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Monday, December 12, 2016

Bahong Rose Garden: Rose Capital of the Philippines (La Trinidad Benguet)

I've been to Baguio City numerous times and yet, there's are still places around the Benguet area where I still have not visited and one of those it the Bahong Rose Garden or Flower Farm.

bahong rose capital
Barangay Bahong is found north east of the very popular tourist destination La Trinidad Strawberry Farm.   It is around 4 kilometers away from La Trinidad Municipal Hall.  From the main road, we followed the sign leading to a narrower road.  The steep and muddy road that offered a beautiful valley-side scenery led us to the small town of Barangay Bahong which comprises of 5 sitios: Sadag, Central Bahong, Anoding, Ma-e and Tomay.


barangay bahong
But, turns out Bahong Rose Garden or Flower Farm is empty when we visited.  I can only think of 2 reasons why that would be so.  First, is because it is more challenging to reach by commute.  It is not even found on Google Maps. And second, we went there on a late afternoon in May.  While, the peak of the flower season is from November to March.  This is where 80% of the flowers from Manila are from.  So I can only imagine thousands of flowers blooming here during the flower season.


bahong flower farm
The caretaker was so nice to tour us around.  I think the land mass is so big but we were only shown a few areas where there are flowers.  At first, we couldn't spot any roses.

bahong rose farm
But as we went further, we look at what we saw.  Roses are usually red but here they come in various hues. 

bahong rose garden
I rarely see yellow roses...

bahong rose garden
and white ones.

bahong rose garden
I found the pink ones lovely too. 

bahong flower farm
But, it wasn't just the roses that made me and my companions smile. 

bahong flower field
It was the first time in my life that I have seen flower fields.  It's so beautiful!  My friends and I couldn't help play around in the field.

la trinidad flower farm
Of course, we took a lot of photographs of ourselves being surrounded by the flowers.

bahong flower farm
Some of them have already bloomed.

bahong flower farm
While some of the buds are yet to bloom.

Overall, we Travel Tripsters enjoyed the fun brought by the natural beauty of nature at Bahong Rose Garden.

Tip: As of 2016, there is now an ordinance requiring tourists to register at the Barangay Bahong Tourism Office to pay for an environmental fee of 20 php/head (local) and 50 php/head (foreigner) and tour guide fee (for a maximum of 10 persons) of  200 php/ tour guide (local) and 300 php/tour guide (foreigner).
 
Bahong Rose Garden or Bahong Flower Farm
Address Barangay Bahong La Trinidad Benguet
Budget Per Person 20-50 php/head + guide fee 200-300 per tour guide (maximum of 10 persons) Bahong Rose Garden Map
Payment Options Cash

Operating Hours Monday to Sunday:
(even holidays)
7 am-3pm
Reservation Required No
Contact  (63947) 821-4555

Monday, November 28, 2016

Edsa Shangri-La Hotel Staycation

Being under stress for the past few weeks, sis and I decided to have a weekend staycation at Edsa Shangri-La Hotel.

edsa shangrila hotel
Amidst the busy city district of Ortigas, Edsa Shangri-La Hotel offers a refreshing escape away from the smog-filled city.

edsa shangrila hotel
We booked ourselves at the Garden Wing which was farther from the main lobby but nearer to Shangri-La Mall.

edsa shangrila hotel
The other wing is the Tower Wing were the convention halls and restaurants are.

edsa shangrila hotel

edsa shangrila hotel
This is the Garden Wing Lobby.

edsa shangrila hotel
The hotel was not so crowded so we didn't have to wait for our turn to use any of the two elevators.  Although if you have to wait, there are two kinds of newspapers available as early as 5 am in the morning.

edsa shangrila hotel garden wing
The fancy hallways exudes luxury.

edsa shangrila hotel garden wing
Finally, we reached our room with two twin beds.

edsa shangrila hotel garden wing
 Everything was flawlessly clean except for the dusty TV remote.

edsa shangrila hotel garden wing
We even had complimentary banana breads waiting for us.

edsa shangrila hotel garden wing
And, the greatest advantage of staying at the Garden Wing Deluxe is the breathtaking view of the pool surrounded by lush greens of coconut trees and some cityscape too.

edsa shangrila hotel garden wing
If you're a workaholic like me, you'd appreciate a few glance to watch the wind blowing the coconut tree leaves.  The wifi is also fast and reliable.

