Upon arriving back at NAIA T2 around 9:30pm from our 3D/2N Cebu trip (you can read my Cebu blog HERE), I booked a grab car for my parents (using the grab app in my phone) for their ride back home. We stayed for a while at a coffee shop just outside T2 while waiting for my parent’s grab ride to finish so I can book another grab ride to Victory Liner Cubao terminal for our 2am bus to Baguio.
We arrived at Victory Liner Cubao terminal a few minutes after 11pm, our Royal Class bus ticket includes access to the terminal’s passenger lounge which gave us a better place to sit down and rest for a while while waiting for our bus departure.
Day 1 (14-February) : Cubao 2 to Baguio
Our bus left Cubao terminal a few minutes after 2am. Please watch my Youtube video regarding my experience with Victory Liner Royal Class Bus below.
We arrived at Victory Liner Baguio terminal around 6am and had our breakfast at a nearby Jollibee before we took a taxi to Hotel Elizabeth (same hotel we stayed in Cebu, coincidentally, haha). We arrived at the hotel around 7am, very early for the standard 2pm check in time so we asked for an early check in. We are able to check in at 8am for an additional cost of PHP 1,000.00 and decided to rest for a while before we explore in the afternoon. The hotel location is not really far from the main city but far enough to enjoy the quietness of the place, also it’s near to Mines View, the Mansion and Wright Park.
After a proper rest, we took a jeepney to the city proper, some of my friends visited Our lady of Atonement Cathedral for the Ash Wednesday mass, while some of us waited at a cute cafe nearby called Read & Brew Cafe.
We went back to our hotel and since Mines View Park is just nearby, we decided to take a jeepney and check it out. Entrance fee is PHP 10.00. I can’t remember when was the last time I was here so I cannot compare if the place improved or not, but a lot of stalls selling souvenirs, the view itself is pretty normal for me so seeing it for the first time should be enough if you’re visiting Baguio several times.
Day 2 (15-February) : Exploring Baguio
Today we have the whole day to explore Baguio. So we had an early breakfast at the hotel then we walk to the nearby The Mansion and Wright Park to take some photos.
We then took a taxi from outside The Mansion to Strawberry Farm in La Trinidad, just outside Baguio City. It was my first time visiting this place so it’s quite interesting for me, there are a lot of strawberry farms and if you want to experience strawberry picking, you have to pay certain fee. We just bought those already picked strawberry to bring back as pasalubong, PHP 500.00 for 4 medium size plastic boxes of strawberry. And of course, we tried the strawberry flavoured dirty ice cream, tasted normal but it adds to the feeling of being at a place surrounded by strawberry farm.
We then took a jeepney back to Valley of Colours (our taxi passed by this place on our way to strawberry farm earlier). A local neighbourhood located on a hill which came together to revitalize their community through art. The houses was painted with bright colours of blue, yellow, green and red giving your eyes an explosion of colours when you view them from across a small river. There is not much to see around this area so after snapping a few photos and selfies, we decided to go back to the city proper. So we took another jeepney ride back to Baguio City for lunch.
We meet rest of our group at Canto, they said this is one of the popular restaurants in here Baguio so we decided to give it a try. Sadly, their popular Canto Burger was not available(!?) so we tried other menus, the chicken and beef menu was nice, as well as the bun with longanisa with chees & egg filling. The place was nice and has a good and safe atmosphere. We pretty much satisfied with the taste though the service could have been better.
After lunch, we took a taxi to check Igorot Stone Kingdom, a manmade park that celebrates the culture and history of Igorots, the indigenous peoples of the Cordillera in northern Luzon, Philippines. Though the structure looks very artificial but it still a good place to have fun with your family and friends. Entrance Fee is PHP 100.00 (PHP 80.00 for seniors and children). Wear a comfortable shoes as you will have to walk around and uphill if you want to reach the highest point and see the city below.
By late afternoon, we are able to make it to Mirador Heritage & Eco-Spiritual Park, a new-ish attraction in Baguio with 5 hectares of different sections and attractions, a nice place if you are alone in silence and prayer or spending quality time with family and friends. The fog was a bit strong that afternoon so we are not able to see the city below. It was indeed a great place if you want to be alone with nature or just be with yourself.
We return back to our hotel just before dinner time to rest and refresh for a while. For dinner, we decided Ranee House of Curry, we saw the place early this morning when we walk from our hotel to The Mansion. They mostly serve southeast/south asian menu, the place was nice, it feels homey and the service is good. We tried the Beef Curry Masala (very nice) and Beef Biryani (it felt like the serving is good for two, haha), we take out Nasi Ayam Goreng for our friend who stayed back at the hotel.
Since it’s our last night in Baguio, we decided to go out and took a taxi to check Burnham Park Night Market. The place was very crowded, but nice to see the that the place is guarded by police to give a feeling that the place is safe. There are so many items you can buy but nothing got our attention.
After a quick tour of the night market, we took a taxi Baguio Craft Brewery, they are popular coz they brew their own beer. The place looks nice too, could have been a nice view during daytime. The lots of different flavoured beer to choose from and not overpriced. I think we were the last costumers so we decided to call it a night and head back to the hotel.
Day 3 (16-February) : Baguio to NAIA Terminal 3 to Alabang
I decided to wake up early to catch the sunrise at Mines View Park, I tried waiting for a taxi or jeepney but I ended up walking until the park for 15 minutes or so. It was a great sight witnessing the sun rising over the mountains and clouds playing in the sky to welcome the sun. Good Shepherd Baguio is a popular place to buy pasalubong, it’s a short walking distance from Mines View Park, sadly they only open from 8:15am so I walk back to the hotel empty handed, haha.
Taking the taxi to the city proper, we decided to buy last minute pasalubong at the shops near the bus terminal.
A friend suggested to let us try the Genesis Joybus Premiere, had high expectations coz the photos in the internet was nice, and since I was impressed with Victory Liner’s Royal Class bus that we took earlier. All expectations dropped when I saw the bus, and we were pointed at the back of the bus to our seats which is next to the toilet. I told the bus attendant that when I chose the seat, the seat map they’ve shown me is different (the toilet is in the middle and our seat is next to a single seater, which I also book for another friend). The attendant said it’s not his fault, and I ask what is he gonna do, a few minutes later, he came back and told us that they will try transfer us in the middle if the person who originally booked will not come. Short story, we were transferred, but the seat (and bus) is so old that when I rest my back, the seat reclines by itself. For PHP 880.00, I’m not sure if we got our money’s worth. Definitely not taking Joybus anymore.
We alighted at NAI Teminal 3 and decided to try the P2P (Point to Point) Bus by Ube Express, so we waited for the bus that will bring us to Alabang. The fare is PHP 200.00 with spacious and comfortable seats.
So our 9-day Philippine holiday is ending soon, with day 2-4 (Cebu) and day 5-7 (Baguio). Will spend the next 2 days to buy pasalubong before flying back to Singapore. Watch our for my next blog about my US trip soon.
wanderfoolife 