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.
There 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.
Here 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.