My family spent 2 days in the city of pines last week.
Our travel was booked in Onefinity Travels and our tour in Baguio was coordinated by Ms. Liza of Lakwatsera Life. Baguio is awesome and perfect for its cool breezy weather, stunning green mountains and so much more.
We explored Baguio through the services and coordination of Ms. Liza De Gorio and Mr. Rey Desierto . We snagged a reasonable deal of PHP 1,799 for individual joiner for the 2 days accommodation and 2 days Baguio Tour. The deal is really good for its unbelievable low price, worry-free and hassle-free 2 days Baguio Experience for our family.
We were fetched at Mall of Asia past 12 in the midnight and arrived at Baguio in the morning. Our first destination was Cafe in the Sky. This unique cafe is located on the outskirts of Baguio City. The Cafe is situated at Mt. Sto. Tomas in Poblacion Kabuyao Tuba, Benguet.
Getting here is challenging because of the strict regulations the local government and DENR have been implementing in the area to conserve the place. This was flocked by thousands of tourists and visitors due to the popularity of the teleserye Forevermore, unfortunately
leaving piles of garbage and inevitably destructing the area.
Today the area has DENR checkpoint. You will be lucky if you get passed the checkpoint.
After passing the checkpoint you have to travel the long and winding road with exactly 4.2 kilometers in distance at1200 feet of elevation.
The FX ride going here is very expensive. FX ride costs (PHP 600) for one way. Our group was fortunate enough to be allowed to visit and be mesmerized by this place.
My 2 daughters ate their breakfast here and We all enjoyed the stunning view.
We also loved the experience of our journey getting up here. The long and winding road
is quite an adventure in itself.
Next, our family went to the Strawberry Farm.
The season for strawberry is from January to March so we did not had the chance to pick strawberries but We still enjoyed Baguio's strawberry ice cream.
The strawberry ice cream is so good. It has bits and pieces of strawberries.
We were told that the Strawberry Farm is the best place to get pasalubong shopping and fruit shopping since prices here are cheaper. So most of our pasalubong shopping came here. My kids bought a flute, a stuff toy, and dream catchers. While I purchased 2 cardigans, Baguio Sweets and Oranges. My husband bought fruit wine and Baguio Sweets also.
Our next stop was The Botanical Garden.
We were relaxed from the shades of the trees and the beauty of the garden.
Our family enjoyed strolling and resting here. And we were mesmerized by the views of the garden.
Anika and Alexis enjoyed playing and running in the wide grass field. While Mommy and Daddy are restfully sitting in the grass. This is what I love in Baguio so much, the breezy comforting air with lovely nature perfect for comforting our bodies and soul.
Our next stop is Rancho.
Photo courtesy of Leeart
This place is beautiful. It is charming with lots of vintage things spread all around the restaurant. The restaurant interior is cowboy inspired and mixed with eclectic knick-knacks because of their Halloween theme since we came on the 26th of October. The food is amazingly delicious and affordable.
Photo courtesy of Leeart
This is the Thankful nook in the Rancho Restaurant. I am thankful that my family was given a chance to finally spent quality time in Baguio. After our trip, I remembered Alexis saying me this " Thank you, Mommy, for saving money so We can go to Baguio, I love you". Oh, what a thankful kid. I tell my kids that traveling to different places is our reward for their Mommy's savings and ipon goals . They are aware that money is hard-earned and We should all be conscious of the family spending to save for our future and give us rewards for travel and other important things.
So what was our lunch?
We ordered Seafood Kare-Kare, Calamares which are both good and delicious.
Some of our food was not captured in photos like the Mixed Seafood and Fried Chicken w/ Java Rice which was personally requested by Anika. We all finished our food with gusto and enthusiasm. This restaurant is one of the best in Baguio. Due to time-constrained, We were not able to see the interiors on the 3rd floor of the restaurant. Sometime We might get the chance to revisit this amazing restaurant.
After our late lunch in Rancho We strolled and walked to The Mansion.
We had a quick tour at the Mansion because We were scheduled to check-in at Villa Mrada after going to 2 more destinations. Good thing our next destination was the Wright Park which is conveniently located across the Mansion.
The Wright Park has so many trees and flowers. We were greeted by tourists who flocked in this park to get their photos in the pine trees.
Our next stop was The beautiful and stunning Mines View.
I was surprised to see that Mines View is still spectacular. Despite the urbanization of Baguio City Mines View remains magnificently beautiful.
After seeing the awesome Mines View We finally checked in at Villa Mrada.(FB page link)
This lovely home is our family's shelter in Baguio for 2 days.
Villa Mrada garden has a nice view.
Villa Mrada Dining Area.
This was our room for 2 days in Baguio which was included already in our Joiners Fee.
Living Area and Bar on the 1st Floor.
Villa Mrada rooms on the second floor.
We are thankful for Villa Mrada for accommodating us in Baguio. Their place is perfect for nature lovers and pet lovers too. Here is the link to their site if you are planning to stay in Baguio. Villa Mrada is a nice choice.
Villa Mrada is located in Blk 5 Lot 6 North Point Subdivision Concepcion Drive Amparo Heights Camp 7 (141.51 mi)Baguio City 2600 0908 778 9063
We were able to take a rest in the afternoon in our rooms.
