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 port and beach of Taganak, the largest of the Turtle Islands

Places · Island

Turtle Islands

Turtle Islands, Tawi-Tawi

Bangsamoro Ports Management Authority · Public domainPhoto by Bangsamoro Ports Management Authority, Public domain. Open the source file.

Overview

Green sea turtle nesting beaches, protected jointly with Malaysia.

A cluster of islands west of Tawi-Tawi proper that form one of the most significant green sea turtle nesting grounds in Southeast Asia. Baguan is the main sanctuary island, and the whole group is managed as a transboundary protected area shared with Malaysia — the only arrangement of its kind in the region.

Nesting happens year-round with seasonal peaks, and seeing it is a matter of being on the right beach at night with the people who are permitted to be there.

The Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary, a protected area since 1999, covers 242,967 hectares of sea and the islands of Baguan, Taganak, Boan, Great Bakkungan, Langaan and Lihiman; all are inhabited except Baguan. It averages more than 13,000 turtle nests a year, is an ASEAN Heritage Park and is on UNESCO's tentative World Heritage list. From Bongao the only way there is by sea, a trip of 15 to 16 hours.

Things to do

  1. 01Watch the turtles nest at night, with supervisionVisitors come to watch green turtles lay their eggs at night, and outside the strict protection zones visits are allowed only with guidance from government staff; no lights, flash or handling.
  2. 02Go between late August and DecemberFrom the end of August to December the turtles come ashore by the hundreds to lay their eggs.
  3. 03Watch the hatchlings head for the seaVisitors to Baguan, the main sanctuary island, also come to watch hatchlings climb out of their nests and make for the water.
  4. 04Look for the islands' birdsAt least 71 bird species have been recorded, among them the Philippine megapode, the grey imperial pigeon and the Mantanani scops owl.

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 ·eco-business.com ·bimp-eaga.asia