One of my new favorite places to hang out in my hometown of San Fernando! Getting to the Baywalk is…read morepretty easy - just drive through Poro, in the direction of Thunderbird Resort (but drive past it) and follow signs on your right for the Baywalk. There is a large parking lot, which stretches from the start of the Baywalk up till the picnic, BBQ grounds and large open events space. It's also the perfect place for a run, walk, family or romantic stroll - best time to go: right before sunset. The weather cools down and you get this refreshing ocean breeze and warms your soul and recharges your mind. You get a nice view of the central San Fernando and the South China Sea. I love it! Sadly I didn't bring my running shoes with me on my trip but if weather permits, I would return for a run in a heartbeat. Quite hard though, considering I usually spend most of my time going on food adventures...! There is also a playground next to the BBQ pits, lots of tables and open space available, fun for the kids and family. There was an even an outdoor Zumba class - looked fun! Part of the Baywalk is still under construction, closer to the direction of Wallace Airbase, but I hope to see it completed by the time I return again.

I took my kids here one evening and they had a lot of fun here. I miss this place , I actually…read moremiss everything about Philippines

The all new improved CDC Playground just got a major make over and it is now open for the public…read more Yup! It is free and the place is great!. There are two sets of swings, two seesaws, and two (big and small) slides. This will definitely be a treat for the kids. There is a medium size fountain with nine water spouts. My daughter and I had the chance to see it work along with other (I think five more) mini fountains. Got to appreciate the rubber flooring on the slides and attention to details on the project. The previous park was more of a settling for a horror flick and people rarely visit the place especially because the slide has a strong static shock. But this new one is miles apart from the old version. There is ample space for vehicles to park and concrete tables and benches are readily available. There is also a designated security guard manning the place plus a janitor roaming the playground to clean it. The newly renovated restrooms are also clean and stench-free. There is good amount of water coming out of the faucet, urinals, and toilets. I must admit that I am really impressed with this new development. NOTE: In case you would want to just unwind and have a little chitchat while the kids play or there is someone to take good care of them while you want to he your "ME" time, stay at the patio on the North end of the playground. People rarely go there. The singular fountain, winding pathway, and landscaping are most ideal for some friendly conversation with someone dear, or a haven for reading a good book while enjoying what nature and CDC has to offer.

It's a quiet and small park I'd recommend people to visit in Baguio because they have a butterfly…read moregarden! They also have a small food/drink store so people can stay and chill here for a bit and be one with nature :3 I saw a family have a picnic here and I think it's so cute to see them play around and have fun on the grass area. There's a small parking area for cars, and the area is easily accessible by cab or jeep. It's near the end of Upper Session Road and nearby Camp John Hay and Baguio Country Club.

It's a nice park if you just feel like strolling around the city. Super clean & cute area to take…read morepictures at. It is close to other attractions such as the Mansion & pony rides.

