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 unveiling of the National Historical Commission marker at the burial site

Places · Heritage

Burial Site of Sheik Karimol Makhdum

Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi

Also known as Sheik Karimol Makhdum Shrine

National Historical Commission of the Philippines · Public domainPhoto by National Historical Commission of the Philippines, Public domain. Open the source file.

Overview

The grave in Tandu Banak, Sibutu, of the 14th-century missionary who brought Islam to the Philippines, declared a National Historical Shrine.

Sheik Karimol Makhdum is the missionary credited with founding the first mosque in the country at Tubig Indangan, Simunul. His burial site at Tandu Banak in Sibutu is declared a National Historical Shrine.

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines installed a marker here on 6 November 2023, the day before the marker at his mosque in Simunul. Accounts differ on where he lies: a SunStar travel feature says his remains are buried beside the mosque in Simunul.

Things to do

  1. 01See the structure in front of the grave at Tandu BanakAn unfinished building stands in front of what is believed to be Sheik Karimul Makhdum's grave at Tandu Banak.
  2. 02Take the boat to Tandu BanakAn older account took a boat of about 3 hours from Bongao's Chinese Pier to Tandu Banak for under PHP 200; a 2026 listing gives Wita Ferries weekday trips from Bongao to Sibutu of about 1 hour. Check with the boatmen the day before.

Food to try

  • A bowl of near-black beef soup beside a red onion and dried chillies.TausugTiyula ItumBlack beef soup, colored by burnt coconut.Photo: Nurfadzrie Abubakar
  • Tausug satti: grilled meat skewers with a bowl of spiced sauce and ta'mu rice cake in woven coconut leaf.TausugSattiSkewered meat in a hot red sauce, with a block of rice — the breakfast of the archipelago.Photo: Anak 1 at en.wikipedia
  • TausugKulmaA mild peanut-and-coconut curry, close to a korma.
  • TausugPianggangGrilled chicken in burnt-coconut sauce.

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

Places to stay

By phone or Facebook page, or through the provincial tourism office, which is the single most useful contact in the province and will also arrange island trips.

  • MimiAhid · CC0 1.0Photo by MimiAhid, CC0 1.0. Open the source file.resort · BongaoBihing Tahik ResortBeach resort in Bongao; hosted an MIPA consultation, February 2025Named in 2025
  • hotel · BongaoRachel's PlaceHotel and restaurant in Bongao; hosted an MPOS and UN Women training, April 2024Named in 2024
  • resort · BongaoDanmar Beach ResortBeach resort listed as a Bangsamoro Parliament venue, July 2026Named in 2026
  • hotel · BongaoMayan HotelHotel listed as a Bangsamoro Parliament venue, May 2024Named in 2024
  • resort · BongaoDahuwan Tampeh ResortResort registered with the Bangsamoro Board of Investments in 2024; a Parliament venue by October 2025Named in 2025
  • inn · BongaoBeachside Inn and RestaurantInn and restaurant; the MOLE Tawi-Tawi field office gives it as its addressNamed 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.wikipedia.org ·philstar.com ·sunstar.com.ph ·rappler.com ·pamasahe.com