After last year’s Hot Air Balloon experience, I am all set now for another adventure up, up, and away.
Clark Hot Air Festival 2012
Together with 5 more buddies we’ll be attending the grand and colorful festivity on the 22nd of February (see the Hot Air Balloon Festival 2013 Schedule of Activities here), then off to Baguio for the Panagbenga Festival on the 23rd, my first time to attend such flowery festival.
And so here’s our itinerary for this budget trip, taking place on February 22-25, 2013.
| Date & Time | Activity | Est Cost |
| February 22, 2013 (Friday) | ||
| 4pm | Arrival in Clark | |
| Jeep to Downtown | 50 | |
| Stroll in Nayong Pilipino / Air Force / Clark Malling | ||
| Dinner | 100 | |
| Camp in Clark Air Field for the overnight stay | ||
| February 23, 2013 (Saturday) | ||
| Hot Air Baloon Festival | ||
| Entrance | 250 | |
| Lunch | 100 | |
| 9pm | Depart to Baguio | 300 |
| Overnight in Victory Liner Baguio | ||
| February 24, 2013 (Sunday) | Est allowance for the day | 700 |
| 5AM | Early Morning Strawberry Taho | |
| Eat breakfast | ||
| Burnham Park | Session Road | Baguio Cathedral (Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral) Downtown area | ||
| Session Road – Cathedral tour – Attend Early Morning Mass | ||
| 615AM | Short walk in Session road to find a good spot for the parade | |
| 8AM | Start of Grand Float Parade | |
| 945-10AM | End of Grand float Parade (at upper session road/SM Baguio) | |
| 10AM-1030AM | Deposited our bags at baggage counter at SM! | |
| Lunch at Good Taste (Behind Baguio Center Mall) | ||
| Pizza Volante located in Session Road. The house specialties are Pasta Puttanesca and Vegetarian Pizza. For a budget of only Php300-Php500 | ||
| Botanical Garden | Wright Park | The Mansion | Mines View Park | Good Shepherd (Leonard Wood Area) | ||
| Walk down to Session Road | ||
| Reach McDo Session at the lower Session Road, turn left to Mabini Street (marker is Danes Bakeshop) and look for the jeepney terminal with jeepneys going to Mines View Park | ||
| Ride and tell driver to “Mines View Park”. Fare is “long trip”. | ||
| Mines View – Ketchup Community Series | ||
| 1PM | To Mines View Park | |
| 120PM | Mines View Park | |
| Arrive in Mines View Park for some photo ops with horses, the view deck and big dogs. No entrance fee but there is charge for photo ops with the animals. | ||
| Then ride same jeepney (going back to downtown), tell the driver to drop you off to The Mansion. | ||
| Photo ops “The Mansion”. Walk to the side of the mirror lake until you reach the gazebo. By this time you are already in the Wright Park. | ||
| Picture taking with the horses or ride the horse (for P200). | ||
| Lunch time in Ketchup Community. By this time it’s already noon. If you are on a budget you can get back to town and eat in cafeterias or fast food restaurants. | ||
| The Botanical Garden – Haunted White House Walk Tour | ||
| From Wright Park, head to Leonard Wood Road passing through Pacdal Circle. Walk until you reach the Botanical Garden. | ||
| Photo ops inside Botanical Garden. | ||
| Walk out of the park and continue walking until you reach the Baguio Haunted White House. | ||
| Get inside it. *This is an update: the Haunted House is now open to public since late last year. Entrance fee is P50. | ||
| The Camp John Hay Tour and Adventure | ||
| From Wright Park, you can turn left going to The Baguio Country Club and finally Camp John Hay. You can take photos of the wide green fields there. | ||
| You can also check out there Cemetery of Negativity (where you bury your negative mind setting and being there). | ||
| Baguio City Market | ||
| Baguio City Market sells almost anything. The place boasts its cleanliness and cool environment. You can also find great deals and bargains for items (especially if you are good with haggling). This place is ideal for last minute shopping for souvenirs and gift items. | ||
| Your stay in Baguio may be short but you know that the memories will be treasured forever. The long ride can be tiring but the environment and weather of the city can relieve you from your pains and aches. | ||
| Evening – Night Market | ||
| Wait for the Night Market to open along Harrison Road. Night Market opens at 9PM. | ||
| Ukay-ukay to the max (second-hand goods and thrift goods market). This is where you can buy jackets, hoodies, pants, shirts, bags and more…at the cheapest bargain! | ||
| After the Night Market, you can try café or night bars (with or without dance floor). Paddis Point and 18 BC are night bars. | ||
| February 25, 2013 (Monday) | Est allowance for the day | 700 |
| 4am | Bell Church | Strawberry Farm (La Trinidad Area) | |
| Jeep to La Trinidad (Market) | ||
| Walk to La Trinidad Strawberry Farms | ||
| Souvenir Buying at Strawberry Farm | ||
| to Bell Church in La Trinidad, Benguet | ||
| visit Rito’s along Marcos Highway. This restaurant serves bulalo and crispy pata. | ||
| Option 2 | The Grotto-Diplomat-Tam-Awan Tour | |
| From Lourdes Grotto, you walk your way to Diplomat, or ride same jeepney, then drop off to the foot of the Diplomat Road. | ||
| Photo ops inside Heritage Park. Diplomat Hotel Ruins and the World’s Largest 10 Commandments Tablet is there. | ||
| On going back, you ride same jeepney (Dominican Hill) back to downtown. Near the Abanao Square, the terminal of Jeepney going to Tam-Awan Village is at Shagum St cor. Kayang. Signboard says “Quirino Hill” or “Quirino Hill via Tam-Awan”. You can also ride jeepney going to “Long-Long”. | ||
| Walk a bit to Tam-Awan Village (driver will instruct you). | ||
| Photo ops inside Tam-Awan Village. It’s another hiking thing so you have to prepare for this. Picture taking of the different artworks is strictly prohibited. | ||
| Visit Arko ni Apo that is just across Tam-awan Village. Different metal works and wood works art gallery are showcased in this place. | ||
| Continue your tour with a visit to the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto and this has 252 stairs before you reach the top of the grotto. | ||
| The last place to visit is the Ben Cab Museum | ||
| On going back, ride the same jeepney going back to downtown. | ||
| Departure from Baguio | 300 | |
| Arrival in Clark | 100 | |
| 2600 | ||
| Terminal Fee (Back & Forth) | 400 | |
| TOTAL ESTIMATED EXPENSES | 3000 | |
The Adventures of AdventuRoj! 