I love Baguio: pine trees, cold weather, strawberries, ube jam. It will always be a place dear to me. I remember the various family vacations we spent here growing up. This year’s trip was no exception and even offered something special, my first local festival.

The Philippines is so rich in culture and wonder and I’m very glad I was able to experience this again in my recent weekend escapade.

For this four-part series, I’ll be sharing my adventure to the Summer Capital of the country. I’ll start with the basics, transportation, accommodation, and the festival itself, followed by where to go, eat, and shop in this breezy city. Tara!

Agsakay: Getting to and around Baguio

Victory Liner

Photos by barqs94

To get to Baguio from Manila, we rode Victory Liner’s Royal Class, which is a sleeper bus with 3 aisles of beds. The aisles are a bit cramped and it can be challenging to get in and out of your bed but once you’re inside, it’s quite comfortable. We were able to buy tickets from their website three months in advance. Round trip ticket costs P3,100 per person. This was a non-stop drive that lasted for 4 to 5 hours. We got a good sleep and was able to see the sunrise.

Cabs and jeeps

Photos by barqs94

We mostly walked to nearby sights or moved around the city through cabs or jeeps. There’s also Grab, but we weren’t able to get one. Cabs are much easier to hail. Be sure to ride ones with a meter on. Fare starts at P50. Jeeps are way cheaper (<P20/ride) but be ready to rub elbows with fellow commuters.

Balay: Where we stayed in Baguio

Photos by barqs94

So, funny story, I was browsing Booking.com for accommodations for our trip and found this nice hotel with a reasonable price (~P4,000 a night for room for 2) with free cancellation. Little did I know I ended up paying in full. Lesson learned: Free cancellation is not the same as free reservation hahaha.

Anyway, I’m glad we were able to stay at the Butterfly Room in G1 Lodge since we were able to watch the parade from our window and eat good food in-room. There is breakfast buffet (P350/person) and a cafe, but these aren’t included in the nightly rate. The hotel is pretty central with SM and Session Road within walking distance.

Panagbenga

The reason we were here: Panagbenga Flower Festival!

Panagbenga (or season of blooming in Kankanaey) is a monthlong festival reflecting the history, traditions, and values of the Cordilleras. Activities include the lively Grand Street Dance Parade and Grand Floral Float Parade, Panagbengascapes, which is a beautiful landscaping competition, and a few bazaars such as Baguio Blooms and Session Road in Bloom. I loved watching both grand parades; made me tear up a bit. Next time I’d like to see the Fluvial Parade: Flowers on water sound good to me. Schedule of events can be found here.

What do you think?

Have any Panagbenga anecdotes? Share in the comments below.

Remember. Reminisce. Reflect.

Salamisim out.