Baguio City, #Philippines. The country's "City of Pines" is the go-to summer destination for Filipinos wanting to take a break from the scorching heat and overall humidity of summer. Nestled within the mountain ranges of Benguet Province, Baguio City offers a captivating blend of native indigenous art, indie music and film, naturesque parks and landscapes, fresh organic produce and rich local culture and cuisine.
October 2015 @ Mines View Park, Baguio.
For a quick weekend get-away, here are a few crucial stops that you shouldn't miss!
1. Parks and Landscapes (Burnham, Botanical Garden, Wright, The Mansion, and Mines View)
On the get-go, right after you check-in in nearby hotels and transient inns, a quick visit to nearby parks is recommended. Parks in Baguio City are relatively at close proximity from each other. Mines View Park, Botanical Garden, and The Mansion are at walking distance near while Burnham Park is right at the city center.
I recommend an early morning visit to Burnham Park. By then, almost all of Baguio City gather there for early morning wellness activities such as zumba, tai chi, and biking. A morning cruise through Burnham lake via rented Swan boats is a perfect way to start a cool foggy morning. Right after, you may join the rest in Burnham for a quick jog to heat up some steam.
June 2015 visit, Burnham, Wright Park, Horseback to Minesview.
Right before lunch, a quick visit at Mines View, Botanical Garden, The Mansion, and Wright Park would be ideal for photoshoots and site-seeing. There are a number of Picturesque landscapes in each of these Parks. Local guides offer tours on horseback from one park to the next. It's a unique experience for first time visitors. Also, you may avail of indigenous themed gimmicks and props while you take photos.
2. Concept Food Stops (Ketchup Food Community, Cafe by the Ruins, and Casa Vallejo)
At close proximity to the park is Ketchup Food Community, a chain of concept-restaurants that offer meals from fresh organic produce. It features five restaurants, each with different concepts, Rancho Norte (Filipino Comfort food and drinks), Green Pepper ( Gourmet Food), Canto (American Dishes), Ruma Sateh (Indonesian and Malaysian cuisine), and Happy Tummy (Thai-Filipino fusion).
Dishes @ Ketchup Food Community
The concept in this food-place is simple, you may sit in either one of these five restos and order from there in any of the other four. In our case, we sat at the rustic themed Rancho Norte but ordered our meals from Happy Tummy.
For dinner, you may want to spend an extra hundred pesos for some laid-back rustic candlelight meal in Cafe by the Ruins or Casa Vallejo.
Breakfast @ Cafe by the Ruins, June 2015
The artsy Cafe by the Ruins was originally conceptualised to be an artist hub. It turned out to be a culinary icon for great breakfasts. I visited the place twice once. First breakfast, for some freshly baked bread and salad and second dinner, for a hearty Baguio Bagnet (Deep Fried Pork). Sadly, its original branch caught fire last April and was forced to close. But a second branch is still open.
For a more refined ranch themed dinner, the best place to be is in Baguio's oldest hotel, Casa Vallejo, which houses Hill Station Restaurant, an iconic log-cabin restaurant featuring meat dishes crafted from different international influences. The place is so named to pay tribute to Baguio being an American colonial "hill station".
Casa Vallejo also houses Mt. Cloud bookshop where books from local and national authors are sold, Baguio Cinematique (a film archival cinema for Filipino Films), and North Haven Spa, which features traditional therapy massage and wellness.
June 2015, Casa Vallejo's Hill Station and Mt. Cloud Bookshop
3. Thrift Shop at Harrison Road and Nightcap at Session Road
Perhaps the best way to end a day in Baguio City is to go for some thrift shopping at Harrison Road Night Market. From 9PM until 2AM, the southbound side of one of the city's main thoroughfare closes to allow local merchants to sell cheap-but-elegant second hand clothes, shoes, and accessories. Traditional Filipino street food such as pork bbq, chicken skin and intestines, pig intestines and liver squares (aka BETAMAX), and chicken feet (aka ADIDAS), among others, are also sold at the area.
Harrison Road Night Market June 2015 (left), October 2015 (right).
After a quick shop at Harrison Road, it's time to end the night with a nightcap in local pubs and bars at Session Road. Most of these bars feature amazing local musicians. On our visit tough, we opted for a cup of coffee at Kaffee Klatsch, a local coffee shop that serves traditional filipino barako coffee alongside great music from amazing local musicians.
4. The Art and Culture of The Cordillera (Mountain Province)
June 2015 visit to a souvenir shop featuring native woodwork near Minesview Park
As the region's capital tourist hub, Baguio City proudly represents and exhibits the traditional indigenous culture and art of the Cordillera (Mountain Province) region. Perhaps, no where else in the country can you find a rich collection of artists and artworks whose masterpieces represent the lived experience and expressions of the mountain region.
On top of the list is BenCab Museum, named after the national artist Ben Reyes Cabrera. A four-storey building exhibits his artworks and other pieces from contemporary Filipino artists.
Another exquisite art-place to visit is lli-likha Artist Village a multi-concept artist hub stationed along an overgrown tree owned by Filipino writer and Director, Eric de Guia (aka Kidlat Tahimik). The place features exquisite trinkets, mosaic, carved icons, and fixtures that showcase the humble and earthy nature of Baguio's culture. Among its main attraction are a group of food vendors known collectively as Kiwing na Kahoy Food Community each offering versions of healthy organic dishes.
These are only among those places that I managed to quickly dropped by in a two-day weekend get-away to Baguio City. Surely, there are more to explore and to enjoy in this unique mountain metropolis. For one, I have yet to discover the "romantic side" of this foggy city. I am told Honeymooners are frequent visitors.
I have yet to figure out how to be "romantic" perhaps.
Not enough time though :-)
_kristian