Baguio City Thread 11

[~ anna ~]

Meron bang naka-try na pumunta ng Baguio na mag-isa lang?  I've been thinking of going there for a  few days pero nahihirapan ako maghanap ng kasama.  Okay lang sa akin kahit solo trip lang to, though I admit na much cheaper sana ang accommodations if may kahati and it's good to have a travel companion especially in case there's an emergency.  I'm just concerned if safe ba na umakyat dun and mag-libot on my own.

It's been years since my last Baguio trip, and every Baguio trip I've been on e minimum 5 people kami and may dalang car, so very little lang yung safety concerns and walang problems kahit sa labas ng city limits yung pupuntahan.  This time, it looks like ako lang mag-isa and mag-cocommute lang ako.

Alam ko sa palengke maraming mandurukot and may snatchers din sa Burnham and Wright Park.  How about yung paglilibot sa ibang areas like papuntang BenCab, Bell church, Botanical Garden, ukay, PMA, etc.?  Plano ko mag-ikot ng Baguio and itry din yung local foodspots pati yung night market.  Gusto ko sulitin yung time ko so I plan to be out day and night.  The question is, safe ba?  I'd really appreciate your feedback on this, especially sa mga sis na taga-Baguio and those who've done the trip on their own.  I don't wanna get mugged, and if this trip isn't a good idea e I might not take it na lang.

[PinKisH_23]

^ Sis I love going to Baguio alone. Twice ko na nagagawa, once in 2010 and just last year. Safe naman. Nag bus lang ako. No plans at all but I brought my laptop and SLR, left the laptop sa hotel then cab lang sa mga pasyalan. I just went sa Wright Park and from there nilakad ko to Bayan, mahilig kasi ako mag photo walk so mas marami akong nacapture na photos by going alone. Sa palengke naman basta wag ka lang magmukhang tourist di ka naman nila pag iinteresan. Just walk normal. Ang dami ko pa napamiling ukay, ofcourse I didn't bring my cam na there.

[zelda]

Sis Anna, keri lang ang solo trip!  I did it once para lang i-enjoy ang place. I had my DSLR with me all the time (inside my backpack). My money is placed in a secret pocket inside my bag so safe sya.

True, iwasan lang magmukhang turista. My brother studied in Baguio so may idea na ako somehow sa normal getup ng mga lokal. Just make sure na you leave your gadgets (except cam) sa hotel and as usual iwasan mag-text sa daan.

[swtgrl_bee]

Wow, thank you sa heads up. I didn't know na ganun pala na din sa Baguio. Yung sinasabi niyo sisses na palengke yung bilihan ng mga pasalubong diba?

Good to know ito, kasi commute lang kami.

[~ anna ~]

@PinKisH_23 and zelda:

Thanks mga sis for your replies   Glad that you were able to enjoy your fun and safe solo trip sa Baguio.

Simple lang naman ako magdamit, wala akong balak magsuot ng designer stuff and I hardly ever wear jewelry, so I don't think makakatawag-pansin ako in that area.  What do you mean though when you say na wag magmukhang tourist?  Hindi naman ako magbubuklat ng mapa ng Baguio while out in public, but what are the things to avoid para di halatang tourist ako?

Hindi kasi ako marunong ng local dialect ng Baguio, and while I won't talk to strangers as much as possible, hindi ba magiging obvious na tourist ako pag narinig nila na nagta-Tagalog ako, like pag mag-oorder ng pagkain, etc.?  Ano yung normal getup ng locals?  Balak ko lang kasi simpleng t-shirts, jeans and sneakers pati siguro maong na jacket, maybe shades and cap kung super maaraw.  Enough na ba to to blend in with the local crowd?

So sa experience niyo safe naman na magtake ng pictures kahit mag-isa lang sa labas, good to know kasi one of my concerns is baka manakawan ako ng phone or ng camera while taking pics during my trip.  Na-try niyo na ba lumabas sa Baguio na kayo lang pag gabi?  May mga coffee places daw kasi dun that have local bands playing at night, so naisip ko to check these out.  Meron din daw ukay na night market.  Or much better ba kung sa umaga na lang ako mag-ukay, same lang din kaya ang prices?

Magcocommute lang ako the whole trip, and medyo apprehensive ako about commuting alone at night sa Baguio, alam ko may areas dun na halos walang tao and sasakyan na dumadaan pag gabi na, and I remember kung gaano kakapal ang fog at times.

[hyder0926]

Hi Sisses. will go to Baguio on Mar 13-15.. Can you check my iti below.. im open to suggestions.. first time namin mag asawa dun with our 4yr old son.

Thanks in advance.

DAY 1 - FRIDAY

8:00 am:    Breakfast at 50’s Diner
09:00 am:    Botanical Garden / The Mansion / Wright / Park Riding Circle / Mines   
      View Park / Good Shepherd Convent
12:00 pm:    Lunch at Camp Ketchup Food Community
01:00 pm:   Strawberry Fields trip to La Trinidad
03:00 pm:   Camp John Hay / Historical Core / Butterfly Sanctuary / Scout Hill /   
      EcoTrail
07:00 pm:   Dinner / Night Out at Session Rd – Don Henrico’s


DAY 2 - SATURDAY

08:00 am:    Breakfast at Good Taste Restaurant
09:00 am:    Burnham Park / Baguio Cathedral / Lourdes Grotto/ Easter Weaving Room
12:00 nn:   Lunch at Zola Cafe
01:00 pm:   BenCab Museum / Woodcarvers Village
03:00 pm: PMA
07:00 pm:   Dinner / Night Out

DAY 3 - SUNDAY

07:00 am:   Mass at St. Joseph the Worker
08:00 am: Breakfast sa Session Rd area
09:00 am: Souvenir Shopping: Baguio City Market / Session Road
12:00 nn: Check-out of your Baguio Hotel

[blackgreen]

^sis parang masyado hectic day 1 niyo considering na meron kayo 4 y/o. Paano transpo niyo transfer sa mga tourist spots?

