Travel Philippines: A romantic trip to Baguio City, the Summer Capital of PH and the City of Pines

Baguio City is one of the best places to visit in the Philippines.

In this blog of mine i'm going to share a bit of information regarding Baguio City's geography, culture, itinerary, my personal expenses, and how i proposed to my girlfriend ♥.

This is us wearing the traditional Igorot tribe costume at the Burnham Park in Baguio City

A little bit of Geography and information about the City of Pines.

Baguio City is located in the province of Benguet. Benguet is within the Cordillera Administrative Region or CAR which consists of 7 provinces along with Abra, Apayao, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province. Baguio City is the heart of the region and the only city and has become the center of business, commerce, and education in the North. Nowadays, Baguio City is a highly-urbanized city with a population of 345,366 in this time of writing.

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The Igorot People or Cordillerans, is the collective name of several Austronesian ethnic groups in the Philippines, who inhabit the mountains of Luzon. These highland peoples inhabit all the six provinces of the Cordillera Administrative Region: Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Kalinga, Ifugao, and Mountain Province, as well as the adjacent province of Nueva Viscaya.

How to get to Baguio City Town Proper from Manila

If you're a tourist who comes from Manila, every taxi driver knows where these following bus stations are located. There are many bus stations in Cubao in Quezon City, Metro Manila and the departure time is hourly, but for a hassle-free trip, i suggest you book a ticket at the Baguio-bound buses in Metro Manila for premium and trusted buses, check the Victory Liner or Joy Bus' websites for a more-detailed information in booking your tickets online. Regular fares ranging from 425-445 pesos or $8.5- $8.9 USD, it is air-conditioned and has 2 stopovers, but if you want to spend extra bucks for a premium bus which is less-crowded and has more comfortable seats, a free meal, and a restroom, the price is within 750 pesos or $15 USD. The regular ticket we have purchased isn't bad actually.

Day 1: Burnham Park

From Manila. we took a bus to Baguio City Proper and dropped us at the stop just beside Burnham Park so it was the first in our itinerary.

The historical Burnham Park was designed by American architect named Daniel Hudson Burnham as part of a larger plan for the city of Baguio in 1905.

Things to do at the Burnham Park

• Biking and boating
• Picnic
• Wear, rent an Igorot costume
• Play or watch football
• Enjoy the street foods and the scenery
• Night Market

The Burnham park has these areas:

• Athletic Bowl
• Burnham Lagoon
• Children's Playground
• Igorot Garden
• Japanese Peace Tower
• Melvin Jones Grandstand
• Orchidarium
• Picnic Grove
• Pine Trees of the World
• Rose Garden
• Skating Rink
• Sunshine Park

But before we start our Day 1 trip, we went to a lunch at Chef Dudung's restaurant just behind the park.

Pork sinigang, fried danggit, sisig Baguio.

Pine trees everywhere.

Burnham lake

Boating fee is just $3 and it's good for a day when it's off-season.

My girlfriend Cheryl loves sour foods like mangoes.

Session Road

Just a walk from Burnham Park, Session Road is the heart of the Baguio City proper, in where you could enjoy night life at the bars and restaurants in the City. The city's public markets, the largest shopping mall (SM City Baguio) and the Baguio Cathedral is just a walk away from the Session Road.

We attended a mass before dusk at the Baguio Cathedral and afterwards we went to a coffee shop afterwards because it's getting very cold. But i loved the weather in Baguio because i was able to cuddle my girl everytime. haha!.

I like this coffee shop (@ Coffee Matters beside the Baguio Cathedral). In this place you'll surely enjoy your $1-2 worth of good brewed coffee, overlooking the other side of the city as it's highly elevated while feeling the cool breeze.

The Night Market

It's actually just a few hundred meters from Session Road, but we took a taxi as we went back to Burnham Park to see the night market. Taxis in Baguio City aren't difficult to find because they are almost everywhere at the city and the fares aren't like of Manila's. You won't get a taxi bill above $2 if you're traveling just around the town proper.

The night market starts at 9pm onwards and is located on the sidewalks of Burnham Park. They offer street foods, clothings, tools and apparels, whether new or "ukay-ukay/wagwagan" which means second-hand items sold at stunning cheap prices. They also sell native Baguio City handicrafts for souvenirs, clothing and accessories especially for tourists. If you also love flowers, bouquets of flowers here are very cheap. We saw lovely bouquets of blue and rainbow-colored roses (or other colors of your choice) that's sold from $5 and i'm not kidding.

This place is crowded but it's still cold.

Handicrafts and accessories' prices starts at 10 pesos or $0.2 USD

50 pesos is equivalent to $1 USD.

Best place to eat "balut."

