Bakhawan Eco-Park

Bakhawan began in 1990 as a community project to plant mangroves along an eroding stretch of Kalibo's coast, and the 220 hectares of dense forest there now are the result - one of the most-cited mangrove restoration successes in Southeast Asia, and a working sea defence that has measurably reduced flooding in the barangays behind it. A bamboo boardwalk over a kilometre long runs out through the trees to the shore, passing through tunnels of arching roots with mudskippers, crabs and herons in the mud below, and ending at a viewing area over the sea. There is a small interpretation centre, a nursery where seedlings are still grown, and food stalls at the entrance selling the local mangrove-adjacent specialities. It takes about an hour, sits fifteen minutes from Kalibo airport, and makes a sensible use of the wait for a flight or a Boracay transfer.

History

The reforestation began in 1990, to protect the community from floods and storm surges, on 50 hectares of muddy shore in Barangay New Buswang, planted by the Kalibo Save the Mangroves Association with the town and the environment department. On 22 January 2014 another 8,000 mangrove propagules were planted on 2 hectares to replace trees lost to Typhoon Haiyan (Wikipedia, Bakhawan Eco-Park).

The landscape

• The bamboo boardwalk - a kilometre of walkway through the trees.
• The root tunnels - arching mangrove roots overhead and below.
• The mudflat life - mudskippers, crabs and wading birds.
• The nursery - where replanting stock is still raised.

When to go

Year-round, with drier walking from December to May. Early morning and late afternoon for birds and cooler air; high tide changes what you see in the mud.

What to expect

The boardwalk is bamboo and can be slippery and uneven in places. Mosquitoes are serious - repellent matters. It is a walk through trees, not a spectacle; the interest is in what the project achieved.

Nearby

Kalibo town and the airport are minutes away; Boracay's ferry port at Caticlan is about an hour and a half.

Key facts