Baguio City is the summer capital of the Philippines. Located in northern Luzon, Baguio City was established by the Americans in 1909, It is sited about 1,500 meters above sea level, high in the Cordillera mountain range giving the city an almost temperate climate. Baguio is a favorite vacation destination of Filipinos & foreign tourist specially during summer because of its year-round cool climate. It is also known as an educational center with its 4 universities and several colleges and institutes in Baguio City’s 49 square kilometer area.

The centrepiece of Baguio City is the Burnham Park which features a rectangular lagoon and open fields. The eastern part of the city is dominated by high-class residential areas surrounding the Camp John Hay, a former American military recreation zone now turned into a tourist residential-commercial area.

 

Baguio as known for being one of the cleanest and greenest cities in the country, Baguio is certainly a great vacation spot to relax and enjoy the beauty and the culture of the city. On the way to Baguio where the "Kennon Road" is , the zigzagging path previews the scenic highlights of the city. Along the 32-kilometer highway are the Bridal Veil and Colorado waterfalls. There are many tourist destination that Baguio can offer that surely captivate your heart. 

 

 

The three main access roads leading to Baguio from the lowlands are Kennon Road, Marcos Highway, and Naguilian Highway. Kennon Road starts from Rosario, La Union and winds through a narrow, steep valley. This is the fastest route to Baguio but is dangerous, with landslides during the rainy season.

 

Marcos Highway, which starts from Agoo, La Union, and Naguilian Highway, which starts from Bauang, La Union, are longer routes but are safer than Kennon Road and are the preferred routes for coaches, buses and lorries. With its charter in 1909, Baguio is not a part of the Benguet province, though geographically speaking it's located in the said province. 

 

 

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

From Manila

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.
 
From Clark airport

Partas Bus operates a bus service that stops at Clark airport and heads north from there, departing the airport at 5:00 PM. Get off at Sison (arrival there around 8:00 PM) and cross the road to the restaurant stop opposite and get on a Victory Liner bus that does a dinner stop there. The fare from Clark airport to Sison on Partas Bus is 193 pesos, then from there by Victory Liner to Baguio is an additional 90 pesos. Travel time is 3 hours Clark to Sison, then 1 1/2 hours Sison to Baguio, plus some waiting time at Sison.


Asian Spirit (As of June 2007)flies Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday 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 6,000 pesos.

The only motorway from Manila to the south to get to Baguio via car is using the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) which extends until Sta. Ines, Pampanga and there is no more motorway beyond this, only narrow roads such as the McArthur Highway. Visitors need to pass through the provinces of Pampanga, Tarlac and Pangasinan to get to Baguio quickly from Manila and the south.

 

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 taking only 30-45 minutes to climb from the foot of the mountain, Marcos Highway takes upto 1 hour to climb 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 are 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. Visitors need to keep in mind that it will it takes at average 6-7 hours to get to Baguio by car, it takes much longer during holiday weekends like Holy Week. 

 

Baguio Festival: 

 

A host of activities make Panagbenga something to remember: the people, sounds, sights, touch, smells of the Festival. It begins with "Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom", which captures the community spirit and sets the tone that echoes throughout the Festival. Then, the Floral and Float Parades resonate with feet dancing to gongs echoing sounds of long ago. At the same time, bands play the Festival hymn as floats fashioned with flowers glide down the parade route.

  

Moreover, Flowerscape in various guises showcases flowers which blend colors and shapes with nature's perfumes. The Market Encounter and Session Road in Bloom provide opportunities for commerce and fellowship while activities like the Pony Boys' Day lend and air of pageantry and provide a sense of history. Together, the make Panagbenga an event worth an annual trip to Baguio.