Mount Makiling

Makiling rises to about a thousand metres behind Los Banos, and because its slopes have been a protected forest reserve managed by the University of the Philippines for a century, it carries some of the best-studied lowland rainforest on Luzon: dipterocarp giants, tree ferns, rafflesia in season, hornbills and a long list of endemics. Two trails climb it. The UPLB side is the classic - a long, humid ascent past the mud spring, where the ground bubbles grey and sulphurous, up through increasingly mossy forest to the peaks. The Sto. Tomas side is steeper and rougher. Neither gives a bare summit; the top is forested, with viewpoints in gaps. The mountain's other identity is mythological: Maria Makiling, the diwata who guards it, is one of the best-known figures in Philippine folklore, and locals still frame the mountain's moods in terms of her. Hot springs at the foot in Los Banos - the town's name means the baths - close the day properly.

What you actually see

• The rainforest - dipterocarp forest and tree ferns on the slopes.
• The mud spring - bubbling sulphurous ground on the trail.
• The forested peaks - views through gaps rather than a bare summit.
• The hot springs - Los Banos' thermal baths below.

When to go

November to April for the driest trails; the forest is wet and leech-prone in the rainy months. Registration and guides are arranged in advance through the reserve.

Honest expectations

It is humid, muddy and long - six to eight hours round trip on the UPLB route. Leeches are common after rain. Do not expect a panoramic summit; the reward is forest, not views.

Nearby

Los Banos' hot springs, the UPLB campus and the Laguna lake shore are all at the mountain's base.