Baguio was first developed by the Americans as their ‘rest and recreation’ city in the 1900s. Because of its scenic location and healthy climate, it has long since become the country’s ‘Summer Capital’. A tour of this city showcases many of its parks and gardens, and pleasant hiking trails.
It brings you to Camp John Hay, a former U.S. military recreation camp which also features a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, the Mansion House which is the summer residence of the President of the Philippines, and Mines View Park where you can enjoy a fine view of the surrounding hills. Visit the Baguio Museum which has a fine display of minority group artefacts from the Cordilleras, and Ibay’s Silver Craft, where an array of finely crafted items made out of silver are on display.
Roll on towards the city proper, catch a glimpse of the Baguio Cathedral that sits atop Mount of Mary Hill, and go past Burnham Park which has an orchidarium, a boating lake, a parade ground, and several kiosks and restaurants.
Drive along Kennon Road, the oldest road system in the Cordilleras that was built by the Americans in 1903, and which links the town of Baguio to the provinces in the lowlands. Cross-crossing our way through many hairpin bends, the drive affords one a picturesque view of the lush vegetation, river tributaries, gorges and waterfalls, one of which is the Bridal Veil Falls, which has a natural pool at its base.
Other highlights of the tour include a visit to the Philippine Military Academy, the country’s premier military training school, the Easter Weaving Room, where one can observe the actual process cloth weaving that is common to the tribes of the Mountain Province, Tam-awan Village, an artist’s concept of a village that features traditional native huts and art exhibits, and finally the La Trinidad Strawberry Farm, located just minutes away from Baguio City which provides its visitors with the experience of harvesting their own berries for a fee, and where a strawberry festival is being held annually.
Embark on a spiritual journey and visit five miraculous Marian shrines of Baguio such as Our Lady of Lourdes, located atop a hill which can be accessed by climbing 225 steps from the base, or by driving though a narrow, sheer and meandering road.
Within the shrine is also a grotto where candles are lit up and prayers are said for various intentions. Located 7 kilometers from Asin Road is the Shrine of the Brown Madonna, whose altar is located in a niche in a cave that was carved out of a mountain side. Its centrepiece is a 7-foot figure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with an image of the Santo Nino sitting beside her. In a parish at La Trinidad, the centuries-old image of Our Lady of Covadonga, which has its origins in Spain, can be found enshrined in a glass compartment. Our Lady of Atonement, otherwise known as the Baguio Cathedral, with its distinctive pink façade and red-coloured spires, is visible from Session Road and is accessible via 100-step stone staircase. One other shrine that Will be visited and is of spiritual significance to Marian devotees is Our Lady of Bleeding Heart, located in Loakan Road.
Once an active mining area that is operated by Benguet Corporation, the oldest and pioneering mining company in the Philippines, the Balatoc Mines have been converted into a show mine that provides thrill and experience of being like a gold miner for a day. Guests will be asked to don boots and hard hats and will descend into the tunnel via a mine train. Once inside, ex-miners will show how tunnels are dug and strengthened, how gold-bearing ores are sorted out from rocks and transported to the surface. The tunnel has an old furnace where ores are melted and poured into moulds. The tunnel also has a museum which exhibits rock samples and mining tools which were used by miners, and a simulated Explosion adds excitement to the atmosphere.
This is an informative tour that encourages awareness for the merits of organic agriculture as a means of sustaining a healthy, nutritious and toxin-free lifestyle.
It involves a visit to a 3000 square-meter wide micro-eco farm named ‘Master’s Garden’, which practices organic farming; apart from growing its own vegetables, the farm also produces it own organic fertilizers, and educates its visitors on the many processes involved in vegetable production. The tour includes partaking of a sumptuous lunch of vegetables which are taken fresh from farm, and a lecture on Organic farming.
A 3-hour tour that allows to relax in a private pool of warm, mineral waters emanating from nearby Mt. Cabuyao and Mt. Santo Tomas. The waters are known to be therapeutic, which makes it a favorite destination for one who wishes to unwind and loosen up a few tired muscles.
The site is located about 16 kilometers away from Baguio City, a trip that takes nearly an hour on a winding road leading down a steep valley. It passes through two tunnels that were intentionally built in the early 1900s to establish a railroad link between the lowlands and Benguet Province. The highway is also interspersed with many wood carving shops along the way, where shopping enthusiasts may purchase decorative items including furniture.