Mt. Kanlaon

The highlight of the Mt. Kanlaon National Park, Kanlaon Volcano (or Kanlaon or Canlaon) presents an exhilarating experience fraught with danger and excitement at every turn. This mountain is the highest peak in Central Visayas, making it an attractive spot for mountain climbers and hikers from all around. It is also one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines, which contributes to the danger involved, as well as the naturally lush environment and rich, bountiful soil around the mountain. Needless to say, only experienced mountaineers who are willing to take the risk should attempt this challenging adventure, but it’s well worth it by overcoming the challenge and seeing the amazing sighs of Kanlaon.
 
Trips to Kanlaon mainly utilize the Wasay and Guintubdan trails. The Wasay trail is widely regarded as one of the most demanding and lengthy in Visayas, which involves two days of exhausting hiking to reach the crater. For the first day, hikers will be greeted with rolling hills of dipterocarp forests, then stopping at a campsite along the way. The journey becomes a lot more difficult for the second day, with many local guide calling it the “Killing Me Softly” trail. While challenging, this part of the trip also contains several extravagant vistas to behold such as the Samoc and PMS lagoons, which were older craters of Kanlaon. After the second day, it becomes a lot easier, and there are many possible destinations to visit before descending the mountain.