In the evening We visited Christmas Village.
Anika playing and catching the snow or the bubbles fall. This is her favorite in the Christmas Village.
You have to be a kid once again to enjoy the Christmas Village. This is more of a pretend play for kids enjoying the pretend snow. Somehow I get the hang of it and let loose and imagined myself on a snowfall.
After Christmas Village, We capped our first day with a late dinner at Good Taste Restaurant.
We ordered fish fillet and wanton noodles. Photos were not taken because I was already tired from all our walking but Good Taste Restaurant is value for money. Their Fish Fillet is not the usual cream dory but fresh sweet tuna. It is fresh and delicious and the serving is really huge.
On our second day in Baguio. We visited Burnham Park.
We had a blast here. We enjoyed our time together riding the Go-Kart Ride.
The ride is a combination of a bicycle because of the pedal and has the stability and coolness of a go-kart. It's a fun overload for my whole family. My daughter Anika even exclaimed that the Go-Kart Ride was even better than the car ride she experienced in Universal Studios Japan because this Go-kart ride is 30 minutes fun longer. While riding the Go-kart We ate Strawberry ice cream and the kids even had cotton candy. You cannot do this in a regular theme park.
On our way to the boat ride.
Alexis was not captured in this photo due to my anxiety about balancing the boat. I was positioned in the middle of the 2 kids to balance our weight.
Daddy Anton is our boatman for the time being. The boat ride is somehow scary because the kids are not wearing any life vest. And Daddy Anton is somehow learning on his own how to paddle and move the boat in the right direction. The challenge for him is when other boats bumped our boat and when the current is moving our boat in the opposite direction. I am glad that We ride the boat because Daddy Anton learned something new and experience rowing a boat by himself. Good Job Daddy Anton for the boat ride and for safely returning us all in the dock.
The picnic area in Burnham Park. We ate strawberry taho and bananas.
Burnham Park Picnic Area is covered with lots of pine trees and other tall trees. If you are a tree hugger you will totally love this place.
I love the green lush surroundings and I love Baguio so much.
After Burnham Park our group went to visit the Lourdes Groto and the Diplomat Hotel.
We did not climb the steep stairs of Lourdes Groto because Alexis was tired. I was also not interested to see the Diplomat Hotel so we took our time inside the van to rest.
Our next and last destination of our Baguio tour was the Bencab Museum.
I personally requested this to be included in the tour itinerary because I heard a lot of good things about this place. And I want to see it and experience Bencab Museum with my family.
Bencab Museum is a four-level building nestled at a mountaintop situated at Km 6 Asin Road, Tadiangan, Tuba, Benguet. This is the residence of our National Artist Ben Cabrera. Bencab Museum has a restaurant and a garden inside. If you have plenty of time you can schedule an eco-trail, a tour guide will assist you for a small fee. Getting up here is quite a challenge because of its location and the long and winding road.
Before exploring the museum We first had our lunch at Cafe Sabel- the inhouse restaurant of the Bencab Museum. Cafe Sabel has a nice laid back vibe overlooking the mountains and the Bencab Garden.
Sabel's Burger is mouthwatering and juicy delicious.
Chicken Cacciatore approved by our picky eater daughter Anika. The sauce in this dish is so good my husband ordered an extra toast for this.
There Lasagna is also good and heavenly. I love cheesy dishes. It soothes my cheese cravings.
Panini. I have not eaten this because my eldest daughter finished this meal entirely on her own. I am guessing this is good also.
After our delicious lunch in Cafe Sabel. We explored the garden first since this is much closer to the Cafe Sabel.
Photo courtesy of Bencab Museum
Photo courtesy of Bencab Museum
The pond in the garden has many interesting living creatures. Anika and Alexis were excited to discovered shrimps, fishes and tadpoles growing and living in the pond.
We enjoyed our time in the garden seeing koi fishes swimming in the pond.
After the seeing the breathtaking view of the garden and the mountains We explored the museum and saw Bencab's painting and other artists artworks.
We love Bencab Museum for showcasing our National Artist work of art and other local artists artworks. Bencab Museum is proudly showcasing the Filipino talents and ingenuity.
It has also had the best views of the mountain and has an astounding restaurant and garden. I love to come back here and explore their eco-trail someday.
Here is the entrance fee for the Bencab Museum:
Regular Fee: PHP 150
Students: PHP 120
Senior Citizens and PWDs: PHP 100
Baguio is literally heaven on Earth. It has a unique culture and exciting sights to discover.
The people here are generally friendly and inviting. I know I have numerous places to unravel and unique food to taste. And the weather here is so nice and comforting that I will always be missing Baguio.
We experienced Baguio for 2 days. We have seen a lot of wonderful places for a very reasonable price and an amazing deal. And most importantly our journey was safely made possible by our expert driver Mr. Rey Desierto and our dependable tour coordinator Ms. Liza de Gorio. If you are planning to unwind and stay in Baguio you can reach Ms. Liza on her page Lakwatsera Life. You can also see Onefinity Travels and catch great travel deals.
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