Aside from the beautiful Panagbenga Festival, Baguio is a city that does not let you stay in your hotel room. There are a lot of stuff to learn and so many places to see. Plus you don’t have to bother traveling late at noon because of its cool weather. Just driving around is already enjoyable because of the trees and flowers that you don’t usually see in the streets in Manila.

Fast Facts

Baguio is independently famous. But actually for those who didn’t know, Baguio is a part of the Benguet Province. We were actually asking people there from which province they belong to. So there, Benguet was their unanimous answer

Baguio’s warmest temperature to-date is  26 degrees Celsius!

I read from Wiki that, the name of the city was derived from the word “bagiw” in Ibaloi  (the indigenous language of the Benguet region), meaning ”moss.”

Baguio is 250km away from Rizal Park!

Strawberry Facts:

-  These are rich in antioxidants, which help fight free radicals that usually cause cancer.

-  Aside from vitamin C, it is an excellent source of vitamin K and Manganese, as well as Folic acid, Potassium, Riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, Copper, Magnesium, and Omega-3 fatty acids

-  Crushed ripe strawberry plus half a teaspoon of baking soda once a week can help whiten your teeth.

What to See

Session Road – Probably the most famous and busiest street in Baguio. It is well-known as the center for business and is the place to be for everything you need to find in the city.

Lourdes Grotto – a hundred steps stairway pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Botanical Garden – now known as the Ifugao Village. Aside from beautiful flowers and plants, there are also huge Ifugao sculptures that depict the Ifugao culture.

The Mansion and Wright Park – The Mansion is the presidential vacation house of our nation’s top leader. Wright Park is just right in front of the Mansion.

Philippine Military Academy – when you think of the word military, you might think that you will see a plain training camp with all those army stuff that are awfully scary. But PMA is also suitable for visitors of the feminine persuasion as well; aside from the ancient tanks and planes exhibited, they also have a very attractive landscape which grew a lot of sunflowers!!! (Pardon my excitement haha. It is one of my favorite flowers – aside from tulips).

It’s like everywhere together with other breed of floras. Oh this is so much better than Dangwa!

Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral – much known as the Baguio Cathedral. It is the most photographed building in Baguio and is famous for its pink exterior. Did you know that this cathedral was made into an evacuation center during WWII? And according to Wiki, the Baguio Cathedral is also distinct for probably being the only Cathedral in the world to own and operate its own shopping center, called Porta Vaga.

Tam-Awan Village – The garden in the sky. It is a semi-hiking activity place where you can learn the culture of the Baguio natives (Igorot, Itogon and Ibaloi) while touring around the area. It is also an artist’s haven. They feature minute portrait sketching, plus varied cultural shows. During our visit a band from Bolivia played a Survivor-ish sound that it is really very good to hear plus the ambiance, ooh wow I am really close to nature.

Easter Weaving Room – this is where you can see how the fabrics are hand woven to its perfection. But golly, the items sold there are very much pricey.

Burnham Park – actually, we weren’t able to go there because it was so crowded during Panagbenga. Burnham Park is the most visited park in Baguio. A boat and bicycle ride are just some of the activities to enjoy in this park

Mines View Park –where you should see the mines. But now, it’s mostly pine trees that you will see there. The mines were already gone a long time before.

Baguio City Market – for all your pasalubong and shopping needs.  Always ask for discounts

Not so far from Baguio

La Trinidad Strawberry Farm – if you are a fan of fresh green salads and strawberries, this is the best place to buy your lettuce and strawberries. It’s fresh and it’s sweet! You could actually do the actual picking for better selection, but you have to pay a slightly higher price. Wow, I thought to myself, I could just bring a dressing and eat there. Haha.

Bell Tower – a Buddhist temple with a very good view of Benguet’s Urban Mountain. Just remember that this is a sacred place, so be wary on how you behave during your visit.

Gastronomic Delights

First on my list would be strawberries, the main reason why I love coming back to Baguio. Strawberry jam, strawberry taho, strawberry ice cream, strawberry candy, oh I love!

What I like about Baguio’s cool temperature keep the veggies and fruits fresh and crisp.

Pinikpikan – we weren’t able to find a restaurant that serves this local delicacy. Our tour guide recommended that we tried it out. For those who are staunch advocates of animal rights, you wouldn’t want to know what Pinikpikan is. It is actually a chicken beaten to death. The reason for this is that they wanted the blood to clot inside its body, giving it more flavor. Now, now. You can’t sue them for doing that. It is really just a part of their culture.

Lakwatsera Tips:

For this city with a lot of places to go and visit, an itinerary is a definite MUST.

