Shopping in Baguio City, bargain hunter's paradise

Baguio City is a bargain hunter's paradise. Prices in the flea markets and souvenir shops are not always fixed so your haggling skills will be put to good use.

Know that Baguio is no tourist trap, though -- the prices and rates  are pretty reasonable compared to other top Philippine destinations, and can go lower even!

Because the residents

The Best Places to Shop in Baguio, Philippines
The length of Session Road is the city's premier shopping area, anchored by SM City Baguio Mall on Luneta Hill at the top and the Baguio City Market at the base on Magsaysay Ave., that runs perpedicular to it. Specialty shops and restaurants are found in this city center where everybody goes for all their supplies.

The tourist market at Mines View Park has a great selection of dry goods found at the city market at comparable prices. Actually, it is more of a shopping area now than real attraction since there are better views of the Cordillera to be had elsewhere. 

The Good Shepherd Convent on Gibraltar Road is a favorite stop. One can find this store up a driveway right beside Mines View Park. Popular for its peanut brittle, ube and strawberry jam. They have expanded their products to include baked goodies, homemade ice cream and a tasty strawberry-calamansi juice over the counter.

Souvenir shops are located near each tourist attraction. Unlike in other countries, these are not tourist traps. Vendors know that folks can compare prices easily so standard pricing applies.

Mile-Hi Center at Camp John Hay has some interesting stores, including a commisary and a factory outlet of export overrun garments from the Baguio Export Processing Zone.

Narda's on Upper Session Road is well known for Narda Capuyan's original woven cloths that gave gained her international reknown. Her designs have been copied by other local weavers and are selling in the dry goods sections of the markets.

Then there are the malls: SM City, Center Mall, Abanao Square and Porta Vaga with specialty shops as well as familiar stuff that you can find in other malls all over the Philippines.

For antiques, Filipiniana, and ethnic furniture with shipping services available, go to top floor at the Maharlika Livelihood Center parking lot (yup -- the parking lot, okay?). Of course, there are other furniture shops scattered around the city on Leonard Wood, and at Camp John Hay 

And here is the reason office workers from Manila come up on overnight trips: the Ukay Ukay. Also know as  "Wagwagan." These are thrift stores selling anything from used clothing to children's toys. If you're lucky, you may find an authentic vintage Louis Vuitton Bag for a fraction of the cost on Ebay!

here are frugal in nature, they themselves always have an eye out for a good bargain and will not take it against you if you haggle for a better price.

The best place to shop is at the Baguio City Market where you can get anything and everything. The Dry Goods section (Marbay) and the furniture and antiques on the upper floors of the Maharlika Livelihood Center are favored by bargain hunters.  Continue reading at the original blog here http://www.gobaguio.com/shopping.html

BAGUIO on P500 a day? Summer Capital of the Philippines

IS it possible to enjoy the summer capital BAGUIO on P500 a day?

The Department of Tourism estimates that a typical tourist spends an average
of P2,500 daily in Baguio City. This includes accommodation, meals, and
local transportation fares around the city and souvenir items.

For a tourist on a tight budget, however, P500 is more than enough to savor
the sights, scents and tastes of Baguio City for a day. Setting aside
transportation and accommodation costs, it’s still quite possible to get
that exhilarating experience of pine trees and cool clean air.

First off, one doesn’t need cash to enjoy a walk in Baguio’s wooded parks
(Burnham Park, Wright Park and Botanical Garden) amid the nippy weather.

Still, for adventurous tourists with only P500 in their pocket, here’s how
to enjoy Baguio:

1. Aerobics class

Go straight to Burnham Park at 6 a.m. on any day and join workers, students,
the elderly and health buffs for an hour-long aerobics and taebo class. For
donations of at least P20 from each participant, fitness instructors will
lead the workout near the Burnham Lake.

