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 grassy peak of Mount Minandar rising above coconut-covered slopes.

Places · Mountain

Mount Minandar

Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte

Municipal Government of Datu Odin Sinsuat · Philippine government workPhoto by Municipal Government of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Philippine government work. Open the source file.

Overview

A grass-covered mountain near Cotabato City, about a two-hour hike to the summit.

Mount Minandar rises in Barangay Kusiong and is known for its green colour, because it is covered mostly in grass rather than forest.

The climb from the foot to the summit takes about two hours, which makes it the closest proper hike to Cotabato City.

Kusiong also has the town's beaches, so a climb and a swim fit in the same day.

Things to do

  1. 01Hike 2 hours to the grassy summitThe climb from the foot to the summit takes about 2 hours; there is little shade, so start early, carry water and arrange a guide in Kusiong.
  2. 02Finish with a swim at Kusiong BeachThe town's beaches are in the same barangay, so a climb and a swim fit into one day.

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.

Sourcesen.wikipedia.org