Baguio is also known as the summer capital of the Philippines because of its cool weather. Which makes it the perfect place to travel during summertime. It is also called the city of pine because of the many pine trees you will see when you visit. The cool weather does not only attract tourists during summer but it is also a popular destination during BER months. The Panagbenga festival is also popular to tourist, it is said that there is more tourist that attends the festival than locals.
If you want to experience a city where it feels like an air-conditioner is always turned on, then this Baguio travel guide is for you.
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How to get to Baguio?
The best way to get to Baguio is through a bus. Visit any online bus booking so you get an accurate number for your travel expense. As an example, a bus fare from Manila to Baguio starts at 475 pesos which may take 4 to 6 hours of travel.
You can also rent a van when you plan to go to Baguio. There are also online booking for vans. According to baguiovacationrentals.net, the cheapest rate for a van is 1200 pesos for each guest for 13 people for 2 days and 1 night, no accommodation included, which may also take 4 to 6 hours of travel
Where to go in Baguio?
If you are not familiar with Baguio, here are some Baguio tourist spots that you can go to.
Camp John Hay
Camp John Hay is the most popular Baguio tourist spots. This is where you can visit the Treetop Adventure where they offer extreme attractions such as superman ride and silver surfer ride to more relaxed attractions like skywalk and trekking. You can also visit the Cemetery of Negativism where you will be inspired to see the positivity in life. You can also take a hike at the Yellow Trail Hike while enjoying the beautiful surroundings.
Burnham Park
There are a lot of things you can do in Burnham. You can take a walk or jog while surrounded by trees, bushes, and flowers. You can also do a self-reflection while sitting on a bench while staring at mist forming above Burnham Lake early in the morning. You could also rent a boat if you want to go to the lake and a bike if you want to stay on the land.
Wright Park
Wright Park is also known as the Ride Park because of the horseback riding attraction. This is the most popular attraction in Wright Park. If you want to experience riding horses then you should visit. And if you don’t know anything about horses, don’t worry because there will be “ponyboy” who will watch out for you and the horse. You could also take pictures in front of The Mansion or front of the land covered in pine trees.
Session Road
Session Road is the commercial center of Baguio City. When you take a walk here, you will have a hard time choosing where to eat because there are a lot of restaurants. There is also a lot of ukay-ukay where you can find a great deal. You could also window shop in Porta Vaga and SM mall. You could also visit the Baguio Cathedral after walking along Session Road
Good Shepherd
Good Shepherd is located at Gibraltar Road, Baguio City. The most popular food you can buy here is jams. Here are some of the jams: ube jam, strawberry jam, mango jam, blueberry jam, and orange marmalade. You can also get other pasalubong here like Lengua de Gato, Baguio Snowballs, and Peanut Brittle. And here is a fun fact, the reason why prices here can get expensive is that their products support the scholarship of many students.
Things to do In Baguio
Here are some of the things to do in Baguio. I will be excluding things that happen occasionally like Panagbenga and Christmas village. These will be the things to do in Baguio at any time of the year
Shopping
You can go on a window-shopping shopping spree in Baguio. There is a lot of thrift store or ukay-ukay where you can bargain to get the best deals. You can also look for brand new things inside malls like SM or Porta Vaga. Ukay-ukay are not the only place where you can bargain, there is also the Night Market which is located along Harrison Road at 9 pm until 4 am.
Stroll
Stroll means to have a leisurely walk, and you can do that on Burnham Park or at Wright Park. You could take your time walking while enjoying the natural view of those parks. The best time to walk in the park is in the morning because it colder and there are fewer people. You could also take a stroll along session road while looking for something to eat.
Food trip
Here are some foods you can try or give as a “pasalubong” when you leave Baguio.
Lengua de Gato – Lengua de gato translates to “cat’s tongue”. These are Filipino butter cookies.
Strawberry Taho – Taho composes of silken tofu, brown sugar, and sago pearls. You can also choose strawberry or ube flavor instead of brown sugar
Ube Jam – Ube jams are made out of boiled purple yam. You can get this in Good Shepherd or the Public Market
Lomo Ribs – You can get the best Lomo ribs at a restaurant called Canto. This is served with salad and mashed potato
Peanut Brittle – Peanut Brittle also known as candied roasted nuts. These are flat pieces of roasted peanuts covered in light corn syrup.
Understand other culture
The best place to experience the Cordilleran culture is by going to Tam-awan Village. Most of the things you will see here. You could also pay to learn the basics of some arts like solar drawings, paintings, sculptures and you can also have your face drawn on the spot. You could also pay to sleep inside the huts or hike around the village for free. And you can experience Igorot culture in Wright Park. You can take a picture of yourself in Igorot attire or take pictures with local elders. You can also buy Igorot handicrafts as a souvenir for your visit.
Another food trip
Let’s take another food trip but this time we will be looking at where to eat in Baguio. If you are asking yourself “where to eat in Baguio? ”, here are some suggestions.
Habibis Grill – the most popular foods offered here are shawarma and kebab. This is located across from Baguio City Hall
Good Taste – The most popular food here is their buttered chicken. This restaurant is located at Otek Street, Baguio City
Canto – the most popular dish here is the lomo ribs. This restaurant is located at 25 Kisad Road, Baguio City
Lemon and Olives – The best seller here is Moussaka. This restaurant is located at 26 Outlook Drive, Baguio City
Here is one final advice when you going to Baguio, don’t just bring clothes for cold weather. While it is true that it is cold in Baguio, it can also get hot. It can get very cold when it is raining or early mornings but it can also get hot when it is sunny.