CASH ONLY! What a…read moredifference 4 years makes! The last visit wasn't one to be boastful about. It was a sh*t show half the time with our boat's engine dying every ten minutes, and when it did run, the boat moved ever SOOOO slow. I almost made a vow to never stop by here ever again. But with GodNiece's first time in Pangasinan, Hundred Islands was a must go-to for her. With a tad bit of reluctance, we went. I noticed an improvement in the area's overall appearance IMMEDIATELY. Parking was abundant and clean. The welcoming area is beautifully designed which included a pond filled with koi fish and small replicas of the islands. The entry way to the boats even had an arc. It was quite welcoming. The tourist center could use a little work: FIRST: it was CASH ONLY (for everything!) which is a huge no-no for a tourist attraction as famed as this place is. (One would reasonably assume they take cards, right?!) Now, keep in mind that this place is so much more fun when visiting with somewhat of a big party (we were a mere party of 9.) It's a good thing I brought enough cash to cover everyone for everything they need (including activities.) I can only imagine the trouble some people had to go through to go back out, find a bank or ATM that's open and come right back. Oi. SECOND: I had to deal with three different receptionists just to complete the registration process - one to register each individual in my party, one for the fees and boat, and one for the deposit for the trash bags (I'll get back to this last one in a bit.) I don't see why I couldn't just deal with one person for the WHOLE thing. The only reason I can come up with as to why they do this is that maybe the need for a moderator since everything is paid in cash. (There's gotta be liability somewhere, right?) But yeah, It took way too long to just get these done. It's a good thing we were there early Friday morning on a non-peak season. (I can imagine the chaos of the crowd during the weekends, summer or peak seasons here!) It wasn't long before we got on our boat. First stop was Governor's island for the sole purpose of ziplining. (The last time I was here, it was THE only other thing to do other than swimming or snorkeling, and it was a short one at that.) It's a bit of a trek climbing up - the steps are completely uneven and steep. Although the ziplining peeps kept telling us to follow the path to the left, we kinda got lost (and ended up the other way.) We weren't the only ones, so SIGNS might be nice. The view was fantastic, I gotta admit, but dang, that was tiring as hell! But the few seconds ride was WORTH IT. You can see a different side of Hundred Islands' beauty from where you're zipping from. The trek back is just as strenuous (again, SIGNS telling us how to get back would be nice) but also worth it since you get to experience walking on the wobbling bridge. (That was interesting.) Then off to Quezon island where we relaxed a bit more and had lunch. Ziplining is also available (one long, one short) but they aren't as steep as the one at Governor's. We brought our own food and drinks, but food is available on the islant itself. A vendor came up to us selling fresh crabs (small and big ones alike) for a bargain. We had plenty of leftovers to take home. We did a lot of swimming and snorkeling around this area. Beautiful clear waters allowed us to see all the way to the bottom of the water. This never gets old. I was going to suggest going to Children's Island, but we were having such a great time, we just kicked it on this island for the rest of our visit. Oh, except for helmet diving. That was the best way to top off the day. I'm not gonna go into it, I will merely suggest you DO IT! The one practice I noticed with EVERYONE: every person was mindful of their trash. I bought an ice cream from a vendor. He took it upon himself to get the peeled off paper from me and put it in his own trash bag. In all honesty, I did not see one piece of trash anywhere. And the bit with the trash bag deposit? Fill up your bag with as much of your group's crap as you want. Once you return to the main island, they take your filled trash bag away from you AND they will return your deposit. (THIS IS AWESOME!) We all had a great day. I am so glad my family doesn't live too far away from here. I'm definitely going out of my way to come back the next time I come to the Philippines. TIP: Come EARLY. The earlier, the better! There's so much to do! (They also have banana boats and jet skiing now!) Now if only they could figure out a better system of payment (than with just cash) and eliminate the whole "line here, line there" at registration...

I came here with my family at the suggestion of my mom and aunts. We came here pretty early and…read morefor good reason. It gets pretty packed very quickly. There were 18 of us, so we reserved 2 boats. FYI once you get there, be prepared to be bombarded with people trying to sell you things. I already came across some of that that during my trip, however, there's more of it here. They literally come to your car and sell you things: sunglasses, sea shells, hats, etc. and they will follow you around. Granted this is how some people in the Philippines make their living, but I think there has to be some kind of boundary. That's just my personal opinion. The boat ride was not bad and the weather was perfect to visit the islands. We didn't visit every island because my group didn't want to, but we did stop by 2 of the islands.

This review is strictly for the breakfast and the surrounding grounds of the hotel. Even though we…read morewerent staying at the hotel they let us eat here, even tho theres signs saying only hotel guests can eat here. This is a massively large breakfast area with capabilities for about 150-200 people. Maybe 60% of the tables were being used when we arrived. Price was about 800 pesos per person and it was well worth the price. There was multiple stations for food. From the breads to the salads to the fruits to the soups to the cold breakfast items to the hot breakfast items with multiple atations where they prepare your eggs to a carving station. The food choices were just rediculous. And its an all you can eat so you can keep going back as many times as you want. They have 3 or 4 different juices included in the meal as well as different variations of coffee also. The servers and employees were very attentive. Even helping you bring your plates to the table. The second you finish your plate or coffee they were right there to take them away. There was maybe 3 or 4 staff just waiting on our table of 9. Just in the background waiting to assist. They were friendly and helpful. Ready to get us whatever we needed. The food itself was good. Flaverful. The meats were soft. And the variety was awesome. Afterwards you can walk around the premise to work off all that you ate. It was a very calm and relaxing atmosphere with mutple recliners and chairs just to chill. Overall, well worh the 800 pesos per person. I will be telling anyone visiting Baguio or the surrounding cities to try this place!!

A nice place to stroll and admire the only place in Philippines that has pine trees (planted and…read morecared for by US soldiers). It is also a wonderful place to cool off during hot days.

