Tag Archives: Baguio

top 5 things to do in baguio: go horseback-riding at Wright Park

I hope you’re not tired of reading all my Baguio posts since I shall be coming up with more of them in the days to come. I must say our 3-day Baguio vacation was really worth it + is quite an experience of a lifetime. We have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves + have bonded closely in the three days we’re up north.Oh well, it might take time before we can go back, but if we do, I have these top 5 things, which I shall share with you in a series of posts, I know we won’t mind doing again when we visit the City of Pines.

travel, Baguio, travel destination, Top 5 Things to do in Baguio

What tops my list will have to be horseback-riding at Wright Park I was afraid + stiff at my back with worry at first, but my little man was such a trooper + he highly enjoyed our ride that it helped me to relax after our first round. It was both our first time to ride a horse! Sure there where bumps here + there, + there where moments when I’m sure am just a few inches away from sliding off the horse’s back, but all in all, it was one experience I thoroughly enjoyed, too! It felt like being a child again!

I’ve decided to share the remaining two rounds with my sisters so they will get to experience it too. When we got off the horse, the little man was pointing at the pink horse + ask me that we ride again! You will probably find it difficult to find vehicle lifts in this area, but am sure you will have a wide array of lovely horses to choose from for your riding experience. For P200 I’d say this experience was well worth it.

More of my top 5 things to do in Baguio in my next posts! See yah!

where to shop for pasalubong in baguio

travel, travel tips, Baguio

buying pasalubong from the shops outside the Strawberry Farm

It is customary for Filipinos to shop for pasalubong {take-home gifts from travel} whenever we go on vacations, and during our recent trip to Baguio we made it a point to get a few mementos to bring home to our families + friends. Mind you, you might be hard up if you’ll look for microsoft pos system in the mountains, so make sure you bring an extra wad of cash if you plan to get souvenirs from your travel.

Baguio, travel, travel tipsThere are actually plenty of them souvenir shops to choose from, so it actually depends on you whether you’d like to buy from the very first store you see. However, it is best to not hoard from that shop as am sure you can see other beautiful items from other shops as you trot along the breeze mountain soil of Baguio.

Baguio, travel, travel tipsHere are some of the places we’ve been to shop for keychains, souvenir shirts and what-not:

  • the shops in + outside Mines View Park  ~ this probably has the biggest clusters of souvenir shops we’ve seen in Baguio. They carry items from delicious local delicacies, beautiful wooden pieces and even jewelries. Some shops sell their wares at a higher price, so might as well check out the rest of the shops before making your purchase. I bought a couple of very-detailed wooden cars for the little man here, along with a number of knitted items, including sling bags, pouches, and bonnets {3 pieces for P100} for the little man + my niece + nephew, Shane + Sean. I also got a couple of beautiful magnets which sells for P65 each.
  • Lourdes Grotto ~ you can find a number of shops just a few steps away from the big Jesus Christ statue {this is before you reach the peak of the grotto. The statue is on the left side}. We bought a number of shirts for grown-up {prices starts at P140}, as well as a couple of white Baguio sandos {P150 for 2 pieces} for the little man. My sister also bought a number of keychains, which sells for P100 for 12 pieces.
  • shops outside Strawberry Farm ~ the Strawberry Farm is not only the best place to go for once-in-a-lifetime adventure of strawberry picking, but also to shop for strawberries + other produce, and souvenir items, too! There are about dozens of stalls outside selling loads of products. I bought hand towels to be used for our kitchen at P100 for 6 pieces, and a handful of keychains + ref magnets. 
  • Good Shepherd ~ no other place to go to to buy the most delectable ube jam in Baguio. When we got there, loads of people are lining up to purchase the famous product! Ube jam in bigger containers are not available around that time, as well as the strawberry jam. We opted to get a number of small ube jams instead. This sells for P140 a bottle. 
  • Bencab Museum ~ intricate art pieces, as well as Bencab shirts, postcards, notebooks + other paper products are available at Bencab Museum shop. I got a matching shirt for me + the little man, which costs P300 each. I paid P150 for 6 pieces of Bencab masterpieces-turned-into-postcards.
You can haggle at most of the stores if you will buy items in bulk, I was able to buy the wooden cars at a cheaper price when the seller saw that my little man won’t agree that we just buy one! 😉
You can also find souvenir items at the alfresco part of SM Baguio + they also sell most of the products + wares that Baguio is known for.
How about you, where di you buy pasalubong in Baguio?

mailing postcards at the baguio post office

travel, travel destination, Baguio, Baguio Post Office, mailday

One of our very first stops when we arrived in Baguio was the Baguio City Central Post Office {yes, I planned for our getaway to fall on a Friday so that I will have time to visit the local post office and mail a postcard for myself + my swap friends :D}. It was a good thing the central post office is located beside the Baguio Cathedral + just a walking distance from SM Baguio as we planned to go there to buy some essentials for our trip and get a quick bite, too!

