The Island Explorer

Located beside the bustling SM City Baguio, Casa Vallejo is one of the oldest hotels in Baguio City. This antique quality is its charm and selling point as well. Opened in 1909, Casa Vallejo is indeed a heritage hotel, that is reminiscent of the American era. In fact, it is already one of the 10 oldest institutions in the Baguio City.

We all know Forest House, that quaint and charming restaurant on the way to Camp John Hay. Forest House has been recognized as one of the best restaurants in Baguio for years now, and recently, I discovered that they offered more than just their great food.

The public market of Baguio City is the best in the country. I have always imagined doing tours here, because the first time I went here, I was enthralled with its maze like layout.

Baguio City is an old tourist destination, which means, most budget hotels are also old. Recently, Baguio has undergone a transformation, with the opening of brand new boutique hotels and designer inns. Though still not at par with those in mountain retreats in Asia (Ubud, Chiang Mai, Cameroon), Baguio is slowly redefining itself as not just a summer capital, but a destination for the jet set.

I love Baguio, like most people do. But nowadays, it's been really stressful there, because of the increasing crowds and traffic. So, when I am in Baguio, I often look for hotels that are far from the maddening central district. I turn my head to Camp John Hay. Although known to be expensive, the manor at Camp John Hay is the perfect hide away for a weekend in Baguio. When I was there for Panagbena and a wedding of a friend, it was fully booked. I had to go to another inside the area. Welcome to the Igorot Lodge. There is another cheap option in John Hay, and that's Mile Hi Inn, but the place creeps me out, so I decided to go to Igorot Lodge which is beside Starbucks, Cantinetta and House of Waffles. The rooms here cost P2,800, still quite expensive for standard accommodation, but the place offers the same peace and ambience of Manor, in a much smaller and simpler scale. For some weird reason, the photo I took of my room got damaged, so I have nothing to show of the interior. B

Oh My Khan is another top drawer in the City of Pines, Baguio. It is located near Cafe by the Ruins and the City Hall. I think there's no big sign, because at first, I couldn't find the place. They told me it was a hit among locals, so, off I go to sample their Mongolian fare. The interior is not impressive, though they tried to put a lot of Mongolian elements, like this glass panel. I was wondering if the owner ran out of Mongolian ideas, and decided to put in Chinese stuff instead. Of course, to us in Manila, a Mongolian Buffet is not new. Mongolian Stop in Galleria Food Court is a good choice for first timers, while the one at Sweet Inspirations in Katipunan Ave has already been deemed a classic. It's hard to tell what buffet is good, since most taste the same given the same sauces. I think the difference lies in the quality of ingredients used. The ingredients of the Mongolian Buffet in Oh My Khan are no doubt fresh. Of course! This is Baguio. The vegetables were pumped

Baguio has had a reputation for being haunted ever since the 1991 earthquake. There are a lot of ghost stories that have been passed on to every visitor. In search of a venue for an activity for an event, we decided to head out to one of the noted haunted sites in Baguio, the place formerly known as the Diplomat Hotel. I don't know much about the Diplomat, only that it was a landmark in the early days. It is now a condemned building, after fires and the earthquake literally put the hotel in ruins. This was the highlight of our trip. The mysterious and eerie sensation that engulfs the entire structure was definitely an experience to remember. The fog was even thick as it has just rained. The place was both picturesque and somber. I was imagining having pictorials and video shoots in the confines of the hotel. The fountain gardens on both wings of the hotel made it look like a scene from the movie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The headless and armless angels on the founta

The Tam-Awan Village near Naguilan Road is one of the best kept secrets of Baguio. Tucked along a steep slope, the Tam-Awan Village is made up of Igorot huts that one can rent for night for as low as P500. This is a very nice option for backpackers who trek up to Baguio. You get to live in actual Igorot huts and experience their culture. The Tam-Awan Village is also a repository of art works. There is an art gallery in the compound that showcases fabulous local work. I wasn't able to take a picture of the gallery, since picture taking wasn't allowed. However, in their shop, there are a lot of a paintings and sculptures that are on display. Sometimes, there are performances here by local artists, musicians, dancers and the like. You could also have yourself drawn for P100 by the local artists present there. You sit down in their make shift studio and artists pen away their renditions of your image. You get to choose in the end which drawings you like to take home with you. The T

Having breakfast in Baguio must be a treat, so we decided to have it in Cafe by the Ruins. It was my first time to have breakfast there, though I have visited the famous restaurant many times in the past. Breakfast is served here from 6:30 to 10:30 AM. As most places in Baguio, Ruins serves great bread, and they are particularly known for their whole wheat pandesal. An order of the Pandesal with Kesong Puti consists of 2 pieces of pandesal, the mouth watering kesong puti, with butter and delicious strawberry jam on the side. Next up is the Shitake Mushroom Omelette. I always have eggs for breakfast, so I had to order this. Surprisingly, the dish was excellent. The shitake mushrooms were huge and tasty. You knew they were fresh. Finally, my new addiction: the Classic Champorado. What made this Champorado special is the carabao milk that topped it. The chocolate was like Belgian, and the softness of the rice was perfect. It was also served with dried fish, like those served in provinces.

The Manor at Camp John Hay has been my home for a week when I was in Baguio. For me, the Manor is the best hotel in Baguio, next to Elizabeth. Their rooms are huge, fit for a family of four. I love their walk in closet that I have transformed into my little office when I was there. The views of pine trees from the balcony does make you forget about work, as proven by my relentless efforts to keep a pace with the event we were organizing. The Manor in itself is a beautiful place. The wooden panels exude coziness to the extreme. There is a spa, gym with all the facilities. It has a quaint bakeshop as well, that serves one of the best cheesecakes. Too bad I wasn't able to take a picture of the Marble Cheesecake that I had more than thrice while I was there. The Manor also takes pride in one of the best restaurants in Baguio, the award winning, Le Chef. Though disappointed during my first dinner here, my succeeding meals proved satisfying enough. I had the same American breakfast durin

The Baguio Country Club is exclusive for members only, so getting a chance to stay in this hotel doesn't come often. We stayed for a night at one of the Penthouses owned by San Miguel, our client. BCC may be exclusive, but it looks older than nearby Manor in Camp John Hay. The rooms also need to be refurbished, and the structure, well, does look tired. Though most guests are here for the golf, BCC's exclusivity gives it the class it deserves. BCC is probably best known for its wonderful bakeshop, aptly called Raisin Bread. Whenever I go to Baguio, I try to pass by BCC to buy fresh raisin and banana bread. BCC also makes tempting cakes and desserts, some of which are sold in Starbucks and Figaro in Baguio. You must absolutely try their raisin bread and banana bread, though I must say that during my last visit, the banana bread was not at its best. In any case, the popularity of their breads and pastries has truly been established. You even have to reserve your order a day in ad