Baguio

Baguio is a town on the Cordillera mountain range in the middle of the island of Luzon, in the Philippines.

Get in

To get to Baguio from outside of Luzon, one would still need to pass through Manila and from there get to Baguio by either of the following ways:

By bus

This is the most common and economical way to get to Baguio from Metro Manila. Several bus lines ply the Metro Manila to Baguio route with terminals scattered across the metro. It generally takes about 5 hours to get to Baguio by bus. An hour longer than it would by car due to stopovers along the way.

Victory Liner => has hourly bus service to Baguio from its Cubao (+632 727-4534) and Pasay (+632 833-5019 to 20) terminals. Buses are generally modern and air-conditioned but seats are sized generally for Filipinos and tall people would need to take advantage of the various stopovers to stretch their legs. Cost is just under 400 Pesos per person one way.
Dagupan Bus, Edsa cor. New York St., Cubao, Quezon City, Tel. +632 929-6123, 928-5639, 727-2330, 727-2287. Also serves the Manila to Baguio route via its Cubao Terminal. Buses leave on an hourly basis.

By air

Asian Spirit flies daily from Manila to Baguio. The flight takes only 50 minutes and lands in Loakan Airport which is about a 20 minute ride south of the city center. A return ticket costs 3,000 pesos.

By car

As much as driving is not advised for tourists in Manila, it is doubly risky to do it going to Baguio. There are three main routes leading up to Baguio by road, Kennon Road is the shortest, Marcos Highway is 2 hours longer and Naguillan Road is 3 hours longer. All three roads can get blocked by landslides and Kennon Road with its long winding stretches is both scenic and dangerous. If you would be intent on driving to Baguio, it would be best to hire a Filipino driver for this purpose. Most rental car companies in the Philippines offer chauffeur driven rentals in addition to the usual self-driven rentals.

Get around

By jeepney

Similar to Manila, jeepneys ply various routes within Baguio and its immediate surroundings

By taxi

More convenient for tourists perhaps, taxis are also common but once you are in the outskirts may be a bit hard to come by.

See

Camp John Hay => - the former R&R facility for American military personnel during the American occupation. Was turned over to the Philippine Government in 1991. Now under the auspices of the Bases Conversion & Development Authority (BCDA), Camp John Hay is now a sort of country club complete with an 18-hole golf course, horseback riding, camping and many more. A condotel has also been in operation since 2001.
Session Road - the main thoroughfare of Baguio, where most of the city activity is centered.
Mines View Park
Philippine Military Academy

Do

For unknown reasons phallic sculptures in wood or stone are common in gift shops. If you have small children be advised! A popular novelty gift is the man-in-the-barrel. I won't spoil the surprise, but suffice to say the same children advisory applies.

Contact

Internet

In university towns like Baguio, you'll have no trouble finding cheap and fast internet access. Internet access centres have spread like a rash across the town, and on thoroughfares like Session Road you'll see dozens of signs hawking various establishments. Expect to pay 20-30 pesos an hour.