104 places · 7 areas

Places of the Bangsamoro

Islands and white sand, lakes in the highlands, mosques, falls and the old forts and houses of the sultanates: what is there, how to get there, and what to know before you go.

Ervin Malicdem · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo by Ervin Malicdem, CC BY-SA 4.0. Open the source file.

Beaches 6

Islands 11

Mosques 10

Lakes 5

Falls 5

Mountains 7

Nature 21

Heritage 22

Museums 5

Cities 2

Markets 2

Memory 8

Every place is traced to the pages it came from, and the guide’s own entries are the travel workspace’s. Photos are from Wikimedia Commons or English Wikipedia under free licences, each credited on the photo. 7 areas: Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte and del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato City and the Special Geographic Area.

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The fast-flowing Agus River in Marawi beside a surviving pier of the Spanish-era King Alfonso Bridge.

Places · Nature

Agus River

Marawi, Lanao del Sur

Bangsamoro Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage · Philippine government workPhoto by Bangsamoro Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, Philippine government work. Open the source file.

Overview

The fast river that drains Lake Lanao through Marawi to Iligan Bay and powers much of Mindanao.

The Agus River flows out of Lake Lanao from a narrow depression on its north-western rim and runs through Marawi to Iligan Bay, splitting near the sea into the channels that feed Maria Cristina Falls and Tinago Falls. Its current reaches up to 30 miles an hour in places, so it cannot be navigated along its whole length.

The hydroelectric plants on the river generate 70% of Mindanao's electricity, but the dams that regulate them have changed the levels of Lake Lanao and caused conflict with the people around it. In Maranao tradition, the Archangel Gabriel made the river to drain the lake when its rising waters threatened to drown the people of Sebangan. Wikivoyage notes that it flows between Saduc and Lilod in Marawi.

Food to try

  • Turmeric-yellow kuning rice and grilled chicken pater served on a banana leaf.MaranaoPalapaThe condiment the whole Maranao kitchen is built on — scallion bulb, ginger, chilli, coconut.Photo: Obsidian Soul
  • Piaparan a manok, chicken cooked with turmeric, coconut milk and grated coconut, served on a banana leaf.MaranaoPiaparanChicken or fish cooked in coconut with palapa and turmeric.Photo: Lokalpedia
  • A plate of beef rendang, the slow-cooked spiced beef that Maranao cooks call randang.MaranaoRendangThe slow-cooked dry coconut beef curry, in its Philippine form.Photo: Miansari66
  • MaranaoInatoEveryday Maranao home cooking, served as a set with rice and palapa.

The food is halal. Named eateries come from dated listings, so check they are still open.

Places to stay

Through local contacts, the city tourism office, or MSU. Online listings for Marawi are sparse and not always current.

  • hotel · MarawiRanaw Business HotelBusiness hotel used for MSSD events in Marawi, October 2026Named in 2026
  • hotel · MarawiSamsara Palace Hotel and EventHotel and events venue listed by the Bangsamoro Parliament, July 2026Named in 2026
  • hotel · MarawiSantorini Hotel, Garden Cafe and Events PlaceHotel with a garden cafe and events place, listed by the Bangsamoro Parliament, November 2024Named in 2024
  • resort · MarawiLake View ResortLakeside resort above Lake Lanao; hosted an MPOS livelihood training, May 2024Named in 2024

Each is named in an official or dated source; none could be checked against an accreditation list. No prices: rates change quickly, so confirm and book directly before you go.

Sourcesen.wikipedia.org ·en.wikivoyage.org