I have always wanted to try traveling solo. I dream to become a backpacker and see the world and wander and decide for myself where home is. But things, as always, happen. It’s like I was suddenly living a life tied up with circumstances that I can never change. Circumstances that do not allow me to live as I see fit. Suddenly, I felt old. It was like one day I woke up and reality hit me, brutally hard, on the face. When did I let myself get tangled up in this toxic adult life? Going to work five to six days a week, spending the weekends doing chores and errands. Repeat. It was so frustrating. It was a routine. It was lethal. I had to stop doing it. So one day I woke up, packed my bags and rode that bus going to Baguio. And man, I’m telling you it was liberating. It was worth it.
So here are the things that I’ve learned on this trip:
1) You do not need an expensive hotel to stay at, especially if you’re out on the streets for most of the day. In Baguio, there are a lot of transient homes and dormitories/hostels that are cheap but have good reviews. You may book and check with Agoda. I’ve seen dormitories that offer P500 or less for one night, while a standard room in hotels range from P1k to P3k per night.
I would’ve booked for a bedspace in a dormitory but I had a last minute cold feet about the idea. Roughly two years ago, I had a horrible experience of bed bugs in a condo in Makati which costed me a fortune, thus my kaartehan when it comes to beds. My skin is very sensitive to insect bites and the scars have not fully healed yet. I do not want to risk it. Cringe. Also, if you are a sucker for soft fluffy beds and have no itinerary (and are considering to just waste away on a bed in a hotel), and for the life of it cannot YET stand the thought of common bathrooms, then you may opt for the more expensive ones. Yep, I have so many issues that i hope I could move on from so I could stay a little longer in the places I wish to visit. Comfort doesn’t have to come too high a price (I wish).
While I’m at it, I would recommend the place that I stayed at: Casa Vallejo. Located at the Upper Session Road, the place is accessible and is near SM Baguio, Burnham Park, Baguio Museum, Harrison Road (where there’s a night market from 9pm to 12 midnight), and different restaurants and spas. I booked this through Agoda for 2k per night (expensive for a solo traveler but not so much if you have someone to split the costs with). The room comes with a bathroom with hot and cold shower, a television with sky cable, and complimentary breakfast for two at The Hill Station. Check-in time is at 2:00pm while check-out is at 12PM. I was surprised though that Casa Vallejo doesn’t have any airconditioned rooms. They just have these giant wooden ceiling fans installed in each room. Nevertheless, you won’t be needing the ACs since it’s plenty cold already. Must add, friendly staff too!
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| Casa Vallejo |
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| giant ceiling fan |
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| standard room for 2pax |
There are three choices for the free breakfast at The Hill Station, Pinoy Style, Country style & Omelette. The meal comes with either coffee or juice. The regular cost of the meal is P200.
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| by the window @ The Hill Station |
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Omelette with bacon & onions, potatoes & bread
with strawberry jam + butter on the side |
2) Google maps is the best companion, ever. Download it in the app store NOW. It got me to places and saved me from the trouble of searching blindly. I walked around the city proper since the hotel I was staying at is in a good location. Saved me a lot of taxi fares too. If possible, try to learn how to commute via jeepneys. The jeepney terminals are located at the public market. I still recommend taxis though especially if you’re traveling as a group. Taxi drivers in Baguio (in my experience) are very disciplined and would not ask for you to pay more than what is stated in the meter (unlike in Manila…). When I went to Ben Cab Museum, I asked for the driver to wait for me while I roam around because based on online blogs that I’ve read, it’s hard to get a ride back to Burnham Park - which I could kind of attest to considering that when I got there, there were groups of people hailing my cab. Even when I was leaving, a lot of people are outside waiting for a ride back.
