The Bucari Experience

If your name is MANfred, you like to eat MANok (chicken) and you love the first day of the week, MANday; a trip to Bucari in the rainy season is the thing for you. No hotels, no chicks (ladies), deep mud, no electricity, no cellphone signals and best of all, no toilets...

Bucari offers a breath taking view

Since it is the start of the rainy season here in the Philippines, I remembered my first trip to Bucari. It was about 3 years ago and I can still remember that I was surprised on the vehicle that we were supposed to ride up the mountains. It was a rusty and overloaded 4x4 jeepney. The road up to Bucari was really muddy because of the constant rain and the jeepney had to be fitted with a set of tire chains so that it can negotiate the muddy climb.

4x4 jeepney

This time was a bit different. The road a not that muddy as before since it was summer, making the trip to Bucari a bit easier and faster. Since we camped near Imoy waterfalls in Sitio
Camandag the last time, we decided to set-up camp in Tabionan, an area with lots of pine trees and dubbed as the little Baguio of Iloilo.

But before heading to the campsite, we decided to take a dip in the cold springs in Sitio Camandag. But we had a set-back. The driver kept asking where we were going and no one answered so he dropped of off about 2-3 kilometers from Sitio Camandag. After taking a dip in the crystal clear and super cool pools, we decided it was time to hike to the campsite in Tabionan.

the hike to Sitio Camandag

we decided to take a shortcut

I've seen this monkey twice now. Since the people there are really nice, we always ask for water in this house.

Sitio Camandag at the foot of Mt. Agua Colonia

settlements in Sitio Camandag

pools in Sitio Camandag

relaxing cool waters of the pools. Since we were tired, we decided not to continue to Imoy falls. But I regret making the decision because after typhoon Frank, Imoy falls was severely altered.

guardian

on the way to Sitio Tabionan, I saw this guy playing a trumpet. His music echoing in the mountains.

And since we were already tired, it took a while before we managed the 4-5 kilometer hike uphill. When arrived at Sitio Tabionan, it was already dark and we were exausted. We didn't have flashlights, but thanks to lighters with puny lights, we managed to move about.

I'll never forget this marker. It means you're near Sitio Tabionan.

we stayed in this house for the night, it also offers a nice view of the rolling fog

We didn't set-up our tents since my friends uncle offered us a place to stay and he prepared a really nice native dish for us. It was "linagpang nga manok", grilled chicken made into a stew, and it was really delicious. We gave them pork and some dried fish in exchange, so everybody was happy.

the pine trees of Sitio Tabionan

insects that I found in the pine trees

The next day, we went to the pine trees to shoot a short clip. I also managed to find some interesting insects, its a nature lovers paradise indeed.

How to get there...

From Iloilo, ride a jeepney or van to Leon. Terminals are on Jaro Public Market. And after arriving in Leon, the jeepney terminal to Bucari is near the park.