Chill Hike at Mt Yangbew to Mt Kalugong

Summit view at MT Yangbew

It’s hard not to go up the Cordillera region without taking a trail or 2 (or more). We had a wonderful gathering with friends in Baguio and decided on extending my stay to enjoy more of the mountains. I’m glad my fellow mountain-lover, Christine of JovialWanderer, broached the idea of taking a leisurely hike at Mt Yangbew and Mt Kalugong in La Trinidad. I welcomed the idea of seeing more summits and trails just an hour away from Baguio proper.

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Stay | Holiday Inn Baguio City Centre

Double Bed Superior Room

All roads lead to Baguio for metro folks looking to escape the city heat. More so during the cold months when people yearns for the cold clime as Baguio temperature drops below to 15 degree centigrade. Traveller would delight to know InterContinental Hotels Group has stamped their presence in the city of pines with the newly built, Holiday Inn Baguio City Centre. The 185-room, eight story building opened its doors mid of 2018. Offering another option in Baguio City with the staple quality of the Holiday Inn chain.

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Mt Pulag with Peak Pursuits: Back After Almost 14 Years

Catching the sunrise at the summit of Mt Pulag

13.6 degrees centigrade according to my watch barometer. We were inside our tent. I could imagine how cold it was outside our tent hearing the unrelenting howl of the wind. It is 2:30 am and we’re at the Camp 2 of Mt Pulag, the highest mountain of Luzon and considered as the third highest in the country. I braced for the chill as I zipped open the tent door. A draft came in as I peeked outside. The sky was clear with stars jubilantly sparkling. The waning moon illuminated the landscape. “We have a clearing!” I gleefully thought. Thank god the weather was on our side and after almost 14 years, I’ll be back at the summit of Mt Pulag.

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Benguet | Buguias Bountiful Beauty

Lettuce and Potato fields in Buguias

“I know what you are doing!” exclaimed an old man I crossed paths on the narrow paved road amidst a vegetable field in Buguias. “I’m taking pictures!” I replied with a smile. “No! You are looking for gold!” he answered with a grin on his face. He walked away slowly as I was a bit surprised by the conversation. What I do know is I have long been fascinated by Buguias that I finally had the chance to stop by this municipality where the marvelous Halsema Highway cuts through.

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Benguet | Mt Ulap Eco-Trail: A Trek Through the Clouds

At the Abanao Poaoy of the Mt Ulap Eco-Trail

Clouds have always been a thing of fascination. People climb mountains often to see the play of clouds billow across mountain peaks like waves. Dissipating in a dance from nebulous to nothingness. When I heard about the Mt Ulap Eco-Trail which recently opened last October 2015, I was intrigued. The Eco-trail is also known as the Philex Ridge, named after the huge mining company operating in the area. The highest peak, was named Mt Ulap by an engineer named “Lagman” who marked the summit in February 1, 1939. He described that the mountain is perennially a magnet for clouds (which is “ulap” in tagalog). The trail has long been a playground for trail runners from Baguio and Benguet. Now the local government, particularly the Ampucao Tourism Council opened the trail to the public.

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Baguio City | Into the Laperal White House: Bamboo Art and the Haunted

Five years after my first visit to Laperal White House in Baguio City, there was a movie (which I haven’t seen), an iWitness Documentary and thousands of searches referred to my old post. There were even several invites to guest or talk about the house and a number of inquiries from researchers. I guess Filipino love horror stories. Something to scare themselves sometimes. It was only five years after when I got to revisit the place again. Now open to the public as a Bamboo Art Exhibit, visitors can now indulge themselves and unravel the mystery of this famous White House.

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Baguio Stay | Heritage Mansion Hotel: Old Charm with Modern Comfort

It was a case of an unfortunate event that led me to stay in this old family mansion now called the Heritage Mansion Hotel in Baguio City. I had a booking in another hotel but they overbooked the rooms so I was moved here without extra cost in my part. A sort of an upgrade since it the rooms there were a lot more expensive than the one I booked and its much closer to the city center which I liked.

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