For me, the Province of Tawi-Tawi is the hardest province to penetrate because of its geographical location. Not only that, it is always associated with "war" and most of the time, being judged and considered as "unsafe" for travelers, which I disagree! Bongao is the busiest municipality in the province but has a lot of stunning tourist spots and destinations that are just waiting to be recognized.
Bud Bongao
Bud Bongao in Tawi-Tawi province, is sacred and a Muslim's pilgrimage site; a place where our Muslim brothers and sisters meditate and offer prayers to Allah. Not just the center of religious activity, this mountain is an iconic landscape, thus, it is the top tourist spot in the province. By the way, "bud" is a Tausug word that translates to "mountain" in English.
ZamBaSulTa, Zamboanga Provinces and Misamis Occidental
ZamBaSulta is an acronym given to Zamboanga City, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi - the normal route, however, I made a twist and created ZamTaSuBa. Let me make it more extreme, my solo backpacking includes Region 9: Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Misamis Occidental part of Region 10. Details below is my actual itinerary for 9 days that covers 7 Provinces and the independent City of Zamboanga.