Bathroom
edsa shangrila hotel garden wing
The bathroom is clean and spacious.  They have the usual compliments.  And, ladies will also appreciate the ponytailers.

edsa shangrila hotel garden wing
We have a shower, bath tub and a retractable clothing line.  Too bad we didn't bring any bath foam.  But, I still spent a relaxing time in the tub.  I loved that they have bathroom sound system which port sounds from the TV so I was able to listen to the news too.  Perhaps, the only thing I would suggest in their bathroom is to have a bidet.

edsa shangrila hotel garden wing
There's a bench closet for our bags...

edsa shangrila hotel garden wing
electric kettle for coffee or tea and a fridge.

edsa shangrila hotel garden wing
You can secure your belongings in the safe which we felt we didn't need.  And, you can even iron your clothes.

edsa shangrila hotel pool
I wanted to try the Gym.  But, decided to take a quick night stroll instead.

edsa shangrila hotel pool
I was tempted to chill by the pool bar...

edsa shangrila hotel pool
or get a night massage but decided to head back and stay snuck up in the room instead.

edsa shangrila hotel pool
  I really appreciate how well-lit the place is.

edsa shangrila hotel pool
Come morning sis woke me up at 6 am to have a morning swim with her.  We claimed our towel and took a dive.

edsa shangrila hotel pool
The kids pool has a slide...

edsa shangrila hotel pool
And, aside from the playground they have this too.

edsa shangrila hotel pool
The adult pool is divided into two parts: 4 feet and 9 feet. 

After our swim, we went availed our complimentary breakfast buffet at the Heat before checking out.

Overall, our Travel Tripters staycation at Edsa Shangri-La Hotel was an awesome experience.  The staffs are courteous and the buffet sealed the deal.

Edsa Shangri-La Hotel
Hotel Address 1 Garden Way, Ortigas Centre, Mandaluyong City, Philippines
Contact (632) 435-3545 Reservation Required Recommended

Payment Options   Cash Public Transport Jeep, Taxi
Room Types Room Amenities Price
Garden Wing Deluxe Room
• Good For 2 Persons
34 sqm 
• Garden and pool view
2 Twin-size bed
• 1 hair dryer
• Hot/cold water / bathtub / shower
• 24 hrs. cable TV / In-house movie channels
• Air-conditioned
• Safety deposit box
• Free Wifi
• Mini ref.
• Ironing board
• With free buffet breakfast
7,000 php
General Amenities •Pool
•Gym
Parking Yes
Travel Tripsters Hotel Review Rating Edsa Shangri-La Hotel Map
Location
Room Comfort
Cleanliness
Service
Price

Saturday, June 11, 2016

Tree Top Adventure Baguio: Trying Out the Superman Ride

One of the famous tourist attractions in Baguio City is Tree Top Adventure Baguio

tree top adventure baguio


tree top adventure baguio
You can mix and match the activities and get more savings with their packages.

tree top adventure baguio
Upon seeing the map, I got so excited because the meters indicated that they occupied a big area so I can experience a bit of breeziness during the zipline experience.  Frankly, the place was bigger than it looks from the entrance.

tree top adventure baguio
But after the first plight of stairs, it gave me a slight hint that this adventure may require some plights more.  

tree top adventure baguio
We chose our packages and got stamped by the entrance.

tree top adventure baguio
And so the trekking began...

Upon reaching the pavillion, there was a desk where we had to sign a waiver and avail our tickets.

tree top adventure baguio
You can also ask questions about packages here.

tree top adventure baguio
Upon being handed our tickets, we secured our harness.

tree top adventure baguio
 This harness area is for the canopy which I didn't choose.

tree top adventure baguio
The Tree Drop wasn't working at the time of our visit.

tree top adventure baguio
Canopy Ride and Funicular (350 php)
tree top adventure baguio
I chose the Superman Ride (300 php).


tree top adventure baguio
To get to the Superman Ride, we had to trek.

tree top adventure baguio
Justin Vawter Models for your Scenic View
We passed by the Sky Walk.


tree top adventure baguio
After your activity, you could buy your photos at the Pavillion.  We didn't buy ours so I don't have any photos of my Superman Ride.

Travel Tripsters Remarks
If you have the time to try the zipline activities and trek, then add Tree Top Adventure Baguio on your list of destination.
Tree Top Adventure Baguio
Address Special Tourism Economic Zone, Loakan Road, Camp John Hay, Baguio, Benguet, Philippines
Budget Per Person 300-1,500 Tree Top Adventure Baguio Map
Payment Options Cash

Operating Hours Monday to Sunday:
(even holidays)
8:00 am-4:30 pm
Reservation Required No
Contact  (6374) 442-0800 |
 Website

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