Zamboanga Peninsula accommodation from NZ$25

Hola from Zamboanga City! This busy metropolis may be lodged firmly in the Mindanao region of the Philippines, but its roots lie in Latin America. The residents of "Asia's Latin City" speak a variant of Spanish creole and the city’s Catholic heritage is made plain by the big, beautiful Metropolitan Cathedral of Immaculate Conception. Whatever you want to see or do, you’ll have a nice place to rest your head. Zamboanga accommodation stretches from business hotels around the airport to budget and high-end tourist hotels in the city centre and out towards Paseo del Mar.

Things to Do in Zamboanga

Once a garrison for Spanish troops, Fort Pilar on N.S. Valderosa Street is a modern-day shrine to Our Lady of the Pilar, the patroness of Zamboanga. The altar is embossed with Our Lady's divine image—touching it is believed to be life-altering and miraculous (in other words, expect queues…who doesn’t want a miracle?). The building also houses the city's national museum, which is well worth an hour or two of your time. After dark, head for the Paseo del Mar. This seafront park comes alive at night with bands, crowds and mouth-watering food. Around 7 km out of the city you'll find Pasonanca Park, a popular tourist attraction that has won awards as the premier garden of the Philippines, complete with teepees and treehouses built back in the 1960s.

Getting to & Around Zamboanga

To reach the main hotels in Zamboanga, leave the airport and pick up a Canelar-bound jeepney or a taxi to the city centre. Feeling energetic? You can explore much of Zamboanga on foot, though it is much more fun to hop on one of the ubiquitous tricycles or hire a habal-habal (motorcycle) for exploration beyond the city limits. Just ride carefully; we don’t want to explain any new scratches to your mother.

Booking a Zamboanga holiday doesn't have to break the budget. Wotif's dependable, transparent booking service has a wide range of cheap flights to Zamboanga to accompany our great deals on Zamboanga hotels. See what we have to offer and give your holiday self something to cheer about!