How safe is travelling in Mindanao? There's so much bad publicity about this area of the Philippines called the Red Zone, that I thought I'd best go and explore the place myself. Have been in western Mindanao almost 3 weeks: spent 4 nights in Dipolog City, a place I'd wanted to come to for awhile, having been on my radar since I heard about its fabulous Boulevard; a sad night in Oroquieta City which had nothing to offer; 4 nights in Ozamiz City; 6 nights in Iligan; 4 nights in Pagadian city; I'm now in Zamboanga City at the tip of the western part of Mindanao.
On the morning I left Ozamiz city I received a text from a filipina I’d been chatting to asking if I had any foreign friends in Ozamiz. Then forwarded a Facebook post regarding a foreigner who’d been discovered dead that morning with gunshot wounds to the head who’d been executed. He had no phone or anything on his possession, so police couldn’t identify him. It was a chilling thought knowing that a foreigner was murdered in a place where I’d been staying for the previous 4 nights.
I’d not spent much time on the Ozamiz streets, as I’d been holed up in my hotel room editing. There’s a handful of good places to eat, but that’s about it. Fortunately the Royal Garden Hotel where I'd stayed was really lovely, which was probably the best thing about Ozamiz city. Apart from leaving.
This was my first time visiting western Mindanao. I have previously taken a ferry from Camiguin to Cagayan De Oro, spent time in that city, before travelling on to Davao, spending 3 weeks in Davao over Christmas 2022.
How safe is Mindanao Island? On the United Kingdom’s Foreign Travel Advice Website, they’ve virtually drawn a line down the middle of Mindanao depicting which are the safe places to travel to and those that are not so safe. The website states that there’s a high threat of kidnap in the Philippines, with foreign nationals targeted by both criminal and terrorist groups. The threat of kidnapping is particularly acute in Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago and offshore areas in the nearby waters of the Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea.
A British national and a dual Filipino-British national were kidnapped on 4 October 2019 from a resort in Zamboanga, Western Mindanao. They were successfully rescued on 25 November 2019 by the Philippines Armed Forces. Some hostages however, including foreign nationals, have been murdered.
According to the 2020 census, CDO has a population of over 728,000. It is a vibrant multi-cultural city with over 50 mosques dotted around the city. I love cities. I walk each day for hours pounding the streets. I find much more life to see on the streets than a hike up a mountainside. Even if I’m not taking photographs or shooting video I still like the energy and interest that a city provides.
The Philippines should be on everyone’s bucket list with its beautiful white sand beaches, fabulous idyllic islands, turquoise sea and stunning scenery. The Philippines is a traveller’s paradise and regularly included in top ten favorite places to visit in Asia and affordable, favorite world holiday destination.
Many foreigners/expats choose the Philippines as the best country to retire in Asia and live in paradise. The Philippines is one of the cheapest countries to live in the world with its low cost of living and all year sunshine. Retiring in the Philippines is affordable on a budget of less than $1000 per month.
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