Tourism in the Philippines tranquility and an exciting nightlife. Mindanao, the southernmost island of the Philippines, is known for its mountain ranges; it is one of the best climbing destinations in the Philippines. Mindanao is home to the country's highest mountain, Mount Apo. On average, it takes two days to reach the summit. The mountain has a wide range of flora and fauna, including over 272 bird species, 111 of which are endemic to the area, including the national bird, the Philippine eagle. Mount Apo has become a popular hiking destination for mountain climbers. Filipino cuisine is the polymerization of 144 distinct cuisines in
Mount Apo of ; with two peripheral areas of and as buffer zones, provided for its management and for other purposes. Although a declared a Natural Park, the current climbing trails are littered with rubbish by irresponsible climbers, opening paths for soil erosion across the already denuded mountain sides. Some mountain and social climbing groups conduct climbs after the Holy Week/Easter, the peak climbing season, to clean the affected areas. In 1987, the National Geographic Society based in Washington, DC in the United States, published a book entitled, ""Our World's Heritage"", where Mount Apo was noted as a 'site of Word Heritage