We walked inside the Igorot Garden to look for a rice meal for dinner.

Not visually appealing but this grilled dried squid and this eggplant ensalada really tastes good.

Places to Stay in Baguio City

At the town proper, there are hotels, motels, and transient houses and inns everywhere. Lucky for us we managed to ask several people to get a clue in getting a cheaper and decent place to stay. We got ourselves a transient inn, looks like an apartment with its own kitchen and a dining area, unlike the hotels, it's fully furnished as well and it's located just near the Burnham Park. Their rate was Php1,000 or $20 for 2 days and 1 night of stay, but we paid $40 for 3 days and 2 nights.

Transient houses aren't as decent and secured as the nearby hotels, it does not have free consumables or breakfast like of Veniz's, but it feels more like our home in Baguio City.

Make sure your place to stay must have this shower heater or else you'll take a bath with a very cold water in this cool place.

Day 2: Mines View Park

Things to do at Mines View Park

• Viewing the Cordillera mountain ranges
• Wear a traditional Igorot tribe costume
• Take a picture with the fancy horses and adorable St. Bernard dogs.
• Wishing well
• Buy native goods and delicacies
• Enjoy street foods
  

Just like the Burnham Park, it's also the most popular and visited park in the City, and it's a bit distant to the town proper. We took a taxi that went up to $2 going in there from our transient house near Burnham Park. From the observation deck of the park a breathtaking panoramic view of Benguet's gold and copper mines and the surrounding mountains unfolds before you. It is a spectacular sight to behold and should not be missed when visiting Baguio.

At the entrance of the park there are stalls which sells native handicrafts, canteens, and "taho" vendors.

Unlike the usual "taho", a street delicacy made of a very soft and fresh tofu sweetened with liquified brown sugar and tapioca pearls, this one in Baguio, their sweetener is a "strawberry jam" or sweetened strawberries which made it very special.

The vendor of these brooms has a good marketing strategy. The note says "The most durable broom. You can use it to beat up your noisy, meddler, and gossipy neighbor" lol.

This is the park's view deck. I love it when the afternoon sunlight and the cool breeze mix up.

A big and lovely Saint Bernard dog inside the park.

Who said unicorns don't exist? lol

Afterwards, we quickly headed to the famous Mansion near the Mines View Park.

This is the official summer palace of the Philippine president. Unfortunately, we cannot go inside.

Wright Park

Wright Park is just in front of the mansion. Horse-back riding is the main activity here. Stalls selling native handicrafts are also present inside the park.

Mango and Strawberry ice cream. ♥

Artworks being sold at the Wright Park

Lunch time!

We didn't expect this porterhouse steaks, grilled chicken and these pizzas are actually cheap. Volante's restaurant is located just in front of the Wright Park's entrance. They also have a branch at the City proper along the Session Road. Steak is $3, grilled chicken is $2, solo pizzas $1.55-$1.75 each.

Baguio Botanical Garden

The botanical garden is located near Wright Park and the mansion.

Our Lady of Lourdes' Grotto

After we went to the botanical garden, we rode in a taxi going to Lourdes grotto. The Lourdes Grotto is another Catholic shrine and place of meditation in Baguio. It is located on a high hill in the western part of the city where you will find the image of the Lady of Lourdes.

It will take a hundred steps before you reach the grotto and the chapel of Jesus and Mary beside it.

This is where i proposed to her...

As we enjoy the solemnity of this place, i took the chance to make a proposal wholeheartedly to the love of my life, and i felt so blessed and i still remember the sparkle in her brown eyes when i said the words. She hurt me with some punches and pinches after she said yes though, that's her mannerism when she's having butterflies in her stomach, happy and excited by this romantic experience, or in Tagalog term, she's "kilig".

And then, we lived happily ever after. ♥

We went back to the Session Road at the city proper for dinner.

This Pinikpikan is a dish from the mountains of Cordillera region. It is prepared by beating a chicken with a stick prior to cooking. The beating bruises the chicken's flesh, bringing blood to its surface, which is said to improve the flavour after cooking. However, it violates the law for animal cruelty, but it is part of their culture. I was intrigued by it so we tried to, and it tastes really good. The native chicken's flavor is very dominant. It's similar to the taste of "chicken tinola".

Day 3: Strawberry Farm in La Trinidad, Benguet

La Trinidad is the capital of the province of Benguet, and this town is beside Baguio City. Taxi fares from Baguio City town proper going to La-Trinidad is 300 Pesos or $6 USD. We checked out from the transient house before we left Baguio City.

Strawberry picking is the main activity here. But it costs twice as the strawberries in the local market, and we only see more of stores selling strawberries and other native goods rather than strawberry farms. We actually did not enjoy it aside from the beautiful scenery, so quickly we asked the taxi driver to drop us off again in Baguio City but this time, we are dropping-off at Tam-Awan Village. If you are fond of strawberries, then it is a very special place for you.