travel, travel destination, Baguio, Baguio Post Office, mailday

While I mail my postcards, my siblings + the little man wasted no time and took some photos. Jared seemed to enjoy posing beside the mailboxes for posterity. I missed those huge mailboxes, we no longer have those in our local post office. 🙁

Anyway, here is the list of the cards I mailed that day + as of writing some of the recipients already informed me that they have received their cards. I received mine 4 days after I mailed it from Baguio. Quick post, if you ask me 🙂

Baguio Postcards Giveaway

  • Edwin S, Bahrain ~ Baguio Cathedral
  • Christa H, Peru ~ Baguio City
Baguio Postcards for friends
  • Jon B, Marikina City ~ Baguio City
  • Ria R, Naga City ~ Baguio Market
  • Clarissa S, Japan ~ Bagio City downton
  • Ruby R, CDO ~ Bell House
  • Willa S, Malabon City ~ Mines View Park
  • Myself ~ Mansion House
  • Arlene C, Iligan City ~ Baguio City
  • Katherine B, Bulacan ~ Mines View Park
  • Sheryl A, Bacolod City~ Bell House 

Don’t forget to drop me a line if you receive your card, right? 😉

Baguio is one blissful place to visit + I shall share more of our adventure in upcoming posts. By the way, I want to send shout outs + loads of thank you’s to the Fairy Hobmother, whose gift I used to book for our hotel in Baguio + to shop for beautiful local items to bring home as pasalubong! Thanks so much, Fairy Hobmother! ^_^

my top 5 places to visit in baguio

at the Grotto in my previous Baguio trip almost 6 years ago

This is it! It is only 7 days to go before we head to the City of Pines + everyone is really beside ourselves with excitement. I have just made a checklist of what stuff to pack + bring to our trip + I am half-way through finishing our itinerary for our 3-day Baguio stay. I must tell you, I have only been to Baguio once + I traveled then with my teammates from work + this is the first time am doing it with the family so it really is rather exciting. Plus, we have not really gone on 3-day out-of-town trips before so everyone is really all psyched about this trip!

I’ve actually rummaged through some Baguio articles online tips on which places to visit in Baguio, as well as note their location + proximity to other popular tourist attractions in the city. Based on my research, here are the top 5 places in Baguio that we are definitely checking out:

  • Burnham Park ~ of course, no one visits + leaves Baguio without stopping by this famous park. I will make sure that we ride the boat in the lagoon + take as much photos of the little man outdoors
  • Mines View Park ~ what better way to see the rest of Baguio than in the Mines View Park summit. I will also remember to have our photos taken with the humongous St. Bernard + get someone to don the traditional Igorot clothing
  • Bencab Museum + Cafe Isabel ~ located in Tuba, Benguet, about 15 minutes away from the Baguio city proper, this museum + restaurant also tops our list of places to visit during our weekend getaway up north. Checking out famous artworks by Bencab himself will be a perfect part of our adventure. I won’t forget to try out the gastronomic treat that Cafe Isabel has to offer, too. A must-try: the carrot + ginger soup for the little man! 😉
  • Strawberry Farm ~ we plan to visit there on the second day of our trip. We shall be picking strawberries, of course, + will be sure to munch some as we traverse the vast farm. I read somewhere that blue berries are sold here somewhere, too, so I will make sure to get some, as well!
  • Wright Park ~ horseback-riding is on my Baguio to-do list, so we are definitely stopping by this park, too. We’ve only tried a horse-drawn carriage before so I bet the little man will be thrilled at this new experience.

We will make sure to explore Session Road, too, as I’ve only explored this famous Baguio road a tiny bit in my previous trip, so this time I will make sure we walk the entire stretch, + discover what it’s got to offer. Among places we’d like to check out here are Mt. Cloud Bookshops {we’re a bunch of book lovers, see!} + the Hill Station Restaurant {hopefully we can dine in without reservation, though} or anyone that has superb Amplifiers that will catch our fancy!

I will make sure to that we visit the Mansion, Baguio Cathedral, the Good Shepherd Convent, as well as the Baguio Capitol so that I can pay a visit to the local post office, too. Will be making a quick stop there to mail some Baguio postcards for myself + my other swap mates. Also, am looking for 5 postcard enthusiast who will be the lucky recipients of 5 Baguio postcards mailed from Baguio. Check out my Baguio Postcard Giveaway Post.
By the way, if you have other ideas of places that you think I ought to check out in Baguio, please feel free to leave them in a comment below. I will highly appreciate it. Thanks in advance + happy weekend! 🙂