If you are planning to buy Good Shepherd products, you must be there as early as 8am. The thing is, you have to fall in line to buy their products. Yeah, I know too much hassle. Sheesh.

If you are planning to bring home strawberries, pick the not so ripe ones. This can be determined by the not-so-red color and yellow tip. They ripen quickly so keep it in an open container. If there are already ripe ones (very rich red color), bring out the cream and condensed milk then mix it all up! Voila! You now have strawberries in cream! Yum yum!!!

This is not an advertisement. Haha! I have tasted a lot of packed pasalubongs and the following brands are the best: Mikasan choco flakes, Rico’s or Mother’s Best peanut brittle and lengua de gato, Good Shepherd ube. Their price is much higher than the other brands but at least it’s worth it! Especially the Mikasan choco flakes, Hmm I love!

If you are going to buy silver jewelries, check out Pilak right in front of the Botanical Garden.

Wear casual, colorful clothing and have your jacket or poncho handy. Baguio is freezing cold during the early morning and at evening. At noontime, it’s not that cold, you might even sweat a little. So just be casual, but with style of course.

Lakwatsera’s Commuting Guide:

To go to Baguio from Manila, there are several bus lines to chose from.
Victory Liner which travels to Baguio 24/7 with buses leaving each hour.
Fare : Php 445.00 Aircon Bus 1 way.

Partas Pasay also has a daily trip but I’m not sure about the frequency.
Fare: Php 360.00 Aircon Bus 1 way.

Hmm. You don’t have to worry so much of having to bring your own vehicle to get around the area. All of the places’ “must-sees” are very easy to access by jeeps and taxis. Oh and you’re gonna love their cab fares. Their flag-down rate is Php17.50 which is much lower than the usual Php30.00 in Manila.

Jeeps and taxis can be rented and it costs around Php 2,000.00 for a whole day trip around the city.

Where to stay:

A place to stay in Baguio isn’t actually something hard to find mostly because there are vast numbers of hotels and transient houses peppered across the area. But a reservation is advisable especially if you are going during Panagbenga or any holiday season.

We stayed at a transient house and it costs us only Php 150.00/person a day. If you are to cook meals in the house you just have to pay Php 200.00/person a day. Good value huh?

The only minus side is that we are 20mins far from the city. But as I have said, every place is accessible.

Thousands of flowers have once again painted Baguio City on its annual Panagbenga Festival. The highlight and the grandest among the month-long series of events was held last February 28 – March 1, 2009.

Panagbenga, is a local (Ilocano) term which means “season of blossoming.” Because of its cold weather, Baguio is renowned for its spectacular blooms that are sold around the Philippines and are sometimes exported abroad.

The Grand Street Parade (Feb 28) featured street dances from students in Baguio and other sponsored groups. Most of the performers I have seen were kids and they were really good. The costumes were very beautiful, and some are even came dressed as a flowers.

The Grand Float Parade, the most awaited and most celebrated Panagbenga event was held last Sunday, March 1, 2009 at around 8am. It showcased like 20 floats with different themes and dressed up with lots and lots of flowers!

The street dancers interpreted one particular song- the Panagbenga theme song that gave me ear worms. I can still hear it!(Tenenen tenenen tenenen.. ahaha.) it sounded happy anyway.   oh gosh. earworms! i can’t resist humming the tune!!!

Some local celebrities also joined the parade which made the crowd cheer louder.

I think this year’s celebration must have been the grandest. reason is, aside from Panagbenga, Baguio is also celebrating its 100th year of inauguration as a city.

Just to give you some tips,  it’s better to arrive a day earlier so that you can come early to the parade and have a very good view especially if you are into photography. Also, tour around the city. Baguio has a lot of interesting places to go to.

Pagudpud, the farthest top point of Region 1, has one of the most beautiful beaches in the Philippines. It is by far my most enjoyable beach experience. It’s so calm, there isn’t any noise pollution. Ilocos is a progressive province but you will still be surprised how they have maintained the rural-kind of life, Ilocanos are already in bed by 9pm! It is fun to go to Ilocos, there are actually lots of good places around which would make your 12 hour drive worthwhile.

What I liked about Ilocos is that the roads are fully cemented and super clean. Ilocos is actually famous for their clean roads. I wish we have that here in Manila.

What to see:

When you say Pagudpud beach, you are likely referring to Saud Beach. White sands, clear water and sky, and a good view of the Bangui Windmills, whew!

It was a relaxing view you could just lie on a hammock and sleep under a vast number of coconut trees, sheesh it was so refreshing.

If beaches are normally aqua-blue, this Blue Lagoon is deep-blue in color. You will like its clean sea-bed and safe waters where you can swim.

Kayak and Banana Boat rides are some of the activities you might want to try there.

