KALIBO: BAKHAWAN Eco-Park’s 1.1km Mangrove Eco-Trail

Kalibo’s Bakhawan Eco-Park is a 220- hectare Mangrove forest which started in 1990 with just 50 hectares of reclaimed land created by the Kalibo Save the Mangrove Association (KASAMA for short)and with 200 members to date. 

I was skeptical at first to go to this Mangrove forest as I thought it was one of those tourist-trap sidetrips. But after walking through the 1.1km. eco-trail and back, we concluded that this is one of the best eco-walks we’ve ever seen even better than the Mangrove forest in Sabang, Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

It’s a must-visit if you have time to explore Kalibo and don’t miss to try the mangrove woodworm delicacy called “Tamilok” 🙂

Here’s our BAKHAWAN Eco-Park’s 1.1km Mangrove Eco-Trail experience:

THE BEST OF KALIBO SERIES:

• KALIBO: What to Expect in the Sto. Niño ATI-ATIHAN Festival in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: Where are the Best Places to Eat in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: SAYLO Cuisine – The Best in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: LATTE Coffee Cafe @ Marzon’s Hotel
• KALIBO: BAKHAWAN Eco-Park’s 1.1 km Mangrove Eco-Trail
• KALIBO: SAMPAGUITA GARDEN’s Precious Moments
• KALIBO: Planning Your Kalibo Escape with your Family

From Kalibo town, you can take a 15-minute ride to the Mangrove Forest for P40/special ride.

The Bakhawan Eco-Park is open from 8am to 5pm.

The entrance fee is P20 per adult and P15 for students and Senior Citizens. 

It’s a good educational experiential tour you can give your kids.

There’s a Canteen & Gift Shop managed by the community. 

You can hire a tour guide for P200 and arrange for a Tamilok demo for P200. 

“The United Nations’ FAO acclaimed this as one of the exemplary forests managed in the whole of Asia and the Pacific.” (see bigger inscription)

It was a bit scary at first to walk through the bamboo trail especially with the little boy.

You cross the bamboo bridge into the lush mangrove forest.

Baby Raphael was not scared, in fact, he was too eager to catch up with his brothers.

You can explore the mangrove via boat at P80/hr.

We went here without any info on what to expect; we thought that the trail goes around the park.

Looking back, it was a beautiful refreshing walk around the forest. 

The eco-trail appeals to lovers who like a romantic walk through the woods; to families so as to educate and entertain their kids; and to photographers who like to capture the image of a rare bird or refreshing lush mangrove.

I love the long-stretch portions of mangrove forest along the river. I wonder if the trees are full of fireflies at night?

Raphael started running towards me and my heart stopped for a minute, anxious if he would clumsily fall or successfully complete his run.

The huge roots of the mangroves are indication of a healthy forest.

After 30 minutes of walking, we arrived at the picnic hut areas. 

I was able to convince the boys to push further for another 5 minutes to reach the end of the trail.

The eco-trail ends with a beautiful view of the sea.

Here’s a photo of the boys successfully completing the 1.1km trail with Raphael in his babiators 🙂

As we returned back through the same trail we came in, we were entertained by the planes landing in the Kalibo International Airport.

Along the way, you can see people in the community catching mud crabs.

Tip: Best to bring “trail food” for the kids.

It took us another 30 minutes to leisurely get back to where we started.

The boys wanted a final challenge of balancing their way through a narrow bamboo bridge.

Even the little boy joined in the balancing challenge.

It was a bit easy for Aidan and Joshua, but …

… we were a bit nervous to see Raphael rushing through his steps to catch up with his brothers.

To cap your trip, make sure to arrange a demo on how to get the woodworm from the Mangrove tree called “Tamilok” and …

… to try this popular aphrodisiac that tastes and feels like mussels with a wood taste,  harvested fresh, and served kilawin style with vinegar. Yummy 🙂

Allot about 2 hours for this Mangrove eco-trail side trip in Kalibo.

Overall, the Bakhawan Eco-Park trail is highly recommended for environment or eco-enthusiasts and for those who want to try an exotic food — Tamilok. Make sure to support the community by paying for the tour guide and the Tamilok demo. 

Good job Kalibo, for your interesting Mangrove Eco-Trail story!

THE BEST OF KALIBO SERIES:

• KALIBO: What to Expect in the Sto. Niño ATI-ATIHAN Festival in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: Where are the Best Places to Eat in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: SAYLO Cuisine – The Best in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: LATTE Coffee Cafe @ Marzon’s Hotel
• KALIBO: BAKHAWAN Eco-Park’s 1.1 km Mangrove Eco-Trail
• KALIBO: SAMPAGUITA GARDEN’s Precious Moments
• KALIBO: Planning Your Kalibo Escape with your Family

Live an Awesome Life,

 
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Follow @antondiaz and Like our Official Facebook Page: Our Awesome Planet 🙂 
If you have tips on awesome food and travel destinations, please email me at anton@diaz.ph.

Full Disclosure: We paid for our family trip to Kalibo. I wrote this blog post myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I have no business relationship with any company mentioned in this post or any organization promoting it. As a policy, I don’t receive compensation from food and travel places we feature in the blog. 

P.S. There’s no food available in the Eco-Park except for a sari-sari store that sells junk food, candies and drinks. Best to explore after a hearty meal in the morning or after lunch.