Touch the Clouds at Mt. Ulap in Itogon, Benguet

Related Searches:

One of the peak areas in Mount Ulap hike, Itogon, Benguet

We weren’t that tired although we visited one of the highest elevations in the greater region of Baguio. That is because the “hike” to Mt. Sto. Tomas didn’t require as calories to burn to reach Café in the Sky. The road to Café in the Sky is already well paved so to get there, you only need to commute via jeepney from Baguio and hire an FX to bring you on top and have a coffee in the café.

Is the article interesting? Useful? Funny? Inspiring? Or simply worthy? Then Follow @TravexTravels . Read, read, and lead! More related posts below.

A Taste of Coffee and Clouds at Café in the Sky, Mt. Sto. Tomas, Tuba, Benguet

The overlooking view of Baguio City from Cafe in the Sky, Tuba, Benguet

This was my first out of town trip after I set foot in Manila from a very long flight coming from the lands of southern hemisphere. I embraced my longings with my ever loving home province of Tarlac and when a friend of mine planned to visit Baguio City for the nth time again, I did not think twice—I packed my backpack with good old time jackets, took enough cash and got myself ready for another five-hour trip. Not soon enough, I was back to the city where popular pine trees grow and strawberries are celebrated.

The Picnic Grove, Taal Lake View, Leslie’s Bulalo and Coffee Time in Tagaytay

The view of Taal Lake at the Picnic Grove, Tagaytay City

After visiting the Crosswinds in Tagaytay where we had experienced a lush of nature, pine trees, Swiss inspired architecture and Christmas houses; we visited next the Picnic Grove. It is one of the most popular Tagaytay tourist attractions where there are so much activities to enjoy such as horseback riding, picnicking, riding a zipline and buying pasalubong.

Swiss Architecture and Pine Trees in Tagaytay Crosswinds

Feel the pine trees and Swiss architecture inside Crosswinds in Tagaytay City

It was pretreat before summer time that our team visited one of the most popular tourist towns in the country—Tagaytay. It is the second most popular hill station after Baguio City and most people and yuppies from Manila do a short weekend trip in this city because of its proximity to the nation’s capital. Tagaytay City has still the charms.

Sta. Ana’s Anguib Beach—A Must Visit White Sand Haven

Frolick in the ever white sands of Anguib Beach in Santa Ana, Cagayan

Did you know that Anguib (or Angib) Beach in Sta. Ana, Cagayan is not really a public or a “no-one-is-owning” white sand beach but a semi-private venture in the island? Did you also know that Anguib Beach can be reached by land via private vehicle, by passing through fields of rice crops and greens of mountains, as opposed to other tourists who say that it can only be reached by boat when coming from Port of San Vicente also in the town of Santa Ana? Did you also know that there is also an adjacent secret beach called Gotan Beach which is exclusively only for elite visitors and casino gamers? Did you also know that other than Anguib Beach, there are also other coves with white sands, accessible by local tourists and some are still pristine because of their difficulty in accessibility? Did you also know that Santa Ana is also a place for scuba divers, kite flyers and adventure lovers? And did you also know that as opposed to the usual etymology of town’s name, Santa Ana was not named after a saint nor the name “Santa Ana” is religious of any sort?

A Tsunami That the People of Baler Will Never Forget—The Story of Ermita Hill

Statue of the survivors of the Tromba Marina that happened in Baler, Aurora

After that triple combo that morning—Ampere Beach in Dipaculao, MilleniumTree in Maria Aurora and Mother Falls in San Luis—we decided to call it the end of our morning journey. We drove back near town center of Baler and have a stop at Ka-Inying Turo-Turo Eatery for lunch. It was a great, a bit tiresome, activity that we need to refuel our discharged energy for the last parts of our exotic adventure in Aurora.

The Overlooking—Tam-awan Village

Popular Cordilleran wood carvings in Tam-awan Village, Baguio City.

It was my second time this time to visit Tam-awan Village, another manmade park in the city of Baguio. The first time I went there was with another set of fellow bloggers. Tam-awan means a view point or an overlooking deck. It’s an uphill park with miniature of the different wooden houses in the Cordillera.

Diplomat Hotel & 10 Commandments Tablet on the Heritage Hill of Baguio

Fountain inside the Diplomat Hotel on Heritage Hill, Baguio City

Starting our tour in Lourdes Grotto will eventually lead us to the Heritage Hill of Baguio where Diplomat Hotel Ruins lies. This is also where the largest 10 commandments tablet was erected. After our strawberry taho snack along the way to the Diplomat Hotel, we headed to walk our way to the Heritage Hill and Prayer Mountain.

