You want to go to Baguio City?

I know, it is almost summer already and Baguio City (being the country's Summer Capital) is always part of the list of places people wants to go to. If you've never been there before, then I guess one of the reasons you haven't visited yet is because you worry about your budget. Well, let me share to you my experience as a lonely traveler in the City of Pines.

I went to Baguio just few days ago to celebrate my birthday. I was worried my budget will not be enough because being a tourist haven, I was expecting everything to be expensive in Baguio. Well, I'm glad my fears were unfounded.

here are some things you have to remember first before going there.

First of all, if you are here in the Philippines, check out the airline websites first before you book for your tickets. Usually there are promo fares that you can avail which would greatly lower your travel expense. You can visit the Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines website, they usually have great offers all year round.

After booking your trip online, look for a place to stay in. It would be best to book in advance since summer is a peak season for Baguio and most hotels and transient houses are fully booked. Rates are of course higher on these months but you can still find affordable lodgings in the city.

For me, I stayed at Villa Lourdes. It's a transient house within walking distance from the grotto. Taxis and Jeepneys also pass by in front of the house so transportation will not be a problem. I only paid P500/night for my room. It already has cable TV, private toilet and bathroom (with hot shower), two beds, and a great view of the city at night. My friend said there are more affordable places to stay in as well. Just check out websites such as sulit.com.ph--- these houses are usually posted there.

view from my room.

When all of that is done, start packing! I hope in your excitement, you will not make the same mistake as i did. Do not bring a lot of clothes if you like ukays and shopping because Baguio has a lot of Ukay-ukays which way cheaper than anything I've seen so far. Shoes, jackets, clothes, you name it and you can have it.

There are a lot of buses to and from Baguio City. You can check out Victory liner website @ victoryliner.com to check out the rates and schedules of their buses--- it is best to know these things in advance. Fare so far is P445 for regular aircon bus.

Flag down for cabs is at P35 but don't worry, the only time I paid for more than P100 is when I went to PMA which is far from the city. Baguio is actually a small city but most roads are for One Way only so when you go to your destination via a cab, you can get a free tour of the city as well since the cab will have to follow specific routes for every destination.

Souvenir items are really affordable as well. You can purchase it at a really low price at the Botanical Garden, City market, Mines View park and even in PMA. In fact, most tourist destinations there have kiosks dedicated for souvenirs so you will not have a hard time looking for it. The advantage as well of having these many souvenir shops is that, prices are really low for almost all items.

As for me, I bought a lot of things for pasalubong --- shirts, jackets, trinkets and what-nots--- and even went for ukay-ukay and bought a lot of jackets. Guess what, i only spent P4000 in my entire stay in Baguio City. That already includes cab fares, meals, and pasalubongs!

See, you don't actually need a lot of money to visit Baguio city. A tip: you can save more if you customize your destinations than getting a tour package. Check various websites for Baguio and choose only the places you really want to see and go there. Buy your souvenirs in bulks instead of individually so you can get more.  If you know someone from there, ask them for advise for lodgings and places to visit and the best itinerary to follow. Much better-- buy a tourist map of Baguio city and plan out to great Baguio escapade!



As for me, next stop: BOHOL.