Tam-Awan Village

Tam-awan (means "vantage point") in Pinsao Proper, Baguio City uniquely blends indigenous aesthetics and exquisite Cordilleran craftsmanship with an artist’s concept for a village adapting to Baguio setting. Entrance fee is just 50 Pesos or $1 USD.

Things to do in Tam-Awan Village

• Hike around the village.
• Stay in the Cordillera Huts
• Sit for your portrait
• Eat well
• Get into Art
• Hold a picnic
• Have a bonfire

The bul-ol

The bulol, or "Ifugao rice god," is a carved human figurine into which a certain class of anito is said to incorporate itself when worshipped. Bulols are kept in the house or granary, and are usually made in pairs. They are carved of narra wood, which represents wealth, happiness, and well-being. Every step in their production requires a ceremony, from tree selection to arrival at the owner's house; a consecrated bulol has been bathed in pig's blood, had myths recited to it, and received offerings of wine, ritual boxes, and rice cakes.

They could possibly be incorporated by souls mainly the Ifugao ancestors that's being lost because of failure to transfer to another owner by means of a ritual . I recently watched a true story in TV and YouTube about a Filipino art collector taking home a real bul-ol without a formal transfer of ownershhip so the bad spirit nested in his place and even claims the art collector's home as his own. And so i wouldn't touch one of these, or mess with.

I wonder why these bul-ols outdoors have mirrors in them.

This is a traditional Ifugao hut.

This is what it looks inside. Sorry for the blurred shots.

Tam-awan village sustains the rich culture and art of the Cordilleras.

There is art even in the restrooms.

In here we met these young group performing the traditional Ifugao dance. Everyone is welcome to dance with them.

More arts...

We went back to town for late lunch before we headed back to Manila.

Our itinerary and expenses

As requested by my other friends, i'll try to share my itinerary and the breakdown of expenses for this trip. Just remember while comparing mine to your expected budget, we traveled the city as a couple. And i will include some of my personal shopping and activity costs so that you will have a a clue in how much extra money you should bring when you go to Baguio City.

Day 1

0600H Ride in a bus from Manila to Baguio / P445 / $8.9
1100H Arrival to Baguio City Town Proper / Lunch @ Chef Dudung's restaurant / P305 / $6.1
1200H Burnham Park, Melvin Jones, Igorot Garden, Orchidarium, / street foods and boating / P250 / $5
1500H Strolling around Session Road, Public Market, SM City, shopping / P400 / $8
1700H Baguio Cathedral, Coffee Matters. street foods / P250 / $5
1845H Taxi going to transient house / P58 / $1.16
1900H Checked-in, rest and freshen up / P2,000 / $40
2100H Night Market, Igorot Garden, dinner. shopping / P400 / $8
2300H Back to transient house to rest, buy something for breakfast on the next day/ P150 / $3

Summary of expenses for the day: P 4,258 / $85.16
Total expenses so far: P 4,258 / $85.16

Day 2

1000H Breakfast at the house, preparation
1130H Taxi to Mines View Park / P100 / $2
1150H Arrival to Mines View Park, picture-taking with the horses and St. Bernard dogs, street foods / P340 / $6.8
1230H The Mansion
1245H Wright Park, street foods / P50 / $1
1330H Lunch at Volante's restaurant / P 631 / $12.62
1430H Botanical Garden
1500H Taxi to Lourdes Grotto / P70 / $1.4
1520H Arrival to Lourdes Grotto / Chapel of Jesus and Mary, buy candle, flowers, and bottled water / P60 / $1.2
1630H Taxi back to transient house, rest and refresh / P65 / $1.3
1900H Dinner and stroll around Session Road and Burnham Park / P400 / $8
2100H Back to station, buy something for breakfast on day 3, rest / P150 / $3

Summary of expenses for the day: P 1,866 / $37.32
Total expenses so far: P 6,124 / $122.48

Day 3

0700H Breakfast at the house, preparation, checkout
0830H Taxi to La Trinidad strawberry farm / P300 / $6
0915H Arrival to Strawberry Farm
0930H Taxi to Tam-Awan Village, Baguio City P120 / $2.4
0950H Arrival to Tam-Awan Village, Entrance fees / P100 / $2
1130H Taxi to Town Proper / P81 / $1.62
1150H Lunch / P250 / $5
1300H City Market, buy goods to take home. / P600 / $12
1330H Bus going to Manila. / P445 / $8.9

Summary of expenses for the day: P 1,896 / $37.92
Total expenses for the whole trip: P 8,020 / $160.4

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