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| Entrance to the BenCab ecotrail |
Here are some of my favorite pieces in the museum: (I won't be posting much. You are encouraged to go see the beauties for yourself! :) )
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"I think, therefore I am." - R. Descartes
Thinking Man |
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| Gaze |
3) Check the hourly weather forecast on your travel dates. This is so you could plan where you would be if the rain falls. With this being said, ensure that you go to Tam-Awan Village BEFORE the rainfall. The Garden in the Sky is a refreshing experience, though the climb was really physically exhausting, and muddy too. After exploring the village, I treat myself to a strawberry shake and Tam-Awan Cafe’s pride: Highlander Pasta. The pasta is a 4/5 for me! It’s oil based, with lots of tomatoes, plus smoked meat too!
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| Exploring Tam-Awan! |
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| The Dreamer: Exhibit at the Tam-Awan Village |
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| Tam-Awan Village: Garden in the Sky |
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| Rest mode @ View Deck 1 after an exhausting climb |
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| DREAAAAM CATCHERRRRR :)))) |
Well instead of eating it in the confines of a coffee shop, I had the Highlander Pasta wrapped for take out so I could eat my lunch under the tree at Burnham Park.
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| Highlander Pasta P220 |
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| Burnham Park |
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| Swan Lake @ Burnham Park; Brownish water is due to the rain |
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One of the few times I wish I know how to ride a bike
@ Burnham Park |
4) Put your money in different places: have some in your bag, in your pocket, in your wallet, heck even in your undies if you want to. Just don’t put it all in one place. First, this is so when you lose your wallet or something, you will still have enough money to go back home. And second, this is an additional measure so I could restrain myself from splurging too much. Hehe! It works!
5) Do not wear slippers or sandals. Wear comfortable shoes please. Have pity on your soles. You may travel with style but my dear, how could you enjoy the beauty that is not you if you are constantly worrying about your dying feet? I wore my sneakers during my trip but hell I’d be wearing rubber shoes the next time I go here!
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| theviewfromwhereistand |
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| "Mabato man ang daan, hinding hindi kita iiwan" whuuut #hugot |
6) It’s okay to stick on a budget when traveling, but I hope you’re not spoiling your happiness by keeping tabs in everything you spend.
7) When it comes to food, GO OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE! You do not go to Cafe by the Ruins and order pesto or spaghetti meatballs, you have them in cafes at your hometown! Eat food that are not available elsewhere. Eat food that are tatak Baguio.
Cafe by the Ruins is a 10-minute walk from the hotel. Well, the weather is cold so walking for 10mins with a sweater on is okay. :)
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| Cafe by the Ruins |
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| Iced Ruins Coffee & Chicken Adobo Terrine |
While waiting for the night market to open at 9pm, I went to Majic Oven (1minute walk from Casa Vallejo) and tried their strawberry cake. It was really cheap, costed around P70 if I remember it right.
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| Strawberry Cake + Tea @ Majic Oven |
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| Nightmarkets in Baguio also mean... foodtrip! |
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| Try their binatog. It's good! |
You may also want to try Tsokolateria's champorado! The cafe opened 2015 and is located at the higher upper session road, near Casa Vallejo.
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| Champorado with bacon, chicharon & espada on the side! |
And of course, the visit won't be complete without the famous strawberry taho! I was able to buy one at the Mines View Park.
Wish I could’ve stayed a little longer. I’m sure to go back here one day soon and try the other cafes I haven’t had the luxury to visit, as well as go to Sagada (where broken hearts go). Lol. Nevertheless, it was an awesome experience! But like all other life moments, this, too, shall end.
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| Chasing the sunset. MNL bound by 6PM. |
Love,
Cheng
PS. I am very thankful to the Lord for taking care of me this whole trip. It was not possible without His guidance. To tell you the truth, I am a coward when it comes to sleeping in hotels alone. I had to turn on the TV the whole night and watch Adventure Time haha! You had no idea how much courage I needed to pursue this life goal. Now that I did it, I am looking forward to more solo travels in the future! (But first, I have to find a job so I can finance myself :P)
Anyway, here's a breakdown of the costs/expenses:
Fare from Cubao to Baguio and Baguio to Cubao: P1,000
Hotel (Casa Vallejo - 2k per night) P2,000
BenCab + Baguio Museum + Tam Awan Entrance P200
Taxi Fare (BenCab, Tam-Awan & Mines View) P500
Food and others est. P1,300
