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.

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.

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.

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.

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

I rarely see yellow roses...

and white ones.

I found the pink ones lovely too. 

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

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.

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

Some of them have already bloomed.

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

Read More

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.

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

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

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

This is the Garden Wing Lobby.

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.

The fancy hallways exudes luxury.

Finally, we reached our room with two twin beds.

 Everything was flawlessly clean except for the dusty TV remote.

We even had complimentary banana breads waiting for us.

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.

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

The bathroom is clean and spacious.  They have the usual compliments.  And, ladies will also appreciate the ponytailers.

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.

There's a bench closet for our bags...

electric kettle for coffee or tea and a fridge.

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

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

I was tempted to chill by the pool bar...

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

  I really appreciate how well-lit the place is.

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

The kids pool has a slide...

And, aside from the playground they have this too.

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	★★★

Read More

Tree Top Adventure Baguio: Trying Out the Superman Ride

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

You can mix and match the activities and get more savings with their packages.

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.

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

We chose our packages and got stamped by the entrance.

And so the trekking began...

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

You can also ask questions about packages here.

Upon being handed our tickets, we secured our harness.

 This harness area is for the canopy which I didn't choose.

The Tree Drop wasn't working at the time of our visit.

Canopy Ride and Funicular (350 php)

I chose the Superman Ride (300 php).

To get to the Superman Ride, we had to trek.

Justin Vawter Models for your Scenic View

We passed by the Sky Walk.

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

Read More