Baguio Things to Do Tips by bike_packer Top 5 Page for this destination

Balatoc Mines Tour

What was left of the now-closed Benguet Mining in Itogon Benguet, the Balatoc Mines is offering guided Mine Tours. The mine is still operational albeit minimal and with crude tools/equipment employing the locals; plus the tour proceeds as an additional income. Not bad.

Joining the tour, a numbered round-metal-sheet "chapa" that serves as an ID to real miners are also issued to every tourist entering the tunnel. A number is engraved in the chapa indicating your rank of entry to this tour. Me, I got #82,364. >> meaning I am the 82,364th miner-tourist since the tour's inception in the late 80's.

Experience how miners do it underground. Put on your boots (my 3-year-old girl even got a perfect size of boots) and hardhat, ride the train cart and go inside the mining tunnel to have a real feel of what a miners life is subterraneanly. Miners showed us how to dig tunnels, reinforce them, and prevent cave-ins, the proper and safe way to detonate explosives; and how tools and equipment underground are used till that ore is finally taken out for refining. The most memorable moment is when they detonated an explosive while we are safely tucked on one of the designated perpendicular waiting tunnels. The loud BOOM felt like a big thing struck my chest. That was just 1 for demo, imagine a series of hundred booms when its for real.

Into the refinery, ores are pulverized and the tedious panning for that "yellow thing" starts. The more we appreciated why gold costs that much. >> Check also the Museum.

Address: Itogon, Benguet

Directions: 300m farther after the PMA Gate is a fork on the road, turn left and drive down 9kms to Itogon town. >>>> Rates: Adult: P250, Students: P150.

Offer a Prayer at Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto

Established by the Jesuits in 1907, the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto is one of the more enduring tourist spots in Baguio that has been attracting devotees and tourists in decades.

Built at an elevated ground overlooking the city center of Baguio, the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary can be reached via a 100+ steps stairway. However, for the not-so-fit, a winding road to the top is the easy way up - ride plus a few steps. The place got people constantly coming and going from sunrise to sunset lighting candles and offering prayers to the Miraculous Lady.

Address: Naguilian Road, Baguio City.

Directions: The place is about a 15-min drive away from Burnham Park taking the Naguilian Road.

Baguio History on a Pole

The totem pole at the front of the Bell House at Camp John Hay is a wood sculpture of human heads put on-top-of-the-other. These are the men in the American colonial era who shaped the development of Baguio.

Starting at the top, they are Admiral George Dewey, General Emilio Aguinaldo (the only Filipino), President William Howard Taft, Secretary John Milton Hay, WIlliam Cameron Forbes, President Theodore Roosevelt, Major General Franklin Bell, Lt. Colonel Lyman W. Kennon, Mayor James Halsema, General Douglas Mcarthur

Address: Camp John Hay, Baguio City

Strawberry Picking

The strawberry fields in neighboring La Trinidad is a must see when strawberry harvest time. The green fields are dotted with red as far as you can see. The farmers say that the best months to do strawberry-picking is from December throughout February when the harvest are a-plenty.

Go early if you want to pick the red ripe strawberries yourself. Be sure to wear shoes, sandals won't do in the a-little-bit muddy trail. The catch is >> if you pick it your own, it costs P250/kilo compared to those being sold at the parking area at P150/kilo. For the urban-bred tourists, the fun and excitement is worth it, especially for the kids. You should see them smile with their small baskets full with their harvest contrastingly red in the green sorroundings. The experience and picture-op would be priceless.

Address: La Trinidad, Benguet

Directions: Neighboring La Trinidad is about 30 minutes drive from Baguio City proper. Start from the city market and take Magsaysay Ave. and beyond.

Kids Play Mini Golf.

The 18-hole mini-golf course at Camp John Hay is a come-on for kids. Kids pretending to be playing like their mom/dad who are incidentally busy giving basic tips - what a sight. I believed that the course was made for kids but I found out that adults are as many as the kids trying/perfecting their putting skills. Adults enjoying to be kids again, hahaha!

The golf course open areas are planted with flowering plants giving the place a lively feeling. Pictures taken here are guaranteed colorful.

Small-sized golf clubs even for 3-year-old kids are available. P85 Green Fee. No lights - daytime play only.

Address: Camp John Hay, Baguio

Directions: Please ask directions from the guards guiding traffic on the road. Beside the Game Arcade Building and a big Children's Play Park.

Military Museum at PMA.

PMA is the premier military academy in the country where the country's future military officers are moulded. The academy is actually inside the Fort General Gregorio del Pilar.

When we visited the place, the kids were awed in amazement having seen real military helicopters, airplanes, tanks right beside them - touchable and ridable for real but not operational, of course. Decommissioned, these vehicles are displayed in the academy grounds - that's a museum in the open.

Other interesting activities in PMA are >> watch parade in review, check the PMA Museum, get up to the 10-m high treehouse and have a wide view of the place, watch platoons of cadets doing physical activities in uniform and synchronicity.

Address: Loakan Road, Baguio City

Directions: About 8kms away from the city proper. Recommended only when you have your own private car/taxi.

Tam-awan Village Tam Awan Village Review

Tam-awan Village is nestled on a steep side of the mountain at the northwestern side of Baguio City. Traditional authentic huts uprooted from farther upland were relocated here recreating a typical ethnic Ifugao village. The village is generally an art gallery where indigenous Baguio-based artists gather showcasing their works.

The village has a coffee shop (try their native hot chocolate, hmmm!) which serves as an info office and sells CD's, books and other publications relating to the Igorot people culture and tradition. Finished art works that are for sale are displayed in one of the huts and at the coffee shop.

Very much noticeable are the "solar" art works of Jordan Mangosan. His art works are no-direct contact sketches made by controlled burning on the canvas surface using a magnifying glass harnessing the sunlight. Also never miss to have a pencil portait of yours in the art room by budding artists for a few peso donation to the foundation operating the village.

Address: Tacay Road, Pinsao, Baguio City

Directions: The road that is a short-cut from Naguilian to La Trinidad bypassing the city proper passes through Tam-awan Village. From city proper down Naguilian Road, the fork is about 3kms away. Turn right uphill.

Butterfly Sanctuary at Camp John Hay

The net-enclosed butterfly sanctuary at Camp John Hay offers interaction with butterflies bred in this place. The butterflies wont mind being softly touched or letting them cling to your finger or rest on your head or shoulder for that great photo shot opportunity.

Taking a close-up shot of a butterfly enjoying the nectar of a very colorful flower would be simply easy even with the basic point-and-shoot camera.

Address: Camp John Hay

Directions: Beside the Horseriding Stable. The signage wont be missed along the main road.

Horseback Riding Horseback Riding Review

The "Shalan Ni Kabadjo Bridle Path & Riding Circle" at Camp John Hay has a stable of horses complete with saddles/riding gears ready for horseback riding around a designated path under a canopy of pine trees inside the camp. For small children, the horseman will patiently guide-walk the horse around. For the experienced ones, ride freely alone. "Hi-ho, away!"

P250 per hour.

Tip: Get the horse with a saddle that perfectly fits the rider's height with the foot stay to ensure safe and comfortable ride. Check it out.

Address: Camp John Hay, Baguio

Directions: The Stable is beside the Food Court and Butterfly Sanctuary.