The Bugtong River Trek One day program

DESCRIPTION:

The Bugtong River drains the mountains of the interior of MINDORO Island down to the sea. It is only accessible by boat from Puerto Galera to the east, or Abra de Ilog to the west.

The lower reaches of the river are broad and shallow, fringed by extensive rice paddies. These give way to mature, but still active, coconut palm plantations before the valley narrows into sections of rapids, deep pools and narrow gorges.

The area is populated by the indigenous Iraya Mangyans who live in small communities in the lower valley, alongside their Tagalog-speaking ‘lowlander’ neighbours

CAMP KINGFISHER:
Named after the predominant (and noisiest) local bird in the area, the WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER, the camp is situated on the bank of the river, alongside a deep, cool, pool. It has basic toilet and changing facilities.

Here, while you cool off with a swim, your guides will prepare lunch, which will be taken in the cool of a river-side dining area, in the shade of a shelter made from local bamboo and cogon grass thatch.

After lunch you’re free to relax in a hammock in the shade of the trees, or to take part in some of our other activities.

ACTIVITIES:

Apart from the obvious one of falling into the local swimming pool, there are a number of things to do in and around the camp.

• BIRDS AND BUTTERFLIES – hornbills, kingfishers and numerous other species (some endemic to the Philippines) can be seen and heard from the camp. The area abounds with beautiful butterflies too. There are reference books at the camp to help you build your list.

• LOCAL SKILLS – our guides and partners, the Iraya Mangyans, have knowledge of the plants and animals of the forest, together with traditional woodwork. They are happy to spend time with guests to impart some of what they know, and to teach you how to make simple utensils from local bamboo..

• EXPLORING – upstream of the camp the river narrows into shady, cool gorges with rapids, waterfalls and slides. The water is refreshing and very, very, inviting.

Mid-afternoon we will break camp for the leisurely walk back to the beach and the waiting Bangka. By 5pm you should be back on White Beach thinking about where to go for a sundowner.

WHEN AND HOW TO GET THERE:

This trip can be made at any time of the year, although heavy rains can swell the river to the point where it is temporarily impassable.

From Whitebeach it’s a 45 minute ride on a local outrigger boat (bangka) down the coast, past unspoilt white beaches and small coastal communities, to the fishing village of BUGTONG.

Here you will pay a short visit to the Mangyan Coco Products centre. This is an initiative established to provide livelihood for the local indigenous people by making household and decorative products from coconut shells.

It also has a spectacular view over the rice field of the lower river flood plain. This is where you will also meet your guides and porters for the trip.

From there you drop down to the river, which is broad and shallow, and follow it through the rice paddies and local villages, fording it along the way, until you get to the well-established coconut palm plantation, where the locals use the flesh of the nuts to make copra. Here you’ll spend a few minutes chatting with them about the process.

This is also where they make TUBA, the local spirit made from (not surprisingly) coconut. We may well pick up a bottle or two to fortify us on our trip.

After another hour or so, and several more river crossings, you enter the shady cool of the river-side trees and forest for the last part of the hike to CAMP KINGFISHER.

WHAT TO BRING:

We supply transport from White Beach, all food and some other refreshments. You will need comfortable walking shoes or sports sandals. They will definitely get a soaking so should be comfortable when wet.

Bring swimming gear, a towel and some insect repellant. You may prefer light long trousers and a shirt with long sleeves. Insects are not a big problem, but sandflies can be annoying.

Plenty of drinking water is essential, a minimum of 1.5l each for the day. The river is pristine and clean but not drinkable. Water-purification tablets can be used if you don’t want to carry so much with you.

Rehydration powder is also recommended. A dry-bag for your cameras, videos and mobile phones is also highly recommended. There is no mobile phone reception at the site.

If you want a cold beer, or other cold drinks, arrangements can be made for it to be kept on ice on the beach for your trip back to White Beach, or you can pay a little more for a porter to help you carry it in to Camp Kingfisher.

Porters can also carry backpacks and any heavy items for a small fee.