Kabigan Falls – Semi-trekking activity that you wouldn’t want to miss on your trip. It is a 2km walk passing three streams of cold water.

You have to pay 25/person for the tour guide which will guide you to the falls. It’s a cheap amount to maintain the Kabigan Trek site. They actually pick up the trash while walking plus they are very friendly: D the walk was worth it.

By the end of the trail, you would see the Kabigan falls which was beautiful. It’s not that grand but the water was so clear and it was freezing cold. It was like water from the fridge. The pressure from the falls was just right. You can stay right at the bottom to have a water massage but be sure you know how to swim. It was quite deep.

Bangui Windmills or the ‘Wind Farm” – it is one of Ilocos’ main source of energy. And a good scenery as well just like Sweden’s windmills. I wish we have a load of that view here. It’s a good alternative natural energy source.

It consists of 15 wind turbines, each one is 70 meters high (roughly equivalent to a 23 storey building), each blade is 41 meters long (just 9 meters shy of a Olympic sized pool)

Cape Bojeador Lighthouse – Built on 1892. This lights the bend that marks the northwestern corner of the Island of Luzon, separating it from the South China Sea and the Babuyan Channel.

It is still working and its very old architecture was well preserved. It was quite tiring to go up the light house but the view was simply breathtaking.

During our trip, we missed the Patapat Viaduct and National Park where Batanes could actually be seen on a bright sunny day!

How to get there:

I would suggest getting there by a private vehicle. There are places that are not accessible by public transportation. They’ll just drop you to the nearest point and you have to walk. I had my Ilocos experience during a company outing so we rented a mini-bus that toured us around.

But you can get there by bus and plane (Laoag City).

Bus that has Pagudpud Trip:

Florida Bus Line (Sampaloc near España)

Maria De Leon (at the Dapitan side of UST)

Partas Bus Line (Quezon Ave)

Where to stay:

We stayed at Polaris Beach Resort which is actually very clean and has a videoke machine at the dining area. It wasn’t the best there but if you’re on a budget, I’d recommend this resort because it’s decently clean and comfy. I didn’t like their cooking though.

Budget for resort costs around Php3,000.00 – Php 4,500.00 each room for 4-6 persons.

Be sure to bring your sun block, shades, umbrella or hat. It was really hot there on that summer day!

I’ve been wanting so much to see (and even ride) a hot air balloon ever since I heard about the festival. But it was only last Sunday (February 15, 2009), when me and my friends went to Clark for the 14th Hot Air Balloon Festival.

Excited, we left at around 3:00 am and had a short pitstop at an NLEX oasis (that’s what I call gas stations in the highway) to have breakfast. Despite our early arrival at Clark (5:30 am), we already got stuck in traffic! Well, this was the first time we would be seeing the festival so we didn’t have any idea what it was like.

Anyway, while we were stuck in traffic, we saw that the hot air balloons were being inflated already! It was a bit upsetting because that was what I wanted to see! By the time we had parked our rides, the balloons were already high up in the sky. But it wasn’t that bad because there were still events and planes to see anyway. Be always optimistic – it’s a key to happy traveling!

Some Hot Air Balloon Facts:

- it was the Chinese who first used the hot air balloon which is used for military signaling. It is called Konming Lanterns.
- the famous Montgolfier Brothers was the first to adapt the concept of Konming lanterns to carry humans and use it for navigation.
- it was invented during the reign of King Louis XVI of France the husband of the ever famous Marie Antoinette of Austria.
- the basket is made of wicker, the same material used for gondolas.

We went inside and saw a showcase of (according to the slogan) everything that flies. We saw a few not-so-ancient warfare aircrafts, mini-planes and 2 hot air balloons left on the grounds. There were also skydivers. They were actually pretty good. They ran around the sky with an enormous fan at their backs that propels their direction and a chute to stay afloat in the air.

There were jets that made an aerial exhibition. I wasn’t able to watch all of it though. We were kinda busy shooting. To continue, we lined up to ride the not-so-ancient aircraft and what annoyed me is that some people are really inconsiderate. There was this long line of people who wanted to ride the plane and yet there was this woman (who was so lazy to fall in line) cutting in. She even shouted at her kid and told her to climb the plane right away. It pissed me off. If parents are setting that kind of example to their kids, I won’t be surprised why there are lots of undisciplined people nowadays.

Anyway, ’nuff said,  I think there was this kite exhibition thing going on at the time. when we got bored we decided to leave and have lunch, bought chocolates and went to Subic Tree Top Adventure… Haha… And that’s another story to tell for another time.

What we realized when we got home is that we should have brought a copy of the schedule or we should have asked around… We could have gotten back in the evening for another round of the balloon flight. Sigh… maybe next time.

