Mangrove kayaking in Busuanga: what it is actually like

Island hopping gets the photographs, but the thing guests most often say they did not expect is the paddle into the mangroves behind the resort. It is quiet, close-up and slightly strange, and unlike almost everything else in Palawan it depends on nothing more than the tide.

Where the channels are

The western coast of Busuanga is fringed with mangrove forest, and behind our stretch of beach the trees open into a set of narrow channels that run inland. You launch from the sand, paddle a few hundred metres along the shore, and then the noise stops — the trees close over the water and the open sea is gone behind you.

This is on our side of the island rather than Coron's, which is why it rarely appears on standard tour itineraries. The channels lead toward Lolo's Beach, and the whole round trip is a comfortable hour and a half at a slow pace.

The tide decides everything

This is the one thing worth understanding in advance. At high or rising tide the channels are deep, wide and easy. At low tide they drain, the roots stand clear of the water, and what was a passage becomes a wall. Nobody is in danger — you simply cannot get through, and turning a kayak in a narrow channel is undignified.

Ask at the desk what the water is doing that day. On this coast the useful window generally comes twice, and the staff will point you at it. If your heart is set on a particular morning, mention it when you book so the tide table can be checked before you arrive.

What you actually see

Mangroves are not scenic in the way a lagoon is scenic. The interest is close-range: the tangle of prop roots, mudskippers, crabs working the exposed banks, herons standing very still, kingfishers. Early morning is the best hour for birds by a wide margin. The water is often glassy enough to hold a perfect reflection of the canopy, which is the photograph everyone ends up taking.

The fireflies

After dark the same channels do something else entirely. Fireflies gather in the mangrove trees in numbers that are difficult to describe without sounding as though we are exaggerating — whole trees pulsing in near-unison on the best nights. This is a guided paddle rather than a self-service one, both because you need someone who knows the channels in the dark and because the timing depends on the tide and the moon.

Two pieces of advice. Go on a night with little or no moon; the darker the sky, the better the display. And once you are in, sit still with the torches off for a few minutes before deciding whether it is any good — your eyes need the time.

Difficulty and who can go

• Fitness: low. Flat water, no current, and you can stop whenever you like.
• Experience: none needed. Ten minutes and most people have it.
• Children: fine in a double kayak with an adult, and they usually spot the mudskippers first.
• Non-swimmers: possible with a life vest and a guide, though the night paddle is better saved for confident guests.

What to bring

• Reef-safe sunscreen, applied before you launch rather than in the boat.
• A hat and a long-sleeved shirt — there is shade in the channels but none on the way there.
• Water, more than you think for an hour and a half.
• Insect repellent, particularly for the evening paddle.
• A dry bag for a phone, or the acceptance that it stays behind.
• Shoes you do not mind wetting, for launching off the sand.

Kayaks are free for guests through the day, so there is no booking and no cost to simply take one out. The guided firefly paddle is arranged on the island — mention it when you enquire, or on arrival. Everything else there is to do out here is on the Experience page.

Common questions

Do you need experience to kayak the mangroves?

No. The channels are sheltered and flat, with no surf and no current worth the name at the right tide. Most first-time paddlers are comfortable within ten minutes. Children go in a double kayak with an adult.

When is the best time to kayak mangroves in Busuanga?

On a rising or high tide. At low tide the channels drain and the roots make passage awkward or impossible. Early morning is the calmest and best for birds; after dark, on a moonless night, is when the fireflies appear.

Can you see fireflies in the Busuanga mangroves?

Yes, and it is the thing guests write to us about most. They gather in the mangrove trees after dark and are at their most spectacular on nights with little or no moon. Go with a guide and let your eyes adjust before switching on any light.

Is mangrove kayaking included at the resort?

Kayaks are free for guests to use through the day. The guided firefly paddle after dark is arranged separately because it needs a guide and the right tide and moon.

Sixteen rooms, one private stretch of coast

All meals included, transfers arranged, and the run of the island. We recommend at least two nights.