Travel Tips for Baguio Visitors
Traveling to Baguio City is not much different from visiting other cities in the Philippines in that all the modern conveniences are available as Baguio is an urban center that just happens to be set in a beautiful natural landscape.
However, Baguio City is not your typical Philippine destination as it is located about 1,524 meters above sea level.
In a country like the Philippines that boasts of 7,107 islands, one would not expect temperatures that reach as low as 7˚C in December and January.
Although beaches are just an hour away, bikinis and tank tops should not be the first items on your "What to Pack" list. We do have swimming pools and hot springs present at the base of Asin and Kennon roads.
What to Pack
- Jacket or Sweater
- Headgear (hat or cap)
- Sunglasses (clear blue skies we have)
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Outdoor clothes
- Scarf of shawl
- An umbrella (for when it rains, and for when the sun shines)
- Eveningwear (the night life can be pretty good)
- Specific outfits & gear to match your favorite recreational activity: golf, horseback riding, skating, swimming (fine, bring the bikini), biking, paintball, etc.
- A camera, of course
- Now, personal stuff like prescribed medications or your favorite ablutions you do have to bring.
- Toiletry items are available at regular prices at convenience stores.
Before Your Trip
1. Secure lodging accomodations
- During the high season (October to May) it may be hard to find an available suitable room or house for your group if you don't make prior arrangements.
- Avail of discounts offered on off-peak months, June to September.
2. Plan your meals
- if you like to cook, the Baguio City Market offers fresh highland vegetables and meats.
- and if you like to dine out, Baguio can be turned into a culinary adventure (and average checks here are usually lower than elsewhere).
- If you are planning to prepare your own meals, this will also determine what type of lodging you will book for your vacation.
3. Choose the best mode of transportation for you.
- If by public transport - check trip schedules for buses and planes , ask about cancellation & postponement policies, baggage allowances.
- If by private car - load a full tank of gas in Manila, as prices per liter are higher in the provinces (a funny Philippine situation, as the northern oil refineries are in La Union province, 40km away from Baguio City); bring a road atlas, if you can, in case there are unexpected detours along the way; check tire pressure, oil, and water before you hit the highway because the Northern Luzon Expressway Patrol will have your car towed within 30 minutes should it breakdown along the way.
4. Check weather conditions - click this link for a 5-day weather forecast.
Upon Arrival
1. Stop at the nearest tourism or police outpost to get a number coding exemption pass, only if necessary
2. Refuel your car and buy a Baguio City map.
- Climbing up Marcos Highway or Kennon Road will most likely consume about a quarter or half tank of fuel.
- The gas stations in Baguio are almost all located within the Central Business District while your lodging and tourist attractions may not.
- It will be more convenient if you could see the sights and run your errands without having to constantly go back for gas.
3. Check-in into your hotel.
- Standard check-in times are 1:00p.m. to 2:00 p.m. while check-out times are 11:00a.m. to 12:00.
- If you are arriving early, you may want to leave your bags at your hotel or inn, have a spot of lunch, and check-in right after.
4. Plan your activities
- Whether you are a first-time visitor to Baguio or a virtual native, ask your concierge or host what the "must see" sights are for the "what's new in Baguio" gimmicks.
- Ask them to make restaurant reservations for you, or arrange for car rentals, if necessary.
- Any hotel or inn worth staying at should have a resource person accessible to you with that information or those services.
5. Get some cash
-
- Exchange foreign currency at the banks or the Baguio City Market, although most souvenir shops and hotels would be happy to accept US dollars.
- ATM machines are available all over Session Road and at the malls.
- Credit cards are accepted but some smaller stores and inns may not, so cash comes in handy all the time.
- Another advantage of cash is that it makes it easier to haggle at the flea markets when you can actually "show them the money" after agreeing on the price.
- And, when shopping in Baguio, as in other popular tourist destinations, beware of pickpockets.
- Click here for a currency converter so you can check current foreign exchange rates to see how far your tourist dollars will go when converted into Philippine pesos.
Blog Articles
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Before Leaving
1. Gas up and Check Oil, Tire Pressure, Brake Fluid
- A quarter tank should be enough to get you down Kennon Road or Marcos Highway.
- If you want to refuel, there are stations at Rosario, La Union that sell fuel cheaper than in Baguio City.
- In fact, the funny rule in the Philippines seems to be, closer you get to Manila the cheaper gas gets.
- You may want to do all these on the eve of your departure to avoid long lines in city's few gas stations, especially during peak seasons.
2. Check out of your hotel
- Should you wish to stay a few hours longer in Baguio, ask if you could leave your bags with the concierge and come back for them later.
3. Do some last minute souvenir shopping
- Edibles and perishables should be purchased right before leaving Baguio CIty (e.g. strawberries, long-ganisa, ube).
- And should you find that your car is overloaded, or that you can't carry everything home with you on the bus or plane, please know that you can pack these items into large boxes and send them down by freight service to Cubao or Pasay using Victory Liner or Daguban Bus Line at the rate of just 10% of declared value with insurance coverage.
R e l a t e d A r t i c l e s
by Ernesto Zarate
A d v e r t s & L i n k s
Copyright © 2003 - 2008. Creative Native Design Company. All Rights Reserved.
Go Baguio! Your Complete Guide to Baguio City, Philippines
If you're buying strawberries to bring home, please choose those that are as "unripe" as possible as they tend to ripen fast in transit.
You can ask the vendor if you can to pick each strawberry yourself. It'll probably cost about Php20.00 more per kilo, but the extra charge will be worth it!
Finally, if you're bringing down ube jam, make sure you let it cool before closing the lid (ask the vendor if it is freshly cooked or not) as the ube will spoil should you close the lid while it is still hot!
