Baguio

 The Summer capital of the Philippines, City of Pines as it was locally famed. Crowded during summertime in the country due to its cold weather. Baguio is located in the province of Benguet, famous for its green park spaces, gigantic pine trees and other tourist spots. 

Pine Trees of Baguio

The heat in the city is no longer tolerable, if you want a time off with the unforgivable summer heat but on a limited budget, Baguio is one of the best places to go. 

On this blog includes a comfortable way to get yourself to "The City of Pines", book a ride on a bus, lodging and the food and the things that we learned when we were there. It's my 8th time here and every visit has its own unique story. 

We booked for a first-class ticket online in Victory Liner website a week before the schedule date of travel. Paid the ticket thru card. My youngest sister booked an Airbnb house for 3 days. It was a good deal; the owner was accommodating and even gave us extension on our last day. I myself created a planned trip, an Itinerary to follow. 

On the First Class Bus bound to Baguio

We went to the bus station 30 minutes before boarding. There is a separate waiting are for passengers who will be taking the first-class trip. The room is air conditioned, there's free coffee and a television.  Five minutes before 1am we boarded the first-class bus bound to Baguio. The seats are all recliner and there's a small restroom at my back. A female bus stewardess distributed a Tuna Pie from a famous bakeshop and a bottled water before leaving the station.

 The Bus departed Pasay station around 1:15 am, we took the Buendia Ave to Osmeña and entered the Skyway 3, after 20 minutes, we reached NLEX. It was a very smooth traverse compared to taking the EDSA route. I went to the restroom to pee, the restroom was very small too bad for my shape, I find it very difficult to move inside it. There was a small toilet bowl and a small lavatory and a mirror. Designed specifically for a first-class bus. 

A small restroom inside the Bus

Another Mirror Selfie 😍

I went back to my seat and can't even remember the time and where we were when I fell asleep. I woke up around 4:45 am, we are traversing a zigzag road, that's when I knew we have entered the Benguet province. It was in Mac Arthur Highway, around 5:15 am, we arrived safely in Baguio. The check in time in our AirBnB house is 2PM, we decided to rent a transient room located at the back of the Victory Liner and adjacent to the hotel beside it. Ate Pam, the owner of the transient was very accommodating, she offered free coffee and WiFi connection for us. My sister and my brother-in-law took a short nap, my nephew came along with me in the sala. Santi was very talkative, and he even had a talk with the owner, imagine a 4-year-old child talking like an adult to a middle-aged lady. The room is fit for 5 people, P500 per head, a total of P2,500 we paid to ate Pam for a few hours of stay. We did not actually stay; we just used the place to secure our personal stuff while roaming around Baguio. 

With Santi at the Terrace of the Transient Accomodation

At exactly 7am, we went out the transient house, we saw a taho vendor. He has both strawberry and ube taho. We bought a cup for each of us five. P20 per cup.  We took a cab and went straight to the Cafe by the Ruins. It is an old structure in Baguio, ruins of the War and restructured as a Restaurant.

Baguio's pride, Strawberry and Ube Taho

Everyone's got their own Taho. 

It was my first time here, I failed to check their Menu, it was a bit expensive, but food is very delicious and sumptuous. I ordered Sagada Ham and Brown rice with a side dish and fruits. Same order for my brother-in-law and my 2 sisters ordered Boneless Bangus meal. Everything was fine, taste of the food is worth the price. The place is very cozy, clean and relaxing. 

The view from the upper deck of Cafe by the Ruins

Mandatory Mirror Shot 🥰

Mandatory morning Selfie at the deck

Menu Book

There's the Kamote Bread on the top left. Yummy 😋

A culture inspired designed placed at the reception area

I bought their best seller, the Kamote Bread best paired with kesong puti. It is indeed a best seller; the texture of the bread is not as the typical tasty bread. It was very delicious. 

