In 2019, the start of my third year at college was fast approaching. I was bored and burnt out from the previous semester. Although working a summer job had kept me occupied, the anxiety and dread of the coming semester was smothering me and a vacation was much needed. I could not have been happier when my parents said that we would be taking one to the Philippines, specifically a few days in the City of Baguio.
Located within the Province of Benguet, Baguio is labelled as the “Summer Capital of the Philippines’’ due to its cool weather.
The city is located 1,470 metres above mean sea level and is also known as the “City of the Pines” and at a height of 1,540 metres in the Luzon tropical pine forests ecoregion, which enables the growth of mossy plants, orchids and pine trees.
Until my trip, the city had seemed unreachable, something that I had only ever dreamt about visiting after watching old movies and documentaries. Four years since that trip, I still find myself looking back at one of the most memorable trips I had ever had with my family. What were the best parts about it?
The cold weather
When you think about the Philippines, one of the things that might immediately come to mind is the heat. My relatives would often remark at how jealous they were of Macau’s autumn and winter seasons as it offered a temporary reprieve from its scorching summers. Travelling to Baguio was a way for both them and my family to escape the heat and experience cooler weather. According to the website “Philippines Travel”, average temperatures range from 15-23 degrees, noting that the city “rarely experiences temperatures higher than 26°C even during the warmest parts of the year”.
The initial feeling of being greeted by a cool breeze after stepping out of a rented van packed with excited relatives and young cousins was an unforgettable part of the trip. It was what made activities like exploring, walking around and even trekking much more bearable. To end a long day of fun activities and going from attraction to attraction, everyone would gather in the living room of our homestay with a hot beverage. The TV would be on, but not a single person paid attention to anything but the conversations that they were having. At that point, an indoor heater, warm clothes, and a hot beverage weren’t the only things that kept everybody warm.
The activities and attractions
Having spent around four days in the city, there was no shortage of things to do. We visited attractions such as the Lion’s Head statue, a night market for cheap deals and great street food and a Catholic shrine called Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, which has visitors climb a long stairway. The official number of steps is 252, according to the “Guide to the Philippines” website. With Baguio also being known for strawberries, we did not miss out on trying strawberry related treats and even visiting a strawberry farm.
Nature walks were also a big part of the trip and I even had the chance to take a heart-pounding ride at Tree Top Adventure, which offers a few rides for those seeking thrills while enjoying nature. As a lover of horror and suspense, the place I looked forward to visiting the most, however, was the Diplomat Hotel, an abandoned building with a dark history and which is supposedly a haunted spot.
My trip to Baguio with my family is one of the most memorable ones I have ever had. It was an opportunity to clear my mind after an exhausting year at university, as well as a chance to be with my family and explore a part of the Philippines that I had always wanted to visit. It truly was a great experience, one that became my favourite summer vacation.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