In between all of my activities, I found any park in my immediate vicinity to visit. The day I…read morevisited this park... it was around 95 degrees F(35 degrees C). This park is just outside of the Clark Freeport Zone(Formally Clark Air Base-aka a base that used to be controlled by the United States). The mainstay of this park is the salakot structure. It resembles a salakot(or traditional hat). It used to be inside the former airbase but was later moved. It was built during the tenure of one of the presidents to signify Philippine sovereignty. It was built to recognize the Military Bases Agreement when the US military was still there decades ago. During my visit on a hot day, I thought it was funny. It seemed everyone was retreating from the heat and sun and this foreigner was just out there basking in the sun. Let it be hot.. as long as it doesn't include the ignorant humidity of Midwest America... I'm golden. One other thing to note was the Salakot was the countdown venue for the 2019 SE Asian Games. It was a neat park in the middle of two highways. The structure is there with a pathway that circles around the park. There were groups doing tik-toks on one side of the park. There were a few people laying out on the lawn and watching traffic. There were also a few basketball courts. To be Noonish, I was surprised by how many people were out in the park. As mentioned before, a couple of sides of the park have highways separated by fences but one side has a strip of local businesses with street food included. *drool* If I was a local, I could see myself hanging out here often.

Bayanihan Park as it is today was once a long and unkempt park back in the early 2000s. The…read moresignature 'salakot' or Filipino-inspired hat serving as the main structure in the middle of the Park was once in the main road leading in or out of Clark Main Gate; it was situated near today's location of the PNP detachment along Fields Avenue. What makes this park not-so-good are the following: 1. It used to be just one whole chunk of park extending all the way to the isolated smaller park along MacArthur Highway in front of the gas stations, but a diversion was created which sliced the park into two. 2. There are still obnoxious pimps and prostitutes (since they are in close proximity to Fields Avenue) who would bug men for services. Experienced this on multiple occasions when I used to jog in the Park. 3. There are few trash bins; park goers usually just leave their trash behind. 4. Benches are often filled with pairs doing PDA instead of doing something worthwhile; I usually go there to read my books but opted Clark parks instead. 4. Some park-goers are loud so better bring your headset/earphones when you try the experience. 5. Unlike in Manila parks, no one will approach to offer a for-hire-mat, so bring your own. 6. Not many trees and shade to rest in case you will visit during the scorching summer. Now, if you can endure all the warning signs I, then Bayanihan Park is all for you. The best time to come by would be in the early mornings 5am to 7am (granting it is open then), and around 5pm to 7pm. If you will visit driving your vehicle, the parking would be a little far (at the jeepney terminal); no parking on any side of the park. And, you have to bring your own liquids or snack just in case you get all hungry and tired since there are few options near the park unless crossing the busy-Philippine roads is not a problem for you since the gas stations have mini cafes.

When you visit Banaue, Batad is a must-see. While I visited many villages and rice terraces in the…read morearea... Batad is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the main reason I made the trip to the area. No roads in or out. A village and rice terrace built and nestled right in between the mountains. Once arriving, it's immediate that the place is magic. Like others on this page, I hesitate to write about it but just getting there is an adventure in itself. I don't think tourists will flood the place ever just because of how remote it is. Most people settle with Banaue and go on their way. The first thing you have to do is hire a ride from Banaue about 45 minutes away. Once you're dropped off, you then have to hike another 45ish minutes into the village. I stayed for a few days and the community definitely knew a foreigner was staying. I was quite surprised on my way out... the community was so welcoming and genuinely surprised that I stayed a few days. A few people stopped to ask where I was headed(kind of like they welcomed me to stay longer). Many tourists come in, eat, hike to the waterfall and around the terrace, and then leave. I got the impression that not many people stick around. Sticking around was definitely on my agenda. I'd definitely recommend finding one of the Inns and staying for a few days(there are numerous). The place is amazing but one reason to stay is if you plan on hiking around the terraces and to the waterfalls. The steepness of the steps and I don't hesitate when I say this... WILL KILL YOUR KNEES. I managed but they were shakey more than a few times so watch yourself if you have bad knees. Unlike Hapao, Batad doesn't have quite as much water. I was there in the Spring so things were green but I definitely want to visit during other times of the year. The green lushness or brown dryness varies from other videos I've watched. When thinking back, I can't get over how peaceful the place was. If you want a place to relax, this is it. Waking up for breakfast, having a freshly cut open coconut, watching the sun hit the terraces, having plenty of fruit trees all around, a waterfall close by to swim near, nighttime celebrations, and watching the community thrive without all the complications of the outside world. Amazing! One other thing to note if you have adventurous tastebuds. These mountains of the Philippines are in the Cordillera region. There is an old chicken dish that is frowned upon by the government but it's specific to the region. It can be found here... it took a while to find; Some locals will pretend like it's gross. Other locals will play dumb but it can be found... just go looking for it. I won't go into the details(just Google it). Definitely give it a try! I think walking out of there, a little piece of the spirit of that place came with me. I'll never forget the people and my trip there and I plan to return one day for sure.