2. Breakfast meals

After your morning exercise, walk toward Lower Mabini Road and get a P52
breakfast at Dane’s Bakeshop. The meal is a choice of tocino, longganiza,
corned beef or tapa, fried egg and brewed coffee.

Or you may want to try the breakfast meal offered by Pizza Volante on
Session Road for P78.

3. Sto. Tomas trek

If it’s not raining and you want to camp out, the best place is Mt. Sto.
Tomas at the outskirts of the city. The area offers a panoramic view of
Baguio City and the Lingayen Gulf.

To get there, take a jeepney bound for Barangay Dontogan (terminal is near
the old Bayanihan Hotel, now an ukay-ukay center) and tell the driver to
drop you off at the “Turning Point.” Fare is P13.

Start the trek to Mt. Sto. Tomas, a dormant volcano, and enjoy the wild
flowers and vegetable plantations along the route. In 30 minutes (depending
on your pace), you can reach the summit, where the satellite dishes of the
weather bureau are located.

Wear thick clothes and bring a blanket as temperatures drop at the summit
every afternoon. Frost is common from October to February. During cold
months, thin sheets of ice cover vegetables grown there by local farmers.

4. Camp John Hay eco trail

If a trek up Sto. Tomas is too daunting for you, try the Camp John Hay eco
trail. Take some friends along – it’s free but you have to spend P10 for
jeepney fare. Take the Scout Barrio jeepney at the Igorot Park near Burnham
Park.

While inside Camp John Hay, spend P30 to visit the Historical Core. The area
boasts of the postcard-pretty Bell amphitheater, the house of the American
governor-general, the Cemetery of Negativism and the Secret Garden, where a “history trail” of Camp John Hay is offered to visitors.

5. Eat out for a hundred bucks or less

Many restaurants offer complete meals for P85 to P100. Try Star Café,
Mandarin Restaurant, Tea House and Jack’s on Session Road; Cathy’s and Jen’s on Diego Silang Street and Good Taste behind the Baguio Center Mall on Magsaysay Road.

6. Museums, art exhibits

For P20, tourists and students can learn about and appreciate the culture of
the Cordillera in the Baguio-Mountain Province’s Museum on Gov. Pack Road.

7. Souvenirs and “pasalubong”

For P20, you can buy the ubiquitous Baguio bonnet at the city market or at
the Maharlika Livelihood Center.

Three pieces of walis tambo (broom) sell for P100. Key chains with
strawberry design are offered at P10 to P15 each. Peanut brittle, ube jam
and chocolate flakes can be bought for under P100 at stalls in the city
market.

If you want to save on fare money, you can always walk. Baguio, after all,
is a walking city.

From Burnham Park, you can walk to the Botanical Garden on Leonard Wood
Road. Warm up with a P10 cup of strawberry-flavored taho, available from any
of the vendors you encounter along the way.

The Wright Park is a short walk from the Botanical Garden.

Let’s see… How far did your P500 go?

A P20 contribution for the aerobics session, breakfast (P52), cinnamon twist
and pan de coco (P5) and a cup of brewed coffee (P20) for snacks, trek to
Mt. Sto. Tomas (P26), bulalo and rice at Slaughterhouse (P145) for lunch, a
slice of cassava cake (P12) for dessert, museum visit (P20), jeepney fare to
Camp John Hay (P20), Jack’s rice (P65) for dinner, a walis tambo (P35) and a
key chain (P15). That’s P435.

You may wish to spend the remaining P65 to shop for ukay-ukay (used clothes) at the Hilltop area, where some clothes can go as low as P10.

Or better yet, save the change and spend the afternoon strolling around John
Hay or reading a book amid the pine trees and the fog. It’s priceless.  Read
the complete article here as this is only a summary edited
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/sim/sim/view/20091010-229396/Baguio-on-a-Budget&ct=ga&cd=PRWlYwrh4jo&usg=AFQjCNG2R4jnpwt9

Also check out my Unique Philippines Travel blog here
http://uniquephilippines.blogspot.com/