Camping at SAVIMA Mangroves

I love camping around the province of Bohol and trying out places whether on top of a mountain or hills, amidst the forest or beside the sea.

I visited a place just recently that is perfect for camping and even a day visit for picnic and swimming!

SAVIMA MANGROVE ADVENTURE bohol, camping bohol, camp site bohol, bohol adventure — *Photo by: Anne Therese Decasa*

The place is SAVIMA MANGROVE ADVENTURE located at San Vicente, Maribojoc, Bohol — me and my friends camped there for a night after our kayaking adventure at the nearby Abatan River.

I always wanted to visit this place especially as it is managed by the community, I love going to these type of places as the community directly benefit from the money coming in and this gives them extra income for their families.

Our stay there was beautiful but not as perfect as we wanted it to be. As guide, I will share to you the best points of the place and the things that needs a little improvement! To give this story a happy ending at least, let me start with the things they need to enhance.

Here are our verdict!

FOR IMPROVEMENT

1. Customer service

I was hungry and tired from kayaking and just wanted to pitch tent and have dinner, unfortunately we were confronted with unwelcoming reception.

Apparently they did not expect that there was just three of us that will do camping. They assumed that we were a bus or something. I contacted them in advance about our camp and was not really asked our number.

2. Pricing

Since it turns out that way, they explained our pay would not be enough for the energy consumption at the island. We were willing to pay as it is also for the community but they were also hesitant on giving us an expensive rate.

It was then settled after expressing our disappointments and feedbacks on their reception and they gave us a price that they think was suffice.

W started on the wrong foot, because what we saw and experienced after that made the decision to go there worthwhile!

BEST POINTS

1. Boardwalk

Imagine this: walking in a 500 meter boardwalk through the canopy of mangrove forest, their different roots intriguing, birds chirping at the background, in a wonderful morning.

That’s what we saw after breaking camp. Everything was perfect.

2. The Islet

After walking through the 500 meter boardwalk you will be led to the islet. I did not expect it to be big and in truth it could comfortably fit 150 people. Comfort rooms are available and they also have a small store that sells drinks and liquors.

3. Mangroves

Going through that stretch of mangroves was mesmerizing. You can tell by the looks of some that they are pretty old.

They also have signage introducing different species of mangroves. The diverse species of mangroves are interesting and you can also do mangrove planting if you want.

Since the area is a protected area, it is safe and well preserved.

4. View

The view when we woke the next morning was beautiful. We even explored the coast and it was more amazing from that view.

We were the only ones there so we were excited on what we saw.

Over all, I can say this is one of the best site to camp because of its beauty and the safety of the place!

Here are the tips for your visit!

Makes sure you specify the details of your activity and your number when booking for an activity or camping.
Bring your own food since only drinks are sold there.
Facilities on camping are not available, so bring your own equipment.
Take your time to enjoy the surroundings.

How to get there?

Via public vehicle : Jeeps going to Maribojoc are parked at Cogon Market. With more or less 20 pesos fare, you will get there in about 20 minutes.