After to the breakfast, we walked the street going to the Burnham Park. We took pictures at the entrance gate and went straight to the lake to do the boating. We took the Swan boat, P250 for the five of us for 30 minutes.

Burnham Park, Baguio's very center. 

I stayed in the middle with no movement at all, only my head to balance the boat. I don't have an idea how deep the water in the Burnham Lake!  My Brother-in-law is in charge of the oar, we spent 30 minutes in the lake. After the boat ride, we took Santi in the biking area where residents allowed tourists to rent bikes for P100 for 30 minutes. I just sat down under the tent of the owner of the bikes and waited. I took videos of them biking back and forth the area. 

Santi and James

After the Burnham Park activities, we went to the Mines View Park. The old signage is still there, it was 26 years ago when I first saw it. The place looks different the first time I saw it. We went to the viewing deck, while walking towards it, we found several stores and stalls. First it was the St Bernard dog picture taking. We took a photo with the dog. Next is the Horse with pink fur and tail. We had Santi rode the horse and had a picture on it. My youngest sister and my nephew experienced the Igorot dress and hats and had a picture wearing it. P40 per rent of the Igorot outfit. We went to the viewing deck after, the place doesn't seem to be the same the first time I saw it but the view looks exactly as how I remember it. 

The Entrance Signage

Plantitas

With the Saint Bernard Dog 

Santi on an Igorot OOTD

Santi on horse back ride with the Pink haired horse

The View deck

View deck

After the picture taking at the deck, we bought souvenirs outside the park, it's a bit cheaper compared to the ones selling inside the park. We went to the Good Shepherd Convent and bought their very famous Ube Jam. 

Finally, after a tiring half of our day, it's our chance to take our Lunch. We had our Lunch at Generation Y Cafe, located near the Kennon and other diversion road. We were the only one to eat at that time. The Cafe is showcasing stuff from the 90s. I am a batang 90s and I can very much relate to the displays. The Menu is also designed aligned to 90s memorabilia. I Ordered Kare Kare, in the Menu, the name is Kare Karete Kid, Karate kid if you decipher it. My sisters and my brother-in-law ordered Unli Chicken Wings meal. It was a sumptuous lunch. 

90s memorabillas

Generation Y Cafe Menu

Generation Y Cafe Menu

The classic telephone from our era

Yes, Batang 90s

So much of good memories from the 90s

Song hits

Anime of our time

A snake and ladder board served as their bill out holder

After taking the lunch, we went back to the Transient house to check out and head to our Airbnb House. It was difficult to locate the place, It's in a suburban area along Asin rd. The house stood near a cliff. It took 30 minutes for us to locate it. Finally, we were able to get there. The Place is cozy, there's a stove, plates, utensils and refrigerator. It was really really a good deal. At the roof top you can see the view of the Mountain. It was a foggy afternoon. We took a rest for 3 hours. 

Foggy afternoon at the roof deck of our accommodation.

Good Taste Restaurant

Around 5PM, we prepared to go out for a dinner. We went to Good Taste in the Central area. Nobody miss to eat in Good Taste, the food is very budget friendly and comes with big servings. Worth eating!!! We ordered pancit for take-out that will serve as breakfast the next day.

A family meal 

Chopsuey

Nido Soup

Pancit Guisado

Barbecue Chicken

Good Taste's Shanghai

You did not really enjoy Baguio if you miss to buy anything in their famous Night Market. We waited for the Night Market to open at 9pm. I bought several cardigans for P 100 each and 2 scarves. My sisters bought stuff for themselves. 

Baguio's Famous Night Market

It was a long day and time to rest. It was a humid night; I used a portable electric fan as I can't stand the humid to get some sleep. 