A Story of the Lost Sagada Sunrise, Kiltepan Peak and the Rice Terraces

Though the sunrise and seas of clouds did not show up when I visited Kiltepan Peak, the rice terraces were already enough to cover it.

Not long enough I realized it was already 10 in the evening and I need to wake up early tomorrow for the famed Kiltepan sunrise where I should be able to see the rising sun over the horizon of clouds. After a beer night inside Sagada Pine Café, we ended our hectic Sagada adventure for another one a morning after.

Shout Your Dreams to Echo Valley, Sagada

Me in the Echo Valley of Sagada, Mountain Province.

Hello (hello, hello). Is there anybody out there (there, there)?

A bit of graveyard related history, we walked all the way down to the Echo Valley. When someone is reaching the up-close hanging coffins, he has to go first at the back of the church, follow the sign that goes to the mountain vale, reach the tombs, and follow the path at the back of the tombstones. Yes, this part of the Sagada travel series deals with words like “church”, “dead”, “tombs”, “coffins” and “hang”.

All The Way to Sagada—Mountain Views

The cascading mountains and seas of clouds awaits you on your trip to Sagada.

From Manila, there are two ways to reach Sagada—the one that goes through Ifugao and the one that passes through Benguet. If you are stopping by the city of Baguio then you are going to take around four hours on the roads of Benguet. Another two hours in Mountain Province for a total of 6 hours Baguio-Sagada route. It wasn’t exhausting at all just because the views along the road make you realize how beautiful the Philippines is.

Mt. Osdung, Benguet: The Trail and the Top Load

A lonely pine tree at the peak of Mount Osdung in Kibungan, Benguet

Mount Osdung is a mountain situated in the ranges of Cordillera in Kibungan, Benguet. It is said to be the 16^th highest mountain in the Philippines. “Osdung” or “usdung” is a Kankanaey term (also Ilocano) which similarly means “to stoop” or as in bend your body to look downwards, as when you are on top of a summit or cliff. In Tagalog it means “tumingin sa ibaba (ng bundok) ”. Mount Osdung day hike is one of the easiest mountain climb you can actually do when you are in the highlands of the Cordillera Region.

Planning a Day Hike to Mount Osdung

Wonderful views of Cordillera Mountains en route to Mt. Osdung for a day hike.

Mount Osdung, having the 16^th highest peak in the entire Philippines, is an easy day hike for mountaineers. It lies in the municipality of Kibungan, Benguet and is situated about 3 hours from Baguio City. The jump-off point is at Collideng Junction in Buguias, Benguet (marker is the yellow Trader’s Café) and from there an hour of walk trail is expected along the way to the peak of Mt. Osdung. It may be one of the easiest climb but the view from the mountain is awesome. Road trails going to Sagada, cabbage farms, mountain walls and other peaks can be viewed 360 degrees.

Tam-Awan Village: Baguio Culture and Art

Artwork like this one is displayed inside Tam-Awan Village, plus there are huts that define the Baguio culture.

Baguio culture and art fused together is what Tam-Awan Village is known for. Tam-Awan means “viewpoint”, a “viewdeck” or “tanawan” in Tagalog. That is because the “village” itself has its own peak where one can see a sky of horizon and a blast of sunset, facing the seas of La Union. Well I didn’t actually see the sunset that was referred to here because it was foggy that time when we visited the place. Tam-Awan Village is an art gallery and cultural museum. It features the native huts typical to the different towns in the Cordillera region. They brought the culture, bundled it and made it into a tourist destination. Tam-awan Village is a part of the jigsaw puzzle called Baguio.

Baguio City’s Mines View Park

Mines View Park in Baguio City.

Mines View Park in Baguio City is another popular park after Burnham Park near the central business district and the Botanical Garden along Leonard Wood. This Baguio tourist attraction is 10 to 20 minutes by jeepney, and can be included in a long walk tour along Leonard Wood linking to Gibraltar Road. When one is going to Mines View Park he will most likely pass the other famous Baguio tourist spots like Baguio Haunted White House, Botanical Garden, Wright Park, The Mansion and a few steps to the Good Shepherd Convent (a pasalubong center).

Get a panoramic view of the Cordillera mountains at Mines View Park, Baguio.