Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary

Hamiguitan runs along the coast of Davao Oriental and was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2014 for the range of habitats stacked up its slopes. The one it is known for sits near the top: a pygmy forest, where trees a century old stand barely head high, stunted by ultramafic soil that is high in metals and hostile to normal growth, so that the whole wood looks like a bonsai collection under mist. Among them grow pitcher plants, several found nowhere else. The range also holds Philippine eagles and long-tailed macaques. Access to the upper forest is restricted and permit-controlled; most visitors instead see the natural science museum at the foot of the range.

What you actually see

• The pygmy forest - century-old trees stunted to head height on metal-rich ultramafic soil.
• The pitcher plants - carnivorous Nepenthes on the upper slopes, several of them endemic here.
• The stacked habitats - the change from agricultural land to dipterocarp, mossy and pygmy forest with altitude.
• The natural science museum - the collection at San Isidro explaining the range for visitors who do not climb.

When to go

March to June is the driest and the only sensible window for the climb; the range is wet, misty and leech-heavy the rest of the year. Permits are issued by the local government with numbers capped and often a closed season for conservation, so arrange the climb weeks ahead. The museum at the foot is open year-round without a permit.

Honest expectations

Most visitors will not reach the pygmy forest. The climb is a two to three day trek, permits are limited, and the trail is steep, muddy and thick with leeches after rain. Camping is basic and cold. Davao Oriental is a long drive from Davao City. Those who only visit the museum should know it is modest and takes about an hour.

Nearby

Mati and the Pujada bay coast, with Dahican beach nearby.