Lanao Del Sur (Marawi City)

Lake Lanao

- Lake Lanao has a surface area of 340 square kilometers (or 130 square miles), making it the largest freshwater lake in Mindanao and the second largest in the entire Philippines. In fact, many visitors have noted that its size makes it look like an ocean instead of a mere lake. It has an impressive biodiversity and is home to several species of crabs, waterfowl and cyprinid fishes, and it has become popular with tourists because of the smattering of attractive and eye-catching mosques around its edges. Through Lake Lanao has suffered from overfishing and pollution in the recent years, its beauty is still highly evident and it’s definitely a worth a day’s visit. 

Aga Khan Museum

- If you want to learn more about Mindanao’s history and culture, the Aga Khan Museum should be on the top of your list. It was developed by Dr. Mamitua Saber and was named after Prince Karim Aga Khan IV (whose donation helped construct the museum’s building). By visiting the museum, you’ll get to see traditional Mindanao musical instruments (like kobing and kolintang), replicas of the Maranao royal house called torogan and pretty miniatures of mosques. You’ll also see displays that are dedicated to the Moro Wars and view weapons (such as single-edged swords called kampilans and brass canons called lantacans) that the early Muslims used in fighting Spanish and American soldiers hundreds of years ago.