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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Places · Falls

Bubuludtua Falls

Barira, Maguindanao del Norte

Also known as Bulubudtua Falls, Rainbow Falls

Overview

A swimming waterfall in Barira, about an hour from Cotabato City, on land that was once part of an MILF camp.

Part of the site used to be a camp of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and has been turned into a summer spot with the help of several local groups. In 2019 GMA News reported a PHP 10 entrance fee, swimming in cool mountain water, and MILF members acting as security escorts for visitors.

The Ambal River nearby is free for swimming. The Bangsamoro tourism bureau named the development of Bubuludtua Falls among the region's potential tourism projects in 2023, and regional officials visited it in 2022.

Things to do

  1. 01Swim under the fallsVisitors swim in the pools and stand under the falling water for a water massage.
  2. 02Cool off in the Ambal RiverSwimming in the Ambal River nearby is free of charge.

Food to try

  • Banana-leaf parcels of pastil, one opened to show shredded meat over steamed rice.MaguindanaonPastilRice and shredded meat in a banana leaf — the region’s breakfast, and its icon.Photo: Obsidian Soul
  • A mound of yellow turmeric rice, the kiyoning or kuning of Moro tables, topped with chicken in palapa.MaguindanaonKiyoningTurmeric rice, yellow and fragrant, cooked in coconut milk.Photo: Obsidian Soul
  • Lacy discs of tinagtag, the fried rice-flour snack sold at Ramadhan stalls in Maguindanao del Sur.MaguindanaonTinagtagA lattice of fried rice-flour batter, crisp and sweet.Photo: Bangsamoro Information Office

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

Places to stay

Phone or Facebook for the coastal places; local contacts and the LGU for the uplands.

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.

Sourcesgmanetwork.com ·bangsamoro.gov.ph ·bangsamoro.gov.ph ·philatlas.com