Towards the turn of the 20th
century, the American city planner Daniel Burnham carved
on a valley in the upland Cordillera region of northern
Luzon a summer recreational center, the city of Baguio.
With its nippy climate and pleasant mountain scenery,
Baguio is a favored destination among artists,
honeymooners and others looking for a cool retreat. It
is also a faith healing haven and a university town.
Also nestled within the Central Cordillera mountain
range is the postcard-pretty town of Banaue. Banaue’s
claim to fame are the rice terraces - part of the 20,000
hectares of engineering marvel that also span the towns
of Hungduan, Mayoyao and Kiangan. The terraces were
built more than 2,000 years ago by the Ifugao tribe,
using only their bare hands and crude implements.
Inscribed in the World Heritage List, this "8th
Wonder of the World" serves as a living testament to
man’s genius at turning a rugged and forbidding terrain
into a continuing source of sustenance. Baguio and
Banaue are anchor tourist destinations and part of the
7,000 times more islands that make up the Philippine
archipelago.
Baguio of Leisurely Pursuits
One of the cleanest and greenest cities in the
country, Baguio is made for sightseeing. And for strolls
and boat rides and gentle trots around the park. And for
golf. Kennon Road, completed in 1905, opened Baguio to
tourism. The zigzagging path previews the scenic
highlights of the city. Along the 32-kilometer highway
are the Bridal Veil and Colorado waterfalls. Synonymous
with Baguio is Burnham Park. Located in the heart of the
city, the park’s features include a man-made lagoon
ideal for boat rides, a skating rink, an athletic field
and stadium, basketball and tennis courts, a biking
zone, tree-and-flower lined promenades, and a plant
market.
A popular golfing destination, the city takes pride
in its Baguio Country Club and Camp John Hay. What used
to be the rest-and-recreation base of American military
personnel, the Camp is being transformed into a
world-class resort and is also Baguio’s biggest pine
tree conservation area. Its newly refurbished 18-hole
golf course rivals that of the Country Club which has
pretty garden-patched cottages surrounding its fairways.
Ornate iron gates open to the Mansion House, the
official summer residence of Philippine presidents. It
offers tourists with great photo opportunities with its
rectangular reflecting pool along a tree-lined walkway.
It also houses a museum of presidential memorabilia.
Near the Mansion House is Wright Park where neophyte
riders can trot around an oval track guided by trainers
who lead horses with a hand-held leash. At the Mines
View Park, tourists can have a panoramic view of the old
mines of Benguet. At the park entrance is a flea market
for souvenir items.
Sitting on top of a hill in Upper Session Road is the
twin-spire Baguio Cathedral, a city landmark. Another
pilgrimage site is the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes
which sits on top of Dominican Hill. Devotees prefer to
climb the 252-step ascent than drive through a winding
road to reach the shrine. Bell Church holds a religious
service of mixed Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian and
Christian dogmas but tourists come here to have their
fortunes told.
Located on an elevated pine-forested ground is the
Philippine Military Academy, the country’s foremost
military learning institution. Its Saturday morning
Parade in Review by cadets in full regalia never fails
to attract visitors. Also within campus is a Military
Museum. A cultural haven established by noted Baguio
artist BenCab, Tam-awan Village recreates a typical
ethnic village in the Cordilleras with authentic tribal
homes uprooted from their original locations and re-set
on similar terrain. There is also an art
gallery-cum-coffee shop.
Banaue of Painterly Dreams
Because of its high altitude, Banaue is often
described as "where land merges with the clouds to meet
the heavens" with the rice terraces as "the stairway to
the sky."
Banaue is a place for nature adventures and cultural
immersion. Days are for indulging in such activities as
strolling, biking, and trekking. Evenings are for
campfire chats at a village or warm indoor cosseting at
the lodges and inns.
A leading tourism destination in Asia, the Banaue
rice terraces start from the base of the Cordilleras and
reach up to several thousand feet high. Its length, if
stretched from end to end, could encircle half of the
globe. The rice paddies are fed by mountain springs and
streams that are channeled into an irrigation canal that
runs downhill through the terraces. In the village of
Batad, the terraces take the shape of an amphitheater
and can be reached by a 12-kilometer ride from Banaue
Hotel and a 2-hour hike through mountain trails.
After trekking through the terraces, cool retreats
indeed are the spring-fed stream of Guihob and the
magnificent Tappiya Waterfalls which has an enormous
basin for swimming. Shopping takes a different twist in
Banaue. While souvenir items are offered by curio
stores, the more exciting way to shop, however, is to go
on a village visit, watch a family demonstrate their
native craft and then haggle for a better price on their
product.
Island Flavors
It has been said that there is only one kind of
lucrative business in Baguio, and that is dining. This,
of course, is overly exaggerated but then who can
question this wisdom with the proliferation of food
places offering all kinds of eats in this tiny city!
Star Café along Lower Session Road is noted for its
excellent breads and pies and fine Chinese cuisine while
the adjoining Dainty Restaurant has the best coffee in
town and good noodles, too. For really great
old-fashioned breakfasts, check out Casa Vallejo at the
Upper Session Road. New Bonuan at the Happy Glen Loop,
Jade Restaurant along Marcos Highway and Barrio Fiesta
at the Upper Session Road are where you can partake of
home-cooked native cooking. Kalapaw Restaurant in
Chuntug Street specializes in grilled squids and tuna
jaws. Inn Rocio in Kisad Road dishes out Continental
food, Mario’s Restaurant in Upper Session Road has good
steaks, great Caesar’s Salad, and decadent cakes. And
the artsy Café by the Ruins in Chuntug Street serves
eclectic, seasonal dishes. At the Hotel Monticello in
Kennon Road, Hakuun Sanso Restaurant serves authentic
Japanese cuisine while 50’s Diner specializes in
traditional American staples. Rose Bowl Steak House and
Restaurant in Harrison Road offers an international fare
of Chinese, American and Filipino dishes. The local food
chain Don Henrico’s has its beginnings at the Upper
Session Road and serves yummy pastas and pizzas.
While Baguio bursts at the seams with restaurants,
one has a limited choice in Banaue where most dining
outlets are found in the mountain inns and lodges.
Banaue Hotel has theme restaurants and offers catering
services for picnic meals.
Souvenir Hunting