I've honestly thought about writing this review many many times over the past year. Part of me…read morewants to keep it as much of a secret as possible to preserve the awe-inspiring artistry of it all and minimize the impacts of tourism. The other part wants to shout it out from the rooftops that Batad's amphitheater style rice terraces are the definition of wonderment, grace, & beauty and that this is the closest to heaven that I've ever been. The rice terraces are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Philippine Cordilleras. Built by HAND with mud and stones some 2,000-years ago, the rice terraces are some of the most remote in the world, located in a tiny village that is only accessible by foot. It's true, getting here is half the journey, and it's not for the faint of heart. I thought I was "from the mountains" but these people are DEEP in the mountains. So, come prepared and do your research beforehand - especially if you don't have family or contacts in the Philippines, have never been to the area, etc. Lucky for most, the people of this region actually speak pretty good English as do many other parts in the Philippines, but it might surprise you. I already knew that before coming though :) Batad is a ways away from the town center of Banaue where most buses will drop off tourists. You could catch a jeepney, tricycle, or randomly get someone to drive you there if the price is right. Luckily I had a car & a driver and we just parked overnight and paid a fee to one of the folks waiting at the parking area. The road ends here, so you'll need to go by foot for about 15 minutes to reach the top outskirts of the town where many of the "homestays" are located. You won't find 4 or 5 star hotels here, folks. That's the charm of it all. If you want to get to the center village of Batad, that's another 45 minute hike down numerous steps. I believe there were 2 or 3 homestays that you could book online, but honestly it's not necessary. We just walked up to a random one and asked if they had any rooms available. They homestay also had a restaurant and I noticed there were many tourists from many different walks of life all there for the same purpose. From the top, you don't really realize the magnitude of the rice terraces until you set foot on them. The morning daylight hitting each plot of land that was passed on from generation to generation (to the 1st and 2nd born) was incredible. I went in the month of April where the fields were green with freshly planted rice crops. When it's closer to harvest time, the fields turn gold. When they've been harvested, you get pools of mud and water which make for an awesome mirror effect. You'll also find traditional Ifugao huts still stand throughout the village. You can stay inside them as well if that tickles your fancy. When it's harvest season, the palay (rice before it's been husked) is placed in the 3rd level of the hut which serves as an attic space/storage area. The grains eventually become dry as the steam and warmth rise from the cooking that's done in the kitchen below. As our tour guide (Kuya Jonathan, a Batad local) explained all these things, I couldn't help but think "how lucky are we to live in & experience such a beautiful world?" This place is truly one for the books. Thanks to Kuya Jonathan for educating us about the people, the culture, & their traditions which remain largely unchanged to this day. Luckily, we linked up with him early on when we parked our car so we negotiated with him to be our tour guide the following morning. He met up with us at our homestay bright and early like I requested. We were the first ones hiking the rice terraces that morning and only crossed paths with 2 other groups of tourists towards the end of our hike. Highly recommend going as early as possible for the best views and photo ops as it gets super hot and honestly the whole place is huge so give yourself some time to hike and rest in between. I wasn't able to see everything due to time constraints and the waterfall (Tappiya Falls) that I wanted to see was closed anyway for construction. Even though it took me half a day to get there from my town, I definitely would like to visit again one day. I have never felt so awe-struck, so inspired, so connected to my roots until the moment I stepped foot on the rice terraces. SO much love for this place.

