Navarro, introduced ourselves, then joined the group as we wait for our flight boarding. While in the wait, Raphael approached us and handed us bag tags, the first souvenirs of our trip.

We entrusted Aura Adventures with the care of organizing our pilot trip to Mindanao. Started as a family affair, it has grown into one of the leading tour providers in the Philippines, offering destination-packed itineraries to major destinations in the country and even abroad. The choice to engage Aura Adventures was not arbitrary. Of all the providers we can find in social media, it is the one that offers a complete ZamPenBaSulTa package, i.e., the entire Zamboanga Peninsula, plus the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and our first island destination in this adventure, Tawi–Tawi. For travelers who are intent in accomplishing Project82PH, that kind of package means a lot.

We got onboard the plane by 11:30 AM, and shortly afterwards, we were already in the skies.

In around an hour, we finally landed in Sanga–Sanga Airport. We finally made it to the southernmost part of the country, the pearl of the southern seas!

We first secured our checked-in baggage, then proceeded to the Tourism Information and Assistance Center of the Bongao Tourism Office conveniently located within the airport vicinity. There, we received a warm welcome to Tawi–Tawi and were asked to register ourselves.

Tourism Information and Assistance Center of Bongao.

After our registration, Raphael took us for a very short walk to where our lunch will be served, Kah Sidang Homestay. Home of the renowned Nursida Jaluddin, endearingly called Ate Sidang, the homestay is popular to tourists and locals alike for offering a place to stay and sumptuous food, extending above-par hospitality and redefining homestay accommodation.

Though Ate Sidang offers a complete hospitality package, Ran and I, together with a couple of pairs in the group, opted to stay in private rooms in a separate inn, located just five-minute walk away from Ate Sidang’s homestay. Since our lunch was still being prepared when we arrived, Raphael accompanied us first to RnR Garden Inn and Restaurant where we would be staying. Near as it was, we still used the colorful modified jeepney which will also be our service for the entirety of our stay in Tawi–Tawi.

The common areas of RnR Garden Inn & Restaurant.

We checked-in, left our baggage in our room, then headed back to Ate Sidang’s place. Just in time, lunch has been prepared, Tawi–Tawi style.

A feast has begun!

At this point, I could no longer remember the exact names of the dishes served during our first meal in Tawi–Tawi. As the photos would tell though, they were dishes of fish fish, crab, squid and vegetables. We were also served with desserts of fresh ripe mangoes, fried bananas and palikambing, a delectable concoction of flour and ripe bananas rolled into cake balls. Delightful!

After the sumptuous feast prepared by Ate Sidang, we were given a few minutes to rest a little, then we were advised that the adventures in Tawi–Tawi was about to begin. It was actually happening already. We were really about to conquer the southernmost province of the country.

We are not just ticking off locations in Renegade Junctures. We try our best to do things differently, making it renegade compared to how others would have it done. For the past three years that we have been traveling and the past two years since the debut of our online travel journal, we have taken it upon ourselves to always do something new, to tread upon the unbeaten path. Being with the Aura Adventures gang is the choice in the juncture that we have taken this time around.

This is our renegade juncture. This is Renegade Junctures.