Monfort Bat Sanctuary

The Monfort cave on Samal Island is a shallow limestone chamber system whose walls and ceilings are covered - genuinely covered, at a density that has been surveyed and recorded as among the highest known - with Geoffroy's rousette fruit bats, in a colony counted in the millions. Viewing platforms look down into five openings, and the bats are visible in daylight, packed shoulder to shoulder and constantly shifting, which is the reason the site is worth an hour rather than a passing glance. The noise and smell are considerable. The colony survives on private land protected by the family who own it, and their conservation work here has been widely recognised; the surrounding forest and the guano economy that once threatened the cave are part of the story guides tell. Bats emerge at dusk in a stream that takes a long time to pass, which is the other way to see the place.

What you actually see

• The packed walls - bats covering the rock at extreme density.
• The five openings - viewing platforms over each chamber.
• The dusk emergence - the long outflow at nightfall.
• The guide's account - the colony's survey history and protection.

When to go

Year-round; the colony is resident. Daytime for the packed-wall view, dusk for the emergence. Allow an hour either way.

Honest expectations

The smell of guano is strong and the noise constant - some visitors find it overwhelming. Viewing is from platforms only; entering the caves is not permitted. Do not use flash.

Nearby

Samal's beaches, Hagimit Falls and the Talicud dive sites are elsewhere on the island; Davao City is across the strait.