Baguio
Travel Guide > Asia > Philippines > Baguio
In this Article
- Introduction
- Neighbourhoods
- Sights and Activities
- Events and Festivals
- Weather
- Getting There
- Getting Around
- Eat
- Drink
- Sleep
- Work
- Learn
- Keep Connected
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Introduction
Perched on the mountains of Cordillera in the island of Luzon, Baguio City (pronounced as 'bag-yow') has become a haven for locals looking for refuge from the hot and humid tropical weather of the Philippines. Dubbed as the Summer Capital of the Philippines and the City of Pines, this city is famous for producing different ornamental flowers and strawberries.
Established by the Americans in the 1900, from once a tribal site for the Ibalois and the Igorots, it has become a bustling garden city, a campus site for the Philippine Army, and the one of the most famous destinations in the country.
Neighbourhoods
Sights and Activities
Parks
- Burnham Park. Named in the honor Daniel Burnham, the city's original planner and architect, this park is the city's premier park. It's main feature is its wide pond for small boats to paddle.
- Wright Park.
- Orchidarium and Botanical Garden
- Camp John Hay
- Mines View Park. One of the most famous tourist spots of the city that offers a panoramic view of the Benguet gold and copper mines.
- Lourdes Grotto
Others
- Philippine Military Academy campus
- The Mansion House. This is the official summer residence of the Philippine president.
- Lion's Head at Kennon Road. A common pitstop for tourists taking Kennon Road to reach Baguio. It's a famous landmark that offers a viewpoint of the scenic Kennon Road and the mountains of Cordillera.
- Baguio Cathedral. Baguio's main cathedral situated on top of the hill.
- Tam-awan Village
- Teacher's Camp
- Bell Tower
- Session Road. The city's main avenue and commercial center.
Events and Festivals
Baguio's most famous festival, known as the Panagbenga Festival, happens on the 3rd week of February where the city parades its most famous produce, flowers. Floats filled with flowers parade the city's main road and street dancing adorned by different flowers fills the streets.
Main article: Events and Festivals in the Philippines
Weather
Baguio has earned a reputation as being the summer capital of the Philippines. This is due to its cool climate as attributed to its location on the mountains of Cordillera. The city has an average temperature of 20º C annually with highs of 26º C during warm months and lows of 15º C in the colder months. The coldest in record is 6.3º C.
Like other cities in the country, it has two main seasons; dry during months of November to April and wet during months of May to October.
Getting There
By Plane
Due to the city's mountainous location, Baguio only has a small airport, the Laoakan Airport, that small planes can only land.
The nearest international airport is the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark, Angeles City where a number of low-frills airlines use. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Metro Manila is accessible by most international airlines.
By Car
From Manila, one has to take the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) taking a northbound route.
There are three main access roads to reach Baguio City from the lowlands.
- Kennon Road. A scenic route that snakes through the breathtaking mountainsides though characterized by some sharp curves. A famous landmark is situated on this route, the Lion's Head. But since the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, this road experienced some damages that it was closed down for some period and was reopened only for light vehicles. This road is accessible from Rosario in La Union.
- Marcos Highway. A regular route taken by buses from Manila which also snakes through the mountainsides from the town of Agoo in La Union. This highway is named after the dictator Ferdinand Marcos whose head image carved on the mountainside used to stand along its route.
- Naguilian Road. The farthest among the three roads from Manila which is accessible from the town of Bauang also in La Union. This serves as the main gateway for the northern towns and unlike Kennon Road, this is characterized by a gentler incline along the mountainsides.
By Bus
A number of bus companies provide transport services from Manila to Baguio. They have terminals in different locations within Metro Manila.
- Philippine Rabbit. Terminal along Rizal Avenue in Caloocan City.
- Dangwa Tranco. Terminal in Sampaloc in Manila.
- Dagupan Bus. Terminal in Cubao in Quezon City.
- Victory Liner. Terminals along EDSA in Quezon City and in Pasay.
- Times Tansit. Terminal in Cubao in Quezon City.
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Budget
For budget lodging, a number of locals meet tourists arriving from the city's bus terminals with plaque cards offering rooms or transient houses. These transient houses differ on the size, the season, and its distance from the city center. They may range from about P1,500 to P3,000 per night per room.
| Property | Address | Type | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom's Place | Blk. 27 Lot 6. Bermuda Hills Subd. Naguilian Rd. | Hostel | 90 % |
Mid-Range
Upscale
Work
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This is version 18. Last edited at 18:59 on May 25, 09 by Utrecht (+189). 3 articles link to this page.
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