Our family spends three consecutive days in Baguio at least once a year for some reason, but we recently noticed that it’s been more than two years since we went there. So last June, we spent one weekend in Baguio just because. Lol.
Because we’ve been there too many times already, we kinda ran out of new stuff to do (yet still felt the need to go back haha). But then I realized that we still haven’t been to some “nice” restaurants in the area, so I created a simple itinerary while on the way to Baguio last June…and as expected, our recent trip involved eating out 80% of the time.
On our first day, we went to Mines View Park to buy some souvenirs. I honestly cannot remember how the park itself looks like, because we usually go here just for the souvenirs…sorry. Haha. Anyway, this is probably the best place to buy souvenirs because of the wide variety of stalls/stores, which result in competitive prices. And right after the souvenir shopping, we always head to Good Shepherd to buy Mountain Maid products. These delicacies aren’t just yummy and full of quality— these also help send students to college. Yay!
Mines View Park
We got tired from all the shopping (not really lol) so we went straight to Baguio Craft Brewery afterwards. The oldies in our family actually had doubts about this place at first— they thought it was just a typical bar that they won’t appreciate because they’re nonalcoholics. Haha. But they thought wrong. Since we went there at around five in the afternoon, it wasn’t crowded yet, and it was quite peaceful. One thing the oldies didn’t like, though, was that they had to climb up the stairs to get to the place.
Baguio Craft Brewery (Indoor)
Baguio Craft Brewery (Alfresco)
There’s an indoor and an alfresco (rooftop) area, and we stayed in the latter for the city and sunset view. Overall, we loved the interiors, enjoyed (at least for me and Tessa) the beer tasting; their food was okay, and the servers were very accommodating. Plus, pets are allowed. Hooray for Bugoy! To check out what we ate, you may view the food gallery here.
Baguio Craft Brewery – Keywheat (Kiwi Beer)
We spent the rest of the day/night in Camp John Hay, where our accommodation (forest cabin) is situated in. If you’re planning to go to Baguio but will stay in a different place, you can still spend a full day here, thanks to the many establishments/activities in the area— this includes Tree Top Adventure, Ayala Land Technohub, and Mile Hi Center.
The next day, we cooked brunch at the cabin, and just a couple of hours after, we went out for merienda at Choco-Late de Batirol. For some reason, our Baguio trip won’t be complete without going here. Lol. We go here mainly for their comforting hot chocolate (Traditional Blend) and Filipino delicacies. Yum! Get to know what we ate here on this page.
Choco-Late de Batirol – Traditional Blend
After filling our tummies and taking a few pictures in the area, we drove to Cafe in the Sky in Mount Santo Tomas for…merienda again. Haha. Nah, we actually went there for the view (but of course we had to order food).
From Camp John Hay, it was a 30-minute drive; and when we were a few hundred meters from the destination according to Waze, we got confused because of the checkpoint. Apparently, Mount Santo Tomas is off-limits to tourists for environmental rehabilitation, and we’re not allowed to get past the checkpoint. So, I had to contact Cafe in the Sky directly (+639060376002) and ask for help. They endorsed us to one of the local drivers in the area, and it turned out that we have to leave our car at the “terminal” and ride an FX (Php 600 per FX, roundtrip) to and from the restaurant.
Cafe in the Sky (below the restaurant)
Mount Santo Tomas Radar (view from Cafe in the Sky)
We were really close to backing out from this visit because of all the confusion, and we found it sketchy to go to a place that’s off-limits. Lol. Nonetheless, I guess the stress/confusion that we initially felt was all worth it. It was an interesting place, but since it was gloomy and super foggy when we went there, we didn’t get to see any view. Sad. Hence, we promised ourselves to go back here next summer. Oh, and about the food— I think we made the right decision to stuff ourselves at Batirol first before coming here. Haha. As I said, we just went here for the view.
We drove back to our cabin to rest for a few hours, then went out for dinner at Chaya. We actually planned to dine here the night before, but when I called (+639164394141) for a reservation, it was already fully booked. Anyway, when we arrived for our dinner, we were (still) surprised that all of the tables were occupied. Such a popular restaurant. Lol. Overall, we loved the homey atmosphere, friendly staff, and the authentic Japanese food. Plus, they gave us complimentary dessert. Hooray! Not sure if they normally serve free dessert, or we were just special. Haha.
Dinner at Chaya
Complimentary Dessert from Chaya
On our last day, we had breakfast at The Twist. It’s at a hotel (Forest Lodge) in Camp John Hay, so it’s just a few minutes from where we stayed. We were supposed to dine a la carte, but ended up enjoying their breakfast buffet since its price (Php 550 per adult) is quite cheap for a buffet. After which, we went to mass at Baguio Cathedral. They have hourly Sunday masses between 12 NN and 8 PM. It’s best to come here around 15 minutes before your preferred mass schedule due to the traffic and limited parking space.
The Twist
Before leaving Baguio, we had lunch at Amare La Cucina. Our original plan was to eat at Ketchup Food Community, but apparently, it was already closed for good. Anyway, we’re glad that we got to dine at this restaurant. They serve fresh and yummy Italian food, and they let us make our own pizza! I thought their make-your-own pizza thing was just for kids, but when we went near their brick oven to take a photo, they asked us if we wanted to prepare the pizza that we ordered. Kaye and I obliged, while Tessa and TJ documented the whole thing. Lol.
Pizza Making at Amare La Cucina
Amare La Cucina – Pizza con Funghi
Overall, it was an unforgettable Baguio trip, since it was our first time to focus on exploring new restaurants. Hooray! Here’s a one-minute “summary” of our trip:
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