I just realized that in the past few weeks, I covered some cities in the area that I know best: Southeast Asia. Even better, because this week we're going to cover another city in the region. And this time, we're going to the Philippines and talk about Baguio City.
So, after we talked about Sihanoukville and Chiang Rai in the past weeks and some other cities in the Philippines like Angeles City, we're going to talk about how far you could get in Baguio City for $10!
Thanks to Dea of How She Wonders, check out what you could do in the city on the budget!
5 Ways Explore Baguio City Within the $10 Budget (₱480-₱500)
Baguio City is a mountain town 250 km north of Manila, Philippines. It is dubbed as the country's Summer Capital due to its cool, temperate climate. Thousands of visitors flock here to escape the hot and humid Philippine Climate, especially during the summer months.
But not only that it has a cool breeze, Baguio City has a lot more other wonderful things to offer. There are several parks and restaurants that you can visit with friends and family.
Did you know?
Since Chinese New Year is only in 2 days, Baguio City is the city-bound by ordinance to celebrate it to honor its long-stand relationship with the Chinese community in the Philippines. Before the pandemic hit, they seem to always launch the Summer Capital's Spring Festival Celebration and Chinese Lunar New Year every year.
It is also called the City of Pines as lots of evergreen pine trees are found everywhere in the city. You can also savor some locally made strawberry products.
And the best news is that with just a $10 budget, you can already explore many places and have a meaningful and exciting trip!
Motorcycle rental in Baguio is usually ₱500/24hours, but you can also rent one for ₱300/7hours. You can even tag along a friend to split the cost. It's safe, convenient, and exciting!
Explore Baguio City with a motorcycle.
2. Visit attractions with zero entrance fees.
Among the places you can visit for free are Burnham Park, Mines View Park, Wright Park, The Mansion, and Botanical Garden. And covering all these places within a day is completely doable and fun!
Burnham Park is a historic urban park with wide-open spaces. It is the very heart of Baguio City and a perfect place where you can just relax and have fun.
Mines View Park is an overlooking park on the outskirts of Baguio. You will be left in awe by the picturesque view of the mountains surrounding the park.
The Wright Park and The Mansion are two attractions just fronting each other. It's like hitting two birds in one stone when you get here. There's a long pond surrounded by sunflowers at the very entrance. It's great for leisurely walks and picture taking!
Botanical Garden is one of the all-time famous attractions in Baguio. Aside from its greener and colorful scenery, you can also have a glimpse of other Asian countries from here like Korea, China, Japan, and Thailand.
3. Wear traditional Ifugao clothing for $0.5 (₱25).
A Baguio trip wouldn't be complete without trying on traditional Ifugao clothing, it's quite mandatory!
Ifugao is an ethnic community that lives primarily in the Cordillera Region, Northern Luzon. Ifugao came from the term i-pugo which translates to “people of the hill”.
Ifugao clothing rental is available at Mines View Park. There are countless designs and patterns to choose from, and the keepers will assist you on how to put on the clothing properly.
4. Try out Strawberry Taho ($0.6 or ₱30) and Strawberry Ice Cream ($0.6 or ₱30).
Baguio City is famous for its strawberry products, especially strawberry taho and ice cream. Their version is incomparable because it has bits and chunks of real strawberries that are extremely abundant in the city.
The hot and sweet Strawberry Taho is perfect for early chilly mornings to warm your stomach, and the Strawberry ice cream would be great for dessert. You would be able to find vendors literally almost anytime and anywhere within the city!
5. Have a street food adventure at Baguio Night Market.
After the tiresome exploration around the city, you may slow down a bit and enjoy street foods at the night market. There's a wide range of food choices and the prices are cheap!
For instance, you can have a Kebab for $1 (₱50) per stick, and a Shawarma for only $1 (₱50). The Night Market is located along Harrison Road near Burnham Park.
So that's pretty much it! With just $10 in your pocket, you'd be able to enjoy Baguio City and bring home wonderful memories!
Contributor: Dea from How She Wanders.
Dea Mariano is a traveler, foodie, and an electronics engineer based in the Philippines. She shares her travel and food adventures on How She Wanders blog. You can also follow her escapades via Facebook and Instagram.