It was a very tiring weekend of everything that flies. Even our minds are floating, tired and sleepless, I felt giddy and all but still it’s a weekend to remember.

When we hear Pagsanjan, you would likely be reminded of the Pagsanjan Falls. But do you know that aside from the typical boat ride, you can access the beautiful falls by land? August of last year, we had a very tiring but equally memorable Pagsanjan adventure. Thanks to my friend Miss Gemma Sajise for giving us pointers and our itinerary.

Factual Tidbits:

Pagsanjan Falls is not exactly located at Pagsanjan but in Cavinti.

It’s indigenous name is Magdapio Falls which is named after a legend of two brothers that asked the gods for water.

Magnifico, the internationally acclaimed movie (a movie that made me cry, apart from The Lion King) was shot in this town.

Magdapio Falls has a staggering height of 90meters.

Lakwatsera’s Tip:

Put your stuff in a waterproof backpack.
Waterproof your phones, cameras, clothes, and everything that shouldn’t get wet.
Be prepared to get wet!
I recommend slippers or hiking shoes. There are muddy surfaces and you are definitely going to get wet.

Bring water and eat breakfast.

Suggested itinerary (from Miss Gemma)
ITINERARY
0500 Take bus to Sta. Cruz
0730 ETA Sta. Cruz, take jeep to Cavinti
0830 At Cavinti, take tricycle to Cavinti Eco Park, Brgy. Tibatib
0900 ETA Eco Park, register
0930 Start trek to Nakulo Falls and viewdecks
1000 Proceed to steel ladder rappel
1030 ETA Madgapio Falls; proceed to raft through falls
1130 Proceed to Pagsanjan by boat
1215 ETA Pagsanjan / Lunch
1330 Head back to bus terminal in Sta. Cruz
1430 ETD Green Star bus for Buendia or HM Transport for Cubao
1500 Back in Manila

We met at around 6:00 in the morning in Cubao to get a bus ride going to Sta. Cruz, Laguna. It was a 2-hour travel from that point. Upon arriving at the last station, we took a jeepney going to Cavinti. What I liked most about Laguna are the people. They are very polite and kind. I can’t help but notice it. They’ll always smile at you and offer you directions very kindly.

Upon arriving at Cavinti, we had a short walk (the jeepney driver said to save money we can just walk because it’s not too far) around 5kms with around 25-degree slope. Haha. You would want to ride a tricycle if you’re not used to walking.

Finally, we arrived at the Cavinti Eco Park. We paid Php500.00 each which includes a one way- rappel going to the falls, then a balsa ride to the falls then boat ride going home. They have different charges for the local and foreign tourists, and a Cavintinian enjoys a much lower price. A boat ride back and forth costs Php800.00 each but was quite worth it. The boat was maneuvered manually by the bankeros.

The hike was a blast! Despite the fact that it was very tiring, it was still very much enjoyable. From the hike trail, you’ll be going up the mountain, then from there, you can see the Nakulo Falls (named from the word “kulo”  which means boil. It‘s not boiling hot but it looks like it‘s boiling big time). Plus the view, OMG, again I was embraced by nature with the animals freely moving around (don’t worry they won’t harm you).  Then, when you are ready, you’ll go down by ladder rappel. It’s very safe so you don’t have to worry.  You’ll be rappeling twice then go down on a 75-degree slope ladder (just an estimate)  and it has 672 steel ladder steps, it’s kind of a long way down!

After going down, whew! Your  efforts are very well paid off. The Magdapio Falls is very beautiful. My fatigue vanished the moment I saw the falls. We had a balsa ride that is pulled going inside the falls. there is a mini cave inside where you can swim.   I just want to say again, that the people there are very kind and trustworthy. They even held the gadgets and money of the tourists while they explored a bit. Plus all of them were slash photographers. They could operate any kind of cameras that the tourists brought! Haha! Of all the places that I’ve been too, I could say that I love the Pagsanjeños the most.

We were asked to lay our stomach at the balsa while passing through the falls, it was an instant massage, it stinged a bit but it was relaxing.

We went back by the traditional banca ride to complete our Pagsanjan experience. The rapids is very quiet, surrounded by mountains and some mini falls.

The funny thing is that when we got to the drop off point, there was no water at the bathrooms so we bathed at the river! Haha.. While some were doing their laundry, we were there washing ourselves. Haha! And a horse was bathing around too! Good thing we were farther upstream from where the horse was! Hahaha!

Our lunch was recommended by the tricycle driver. It was at a restaurant that served the authentic Laguna Binalot meal.

Overall, it was very good way to spend a weekend and a relaxing getaway from the hustle and bustle of life in the metro..