I had been to Baguio, the summer capital of the Philippines, several times, most of it were business trips. Baguio which is also known as a "City of Pines" has been a favorite destination of many because of its cold weather due to its higher location in a mountain Town of Northern Luzon and since the travel time became shorter making only 4-5 hours from Manila with the help of the new TPLEX. Most of my trips were short so when I had a chance for a vacation, I made it a point to check what the City can offer.
L o c a t i o n
Popular public transport going to Baguio is a Victory Liner Bus which has a terminal in Manila, Cubao and Pasay. Other option is the Saulog Transit which also pass Edsa Highway. Naguilian Road is the main entry to the City if you came from Marcos Highway and although there was an alternative way of using the Kennon Road that can provide shorter distance, I am not sure if it still open for large public transport as it is known to be deadly due to its narrow, zigzag and landslide prone road. Baguio today has been too urbanized that the traffics are everywhere and the City looks dense. But beyond this changes, it didn't lose its appeal and people still flock in the City from time to time. So let me share some things that you can do in Baguio.
B u r n h a m P a r k
Location : Jose Abad Santos Dr, Baguio, 2600 Benguet
Burnham Park is the most know landmark in Baguio. It has a small man-made lagoon/pond situated in the downtown of the City surrounded by grass parks and grandstand. For activities, you can opt to cruise along the lake, sit around, do biking and skateboarding and many more.
We chose to sit for a while to observe the activities around.
Have a walk at the Football Stadium
Join the biking community. :)
B a g u i o C i t y H a l l
Baguio City Hall is just beside the Burnham Park so you can just walk going here.
B a g u i o C a t h e d r a l
Location : Session Road, Baguio, Benguet
Also known as Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral, a Neo-Romanesque style Roman Catholic Church. It is one of the most visited spots and most photographed building of the City.
L o u r d e s G r o t t o
Location : Dominican Hill Rd, Baguio, 2600 Benguet
Located in a hillside, test your strength by climbing the 252 steps to reach the shrine of the statue of Virgin Mary. Yes, it was quite tiring but trust me, it was fulfilling.
T a m - a w a n V i l l a g e
Location : 367 Long Long Benguet Rd, Baguio, Benguet
Experience the home of the Mountain People in the Tam-Awan village. What's inside were the reconstructed home of the Igorot made of nipa huts and gardens scattered around the area in a different terrain. There was a small coffee shop if you want to enjoy sipping your hot drinks while looking around. A place of art and culture with a small fee to enjoy.
This is what you will see in the door of their rest room. :)
S t r a w b e r r y F a r m
Location : La Trinidad, Benguet
La Trinidad is a strawberry haven and as I used to say, I am a strawberry person. I used to think that strawberries were also planted at Baguio to found out that most of the strawberry farms are at La Trinidad where the space are larger. It is a nearby town of Baguio City and can be reached by a cab or jeep. If you are staying at the center of Baguio, it will take 30-45 mins to get there or more if the traffic is worse. Ofcourse you can buy a lot of strawberries at Baguio market but the experience of picking it by yourself is a must. We paid P500 pesos for a kilo of owned picked strawberries. If you wanted a cheaper strawberry without you picking it personally, there are stalls just beside the farm where you can buy freshly picked strawberries. And find a strawberry ice cream or strawberry flavored taho around and enjoy it as much as I did. :)
B e l l C h u r c h
Location : FA 347 Bell Church Rd, La Trinidad, Benguet
Bell church is located at the north end of Baguio, just before you enter the La Trinidad Town, a Buddhist Temple built around 1960. We came here after our strawberry picking. You will see arches and dragons statues and well landscaped gardens.
B o t a n i c a l G a r d e n
Location : 37 Leonard Wood Rd, Baguio, 2600 Benguet
Enjoy the landscape of Botanical Garden where you can find different kind of plants and flowers with nice native nuts and statues.
M i n e s V i e w P a r k
Location : Mines View Observation Deck, Mines View, Baguio, Benguet
Mines View Park is one of the most known tourist landmarks of Baguio. It was also one of my favorite spots of the City as I loved the panoramic view of Benguet. The park also reminds me of the pink pony and the big dog that tourists loved to take photos with. But during our last visit on 2015, I felt bad for the place. Additional souvenir stores were installed inside the park including some food stalls that consumed a lot of space. I didn't know why they need to put more inside when the place were already surrounded by souvenir shops outside. The park became small and you can't barely move when its crowded. You can't even take a decent photo at observatory deck during peak season. The natural beauty and calmness was not properly preserved. I was sad and disappointed of how the park turned out. It was like a market inside a park. If the current situation would remain despite that I still love the scenic view of Benguet, I don't think that I would visit the park again. :(
W r i g h t P a r k
Location : Beside Rizal Elementary School Gibraltar Rd, Baguio, Benguet
Pardon if I have only one photo of the Park. We came here late afternoon and we were hungry and too tired to explore because of the whole morning of walking. I intend to do it next time, hopefully. But going to the Park, we saw a lot of tourists riding the pony and horses going around the Park. I think it was what the Park is famous for and those stairs which I think would be a hundred steps. And the mini restaurants and food hubs just beside the street were also a crowd's favorite. We just ate then left.
C a m p J o h n H a y
Location : Baguio, Benguet
Camp John Hay was how I remember Baguio before. The large area, the pines trees and the cold breeze represents the charm of the City a few years ago. Camp John Hay is a recreational area that offers a lot of activities like golf, picnics, hiking or you can just simply sit in the park. There are restaurants inside and store that sell branded stuff. You can also check-in in the Manor Hotel which which located inside the Camp John Hay if you intend to stay in a more peaceful and elegant environment.
Enjoyed the photo ops with those trees!
Taste the Different Flavors of Baguio
Location : Around the City
Oh well, how can I forget to remind you to satisfy your taste buds. Baguio has a lot of it. I blogged some of our food trips so if you want to check my recommendation, click Here.
I also want to add the Baguio Market for pasalubong and souvenirs. Some of the tourist spots I have suggested have different souvenir stores also. And if you forgot to bring your jacket, no worries, you can find a cheap but nice warmer in the market. And try to walk along Session Road at night, it's fun and cold, just make sure you have a company. It will make you see how is the City at night. Enjoy!
x o x o
Faith
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