[andreil_19]

Aside from taxi, paano papunta ng La Presa?

[hyder0926]

@blackgreen - we will rent a car/ taxi siguro..

masyado ba hectic? hehe.. wanted to cover more ground sana.. my son is super active so im thinking kaya nya eto.. haha

[blackgreen]

^kasi sis yun morning niyo 6 spots agad in 3 hours so parang 30 mins lang per spot eh siyempre may travel time. Parang amazing race labas nun sis. Doable naman kaya lang pagdating sa isang spot picture picture lang tapos alis na agad.

[zelda]

@ sis Hyder0926, agree with another sis here. Parang hectic, esp your pm sched. Strawberry Farm then Camp John Hay? Totally opposite direction, even when you have a car. So, true na picture taking lang kayo sa place nun if ever.  Maybe it's just me, I really prefer to go to the farm in the morning.

Anyway, goodluck.  Nakaka-miss din umakyat.

[hyder0926]

Thanks sisses sa insight.. last ata ako nakapunta dun 2009 pa.. will revisit my iti. changes in plans din. ako at baby ko with my mom muna akyat ng friday morning at sunod na lang hubby after office hrs.
 

[blackgreen]

^yup sis. Revisit mo yun day 1 iti.

We will be in Baguio again this weekend. Sana malamig pa. Bumili na kami ticket last week nagulat ako nasa 4th row na yun nabili namin.

[solepurplelife]

Been to La Presa last Monday. Aside sa Forevermore site, sobrang ganda din ng view from there!

Kaso medyo nakaka disappoint ang ilang locals. Simula sa road paakyat may maniningil ng 25php each as per New Ordinance daw. Okay lang naman kasi diba parang katulad lang din ng environmental fee sa ibang travel destinations. Kaso ilan sa mga kasama ko sinabihan na daw ng mga nakausap nila sa City na 25php per vehicle ang totoong dapat singil at panigurado sisingilin kami ng 25php each, and the driver we hired was in La Presa nga daw last January and per vehicle naman daw ang binayad nya at hindi nga per individual. Syempre kung feeling mo niloloko ka diba kahit you can pay naman the said amount ee nakakainis pa rin. The convo between our driver and "municipal staff" daw was like:

Staff: Hi Sir, need po magbayad ng 25 each as per new ordinance
Driver: Ee dumaan ako nung January lang hindi naman per head ang bayad?
Staff: Per head po ang bayad madami po kayo pero sige po para sa apat na tao na lang ang bayaran nyo, 100 pesos na lang ho. (We're group of 15)

So we are like what? Kung totoo man yung Ordinance na yun pati sila hindi nila sinusunod. Besides wala din nakapaskil na per head ang bayad para sana malinaw. Kung sana mapupunta talaga sa pagpapaayos ng lugar yung binabayad ng tourist, kaso mukhang hindi.

Then pababa ng La Presa we saw this big tarpaulin na may "Welcome to Sitio La Presa" so nagpapicture kami. Afterwards may naniningil 10 pesos per head daw sa mga nagpapicture sa tarpaulin. Hahaha! Bawat kembot may bayad aa.

Para kasing sobra pagkakitaan ang tourist. Kasi diba hindi lang din naman ang view ang binabalikbalikan mo sa isang place, kasama na dun yung how the locals treat yung mga nagbabakasyon. Sana isolated case lang yung nangyari samin.

[Madness]

Ang alam ko naman sis, this is last january lang ha, per head talaga ang bayad. Kase I remember we went there and yun ang singil sa amin. Free ang senior citizen at kids.

[pretty_B]

Hi girls! Any recommended inn or transient house near Baguio Crown Legacy? along Kisad Road? I lived in Baguio during my college days pero di ako familiar sa mga transient house eh. 5+pax kasi to stay from 4-5days so mas makakatipid ang transient house. TIA!

[zelda]

@solepurplelife: Yours is not an isolated case. It seems everything has its fee in La Presa.
http://jpfenix.net/2015/02/03/sm-baguio-pine-issue-nothing-compared-to-la-presa-destruction/

I read this, and umayon naman lahat ng siningil sa yo. LOL

Siguro pag umakyat ulit ako, if meron pang La Presa, pupunta ako dyan.  I think, this is a momentary place.

[bagaholic_chewy]

Nung kami, per head din siningil. Pero when I said, "wow, 50 each?!". She said, sige po, kayong 2 na lang ni sir. Libre naman po yung baby tsaka mga yaya. So we paid php100..

I understand na kelangan ng environmental fee. Pero medyo mahal nga. Sana per vehicle na lang. Oks lang siguro php100/vehicle.

[hann-hann]

sino na naakapagstay dito sa microtel? okay pa ba yung rooms?

[hyder0926]

Hello sis black green.

san ka bili ng ticket? sa victory liner? do i need to go to cubao? commute kase kami ng March 13 madaling araw sana.