Study English in the Philippines: Baguio X Cebu Travel tips Vol #1
Quick Baguio Tips for Blue Ocean Students
Article:May Rosito| Photos: Ela Naparan|Topic: Travel Tips
“What’s your plan this weekend?” This is probably the most frequently asked question for this week especially that the long weekend is coming up. Most students would opt to visit several islands around Cebu or just lounge around the pool area. Vacation usually spells beach, swimming, and tanning under the sun. But for most teachers working at Cebu Blue Ocean, long weekends usually remind them of tourists flocking to Baguio City.
Students usually have no idea about Baguio city, nor do they know where it is; this gives the teachers from Baguio a perfect opportunity to advertise their city and to convince their students to visit Baguio someday. So if you have 4 days of vacation and you plan to take a quick trip to the city of Baguio, what are the things you should expect and prepare for? Here are a few travel tips for all who wish to visit the Summer Capital of the Philippines.
- TRAVEL TIME
If you’re coming from Cebu, expect the travel time to be a total of 7 to 8 hours. The plane ride from Cebu Mactan airport to Manila is around an hour and twenty minutes. After that, you have to take a bus ride. There are a lot of buses travelling to Baguio but most people usually take Victory Liner, Genesis, or Joy Bus. Regular air-conditioned buses are bound to Baguio almost every hour and the bus ticket costs P450. If you want to get there faster, then consider booking first class bus that costs P750. These first class buses don’t have any stops so the travel time is between 3 to 4 hours.
- A THICK JACKET IS MANDATORY
Baguio weather can be very deceptive sometimes but never make the mistake of leaving that bulky, thick jacket at home. It’s almost summertime but nights in Baguio City can still get pretty cold. If you love autumn fashion then Baguio is the best place in the Philippines to sport that kind of fashion.
- EXPLORE UNDERRATED PLACES
One of the biggest mistakes tourists make is that they always want to visit all the hot tourist spots only to be disappointed by the number of tourists that flock there. If you only have a few days to explore Baguio then I suggest visiting the underrated restaurants and coffee shops that surround Baguio. The experience of eating out is better if it’s at a nice secluded restaurant or coffee shop—something that’s becoming a trend in the city lately. Here are some places you can check out while you’re there:
Eve’s Garden Foggy Mountain Cookhouse
Good Taste Solibao Restaurant
Ili-Likha Artist Village Arca’s Yard
- BE READY TO WALK
Baguio is a relatively small city and a lot of locals would say that it is best explored on foot. So be sure to pack comfortable shoes. Leave your heels behind because you’re not going to need it anyway.
There are many places you can get to by foot and the weather is just perfect for walking because it’s not too cold and not too hot either. If you must commute, taxis are cheap and taxi drivers in Baguio are known to be very friendly and honest. You would never have to negotiate taxi fares because all Baguio taxi drivers use the meter and return your change immediately even if it’s just one peso (0.019 US Dollar).
- IT MIGHT GET WET
Baguio is not only known for being cold, it is also known for being wet. Rain is almost unpredictable in this city and sometimes it lasts the whole day. Make sure to pack a small rain coat or an umbrella unless you want to explore drenched in the rain and freezing from the cold. Don’t get discouraged from the rain though, this just means that you can always bundle up and drink hot coffee or cocoa while watching the rain. As melancholic as it sounds, it’s actually very relaxing and therapeutic.
- IT’S COLD, IT’S DRY..BE MOISTURIZED!
When the weather is cold, you’ll be showering with hot water thus your skin will eventually dry up faster. Lotions, lip balms, and facial moisturizers are a must especially when you go out. Every local knows how dry and cracked the skin during the coldest months in Baguio which is super annoying so don’t forget to pack up on moisturizers!
- VISIT THE NIGHT MARKET
Baguio locals go crazy over the night market. But what should one expect in Baguio City’s popular night market? One is the crowd—there’s going to be a lot of people there so make sure you keep your wallet and phones safe. Bargain clothes, shoes, bags and other local merchandise are either laid down on the pavement or hung in the clothes rack. You will literally feel the local vibe of the city around you as you walk around the night market so enjoy every bit of it. The night market is the best place to shop for extra clothes in case you haven’t packed enough.
8. EAT LOTS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
I mean sure, you can always eat fruits and vegetables anywhere you go but students
studying in Cebu know how expensive fruits and vegetables are in here. Are you crazy over mangoes?
Well you can eat all the mangoes you want for a cheaper price in Baguio City. Vegetables are as fresh as they can be because the surrounding areas around Baguio are mostly farms. It can also be the best place for you to eat strawberries. Not far from the city is a strawberry farm where you can pick your own strawberries. It’s definitely one of the activities one must experience.
- SAVE ROOM FOR SOUVENIRS
This tip applies to everywhere you travel to. It’s always good to reserve some luggage space for souvenirs because you never know when you’d be able to visit that place again. For Baguio first timers, buying ube and strawberry jam is a must.
Ube is basically sweet purple yam that is made into a creamy jam. It is best eaten straight from the jar or spread on bread. Strawberry jam is also a popular souvenir choice because the jam sometimes has whole strawberries included. These are just a few of Baguio’s famous merchandise so make sure to stock up on it.
- SUPPORT LOCAL LIVELIHOOD
Most Baguio locals would tell you to visit Burnham Park because not only is it close to the center of the town, it also is a place teaming with people who make a livelihood out of Baguio’s tourism. There are lots of activities to do in Burnham Park so make sure you try them out. This would be a big help to the locals who works at the park. Some activities you can do is boating and biking.
