Baguio Adventure

It's been a while since my last post and since you can already feel the summer heat, what better way to start with the City of Pines, Baguio City. Baguio is considered the"Summer Capital of the Philippines."  True to it's name, Baguio City is one of the coolest places in the country. It's a 4-5 hour drive from Manila and you will see awesome mountainside on your way up to Baguio. Though the city is highly urbanized, Baguio is still a great place to immerse yourself with its rich tradition and Filipino Culture. On a personal note, Baguio will always be one of my favorite vacation destinations and I will never get tired from visiting it.

Having that said, let me guide you on some destinations you might want to visit in Baguio.

One of the 1st thing that comes to mind is Baguio's Mine's View Park. These park offers a magnificent view of Baguio's mountainside. As you walk along Mine's View Park, you will see one of its main attractions, the lovable St. Bernard dogs! You can pet them and take photos with them. You can also rent some traditional Ifugao clothes that you can wear for your own pictorial. 

 

Mine's View Park also offers a glimpse of Baguio's trade. You can see a lot of stalls here that sells food, fruits, vegetables, wood crafts, and clothes for you to choose from.

 

 

Next stop, Baguio's Botanical Gardens. If you love gardening, this is a must see. I'm not pretty sure what the plants names are but I do want some of them in my garden (specially the herbs for cooking). They have a lot of orchids, trees and other floral plants that you can look at. Some of them are for sale too so check them out. There is also a park in front of  the garden where your kids can enjoy horseback riding.

You can also see one of the vacation houses of the President of the Philippines, The Mansion. It's a rest house for any elected president of the country. Too bad it's closed for public viewing but if it's any consolation, you can take some pictures of The Mansion as your background.

Last stop, Burnham Park, the heart of Baguio City. Burnham Park is a place where you can just relax, sit down, and just enjoy nature. There is also a lake at the center where you can rent a boat and ride one with your family and friends. There's a soccer field too where you can play some sports.

Burnham Park is also a hub of Filipino foods. You'll see lot's of eateries around the park and some street foods within the park specially my favorite, strawberry taho. At night time, you can also enjoy baratilyo, Baguio's own version of night market.

You can also see some cultural dance and arts in this area specially during festivities during Panagbenga, Baguio's Flower Festival held every last week of February.

 

 

Talking about Panagbenga, it's a wonderful time to be in Baguio. I know traffic's kinda heavy during the parades but it's a sight to behold. My suggestion, walk with the crowd and leave your cars at your hotel. 

The parade has 2 parts. First, the Dance Parade held on a Saturday, and the Flower Floats held on a Sunday. Here are some of the pictures during the dance parade I've witnessed last year. (Thanks to Carol Velasco for the wonderful pictures).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are planning to go to Baguio, they have a lot of hotels you can choose from that will surely fit your budget. You can also look for transient homes (mostly charge P500 per person per night). Most of these transient homes also offers your own kitchen, tv, and most importantly, hot & cold showers.

For me, this fusion of Filipino culture are only a part why I love Baguio. What really calls me back is the wonderful food that they offer! Thinking about those gastronomical adventures makes me want to go back to Baguio again! Watch out for my future posts this month as I feature some food stops you should try when you visit Baguio. For now, here's some pics taken from our hotel.