We woke up 6am, everyone was tired but manage to prep up and get excited to our next spot. We took a cab going to Dangwa Terminal near the Public Market. We took the Van going to Atok, Benguet that will take us to the Northern Blossom Flower Farm. There was a miscommunication between the driver and the dispatcher. The dispatcher failed to tell the driver to drop us at Northern Blossom. I went there only once and honestly, I dont remember the place anymore. It was supposed to be a 2-hour travel, I noticed a signage Welcome to Kabayan, that's when I knew that we needed to come down. We went down on a carinderia, according to the locals, Busses and Vans are stopping there as long as there are passengers. 

We spent 20 minutes waiting and finally an Ordinary Bus came and took us to Atok. We need to walk to reach the Northern Blossom, another story!! 

Northern Blossom Flower farm Registration

Entrance to the Flower Farm

Finally, we reached the flower farm, we paid P250 per head, they did not charge us for my nephew. 

It's really indeed an unforgettable experience roaming around the Flower Farm. It was really filled with beautiful and big flowers. There were some that looks foreign to me, it was my first time to see those. The exciting part was the picture taking at the view deck, if you have an alto phobia, do not try! else! 

The View deck

Going down to the bottom of the farm was not difficult, but when the time came that we have to leave, we took the way up and it was a bit challenging, I was wearing a regular rubber shoe and not a hiking shoe. I was gasping for air!! 

At the cafeteria near the exit, free food for the tourists.

At the top side of the farm, there is a cafeteria, we grabbed our free unlimited coffee and the bread. It was 2:45 PM when we went out the farm. Near the entrance gate, White Vans for UV are parked and waiting for passengers. The Van needs to be full before Leaving the place. We paid P200 per head for the Van bound to Baguio Public Market. We waited 2 hours till the van is full, another delay was the heavy rain. We left Atok at 4pm while rain and the fog turn the road blurry. It was really scary. We dropped at the Dangwa Terminal and head to the market to buy sone strawberries, a locally made broom and food to eat for dinner. We are literally tired and does not have the patience to go anywhere to eat for dinner. 

We cooked a boneless bangus some food from good taste. It was a cold night on our second day and that gave us a good sleep. 

Santi at the Mirador Entrance 

Bamboo Sanctuary

Bamboo Sanctuary

Overlooking Baguio City from the Mirador Hill

Mirador Peace Memorial

By the next morning, last day of our Baguio Trip. My sister and brother-in-law decided not to join the visit in Mirador Eco Park and Diplomat hotel. My youngest sister and nephew went out to take the tour in Mirador first. It was a tiring yet satisfying walk, I did not expect hiking to be honest. I saw the Bamboo grove and enjoyed it, but my number one goal is to reach the last point, the “Peace Memorial” featuring a traditional Japanese gate called “torii” overlooking the Lingayen Gulf with a bell from one of the two bells made from the unexploded and neutralized bomb dropped at Mirador Hill during the carpet bombing of Baguio during World War II in 1945.

At the Diplomat Hotel

SM.Baguio's View Deck

At the View Deck of SM Baguio facing Session Road

Interiors of the Diplomat Hotel

Dinner at The Yoghurt's House

Next point of visit was the Diplomat Hotel. Nothing much to see in the place, we paid P10 for each including my nephew. Tourists are no longer allowed to enter the interiors of the ruins. 

We went back to our accommodation and stayed till 2pm. We stayed in SM Baguio for 3 hours and killed the time at the View Deck of the Mall. We had our dinner at the House of Yoghurt and decided to walk as the lane for taxi was very crowded. 

We head to the Victory Liner and buy our tickets. The Bus for first class passengers bound to Manila was at 7pm. That wraps up our Baguio trip. 

Travelling to Baguio is much easier compared to the past years, with the development on some express ways like SCTEX and TPLEX plus the point-to-point first class bus. I can say it is convenient and comfortable not just for young ones, our age but also for elders. All in all, it was a satisfying experience despite of several times of visiting Baguio. It was my 8th last March but then it still gives that feeling that makes you want to go back as many times as possible. 

You? Have you planned your Baguio itinerary? Experience Baguio while you can!!!