Famously called the Summer Capital of the Philippines…read more But maybe not anytime soon. Climate change is evidently happening. People don't usually wear shorts during the month of November and December but when I was there recently I was wearing shorts. It was warm. This is not how I remember the city. It is very congested and polluted nowadays. Traffic is at its worst. You're better off walking around to places. Especially during long weekends, expect a lot of crowd. So better not head to the city. Visitors usually come during Flower Festival - that is the whole month of February. While they're here they visit the land marks - Mines View Park, Mansion House, Burnham Park & Lake, Botanical Garden, Camp John Hay and other places outside the city. They usually close Session road every Sunday for Farmers Market. Every night from 9pm to 2am, they close a section of the Harrison Road to give way for the market vendors.

The Mansion. Mine's View Park. Good Shepherd Convent. SM City Baguio. Burnham Park. Mount Costa…read more Night Market. Penagbenga festival (if you time it right.) Just some of the places to hit during a visit. And it's a great city to go to if the heat of the lowlands are just too overwhelming. I'm blessed to have friends and family to stay with during a visit. For those who aren't as lucky as me, there is a variety of accommodations with reasonable prices. I love this city. I'd visit again at first opp.

This a well known park in Baguio. Many people recall their childhood years visiting Burnham park…read morelike the central park of New York. My parents recall their visits here seeing the man made lake. The family filled activities like riding the swan or paddle boats built for groups.. it will sure create memories for any visitor. It's a busy park during the day watching people, jog, work and work out. School grade children and teens come out to hang with their friends and walk the park, play games and get snack from the cart vendors. The playground has a separate portion to the park dividing the area where the bikes and pedal carts. My kids created memories riding the single and group carts with their cousins At night it's a central area near the Baguio Night market to eat street food and buy extensive cheap swap meet, knock up clothing and and apparel. The night doesn't stop at this park. You can get a great bargain to buy souvenirs, shoes and gifts.

Like Mine's View Park and the Mansion, Burnham Park is another stop to make during a tour of…read moreBaguio. Unlike my last visit, Big Bro, GodNiece and I got the chance to take our time to take everything this park has to offer. We did a lot of walking around and found too many interesting things. There are lots of activities being offered: bike and boat rentals, horseback riding and the like. There are lots of fruit vendors walking around as well (we lucked out and got lansones, which I haven't had for EVER.) There were also many souvenir vendors lined up along the sides of the park. As tourists, we were extra careful with making our purchases. Some WILL take advantage of non-locals. For example, GN found an Igorot costume she was interested in buying. She was quoted P3,800PHP (~$75US.) I already knew this was ridiculous, so I pulled her away. The one local we were with found another vendor and advised us to stay away from him until he can reasonably barter in our behalf. This time around?! P700PHP (~$13US) AND it included a headband and a belt. (Ooooh, he was so mad at that first vendor, he wanted to go back there and cuss them out!) But there are a variety of knick-knacks to look at and possibly buy: from shirts to keychains to backscratchers, etc... but don't jump on anything too quickly. The best way to avoid vendors who will not hesitate to pull a fast one on you is to walk around and compare, maybe haggle. If you're lucky enough to have a local with you (like we did), even better. The park was very clean. People are conscious about throwing trash in the proper bins. (I say this because I didn't see one maintenance worker the whole time we roamed. Kudos, Baguio peeps! Way to represent!) There wasn't a crowd since we were there on an off-peak season. I imagine it can get crazy during the summer. Great stop overall. Would return.

The first challenge is finding your way there. You need to take the road behind Aqua Planet, then…read morethere is a dirt road that will take you to the village where the tour guides live. Drive to the end of the village and inquire at the sari sari store. There's a small clearing where you can park your car. You'll be asked to sign into their log book and pay the 150 peso admission fee. Make sure you go with a local who speaks Tagalog, or even better Kapampangan, so you don't get taken advantage of. THE GOOD - you can pick up bottled water and snacks at the sari-sari store if you forget to bring some. - the tour guides are patient and won't rush you along. - many sections of the trail are shaded - You'll run into water striders, butterflies, beautiful dragonflies and carabao. - the water is clear and cool - Aside from the rare airplane flying above, it is quiet and peaceful. THE BAD - the area near the falls are pretty clean but the area of the river where the locals wash their laundry is littered with trash -vandals have left their mark on the rock face near the falls. - Rocky terrain - the falls are small THE BEST - the hanging bridge that spans the lahar fields. - Being close to nature - no other hikers around during the early morning hours during the week - short, cheap hike that's near the city TIPS - go early morning on a weekday to avoid the heat and the crowds - avoid the Summer months when it's their peak season BRING - extra shoes and clothes because you will get wet. - sunscreen a hat and mosquito repellent - lots of water