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Baguio City, is the tourist capital of the Philippines also known as the "City of Pines" or the "Summer Capital"
Asian Spirits has flight every other day from Manila to Baguio. The cost is under a hundred dollars round trip, and takes approx. 55 min. Otherwise, Baguio is a 5 to 7 1/2 hr drive from the Manila airport depending on what time of night or day you leave.
Manila is very different from Baguio City; Manila is a big city with lots of traffic any time of day. This is why they have created a coding system to reduce the number of cars that are on the street at any one time. This has also been applied in Baguio City, but that is only in prevention of becoming as congested as it is in Manila. Baguio City is like a university town with a lot of students from all around the country. It is a mountain resort city with a nice golf course and many pine trees.
The drive up the mountains towards Baguio is winding, but quite beautiful. You’ll catch mountains covered in forest trees, a few waterfalls, depending on the season, and houses along the edge.
You’ll know when you reach Baguio’ city limits as you will be greeted by a large stone carving of a painted black lion, unless you take one of the other roads. It was created by the lions club, which stands for Liberty, Intelligence, Our Nations Safety and has become a trademark. “Lions are men and women who volunteer their time to humanitarian causes. Founded in 1917, our volunteer organization’s motto is We Serve.” The Lions head along Kennon Road is a landmark synonymous with Baguio City. Local and foreign tourists make a point to stop and take pictures at the base of the lion’s head which extends 40 feet. The lions head was carved by a Cordillera artist from a limestone boulder.
Until today, Baguio City is known as the Summer Capital of the Philippines and is the most frequented destinations in Northern Luzon by locals and foreign tourists alike. Baguio is 8 degrees (C) cooler any month, on the average, than any place in the lowlands. Manila can get to 35 degrees centigrade or above, while Baguio rarely exceeds 26 degrees centigrade at its warmest. Many tourists like the coolness of Baguio City, but found that because of the high condensation in the air, mold can be a problem on leather goods, hats and some clothing. However this can be easily remedied with an air de-humidifier.
English is widely spoken and understood. It is the medium of instruction in all public and private schools, and is the basis for all legal documents. Most newspapers and magazines are printed in English, which makes it easy for English speaking travelers. However some locals may be too shy to try out their spoken English, but smiles are universal. The Filipino language -Tagalog and Ilocano is spoken by almost everybody. “The use of English as the sole medium of instruction in the Philippines was ended during the presidency of Cory Aquino. As a result, fluency in English has declined in most of the country. “It is now noticeably stronger in Baguio than elsewhere in the country,” Baguio Encyclopedia. Time Differential
There is no daylight savings in the Philippines. Right now, add 3 hours and change AM to PM, or PM to AM for the West Coast. In the Spring, add 4 hours.
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Visa Extension
On arrival at Manila International airport, Cebu, Davao, Laoag, or Zambonga in the Philippines without a Philippine visa, to obtain an Philippine entry visa you must produce the following documents:
• Passport valid for 6 months beyond your planned exit from the Philippines.
• Ongoing or return ticket leaving the Philippines.
On production of these documents you will automatically be granted a Philippine visa for 21 days. This cost nothing, however there is an airport exit tax of 550 pesos (14US$).
Philippine Visa extension can be obtained either by applying at the Immigration office at Intramuros, Manila or Angeles or Cebu City or San Fernando, LA Union. Or, you can pass it to a travel agent for processing for a small fee. An efficient travel agent for Philippine visa extensions is Swagman Travel at Flores St., Ermita, Manila. Their telephone number in Manila, Philippine is (63)(2)524-5816.
If you require your Philippine visa quickly you can pay extra for express service. The first Philippine visa extension is for 38 days taking your total stay to 59 days. The next Philippines visa extension takes you 3 or 4 months depending on the immigration office. Further Philippines visas extensions can be obtained, although past 6 months gets a little complicated as there is a regulation for finger prints and a police clearance may be required.
Also, you can apply for permanent alien status. If you stay beyond your visa, a fine will be imposed when you leave or return home for your overstay when leaving the airport. What is the airport code there?
MNL, Manila Philippines, Ninoy Aquino Intl.
BTW, I found Korean Airlines to have the best airfares.
Air Transportation from Manila to Baguio City
I would recommend you reserve a Flight from Manila to Baguio city and then you can take a short cab to anywhere you need to go. Asian Spirits (which has a local office in SF, CA) has one flight a day on Mo, We, Fr, Su mornings from Manila to Baguio and back. The cost is under one hundred dollars round trip (40% off for children), and takes approx. 55 min.
A less expensive approach (less than $15 round trip), but more scenic is to take an air conditioned bus from Manila to Baguio, but it is going to be a lot more challenging and it will take 7 to 8 hours. If you take this approach and are not familiar with the Philippines, it is advisable to arrange for an escort to meet you at the airport and accompany you to Baguio. This will cost $35 plus expenses, e.g. bus fare ($15), snack, etc.
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Water
The water is city water. I use the 5 gallon bottled water, which you can buy for less then $1.00. Now a days everyone drinks either bottled water or filtered water, e.g. from a 5 gallon plastic container.
Phone Communications
It is best to buy a used cell phone after you arrive in the Philippines along with a cell card. Text is very common and is the best way to communicate with friends, business or in case of emergencies. You can easily add time (load). Cell cards range from $2 to $10. Used cell phones cost around $30.
Internet
There are many internet cafes, especially in the downtown area along session road. It cost around one dollar per hour or less. Most internet Cafes have 256kbps or 512kbps internet access.
Yahoo is big in the Philippines and the voice works pretty well. Just bring a headset with mic and open a yahoo IM account before you leave. Ask any of your friends or relatives to open a Yahoo account as well if they do not already have one. Be sure to take their Yahoo ID with you. It is a good idea to try out the voice before you leave. Also, if you have a phone line installed, you can dial up and use an internet card. Dial up access is about $2 for every 10 hours, but off hours (1am to 7am) is free.
For longer stay, you can purchase internet over cable. You will need to confirm during your stay, but this is around $40 per month, but you will have unlimited internet access day and night. TV
Cable is the best way to receive television. HBO, CNN, Discovery, History Channel are all available. You will find most sports channels cover soccer, rugby, golf, tennis and many other international sports. Baseball, football, has limited coverage.
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Electricity
Electrical outlets are 220volts. Similar plugs are used, but in some cases a two prong round plug is use. Adapters are widely available, including voltage converters from 220 to 110volts.
Credit Cards
Credit Cards are accepted in the larger restaurants, stores and hotels, but some types may not, e.g. American Express or Diners, etc. Most establishments prefer cash because of the extra fees associated with credit cards. Traveler’s checks are accepted at most banks. Western Union is available and a fast method for transferring money, but expensive.
Fast Food
Almost all fast food restaurants are available, e.g. Kenny Rogers, Pizza Hut, Macdonald, Duncan Donuts, Wendy’s, KFC, Pancake House, Starbucks, and more.
Beach
The beach is only a 2 hour drive by car. A great day out is to go to San Fabian where you can rent a bamboo hut for a day, or night and buy local fish or shrimp and have a barbeque and enjoy the fresh air and soothing sounds. There are jet skis to rent or take a boat ride in one of the long boats.
Long Term Activity
Although the pay is only a token amount, there is a need for private English teachers. Or you might want to take a university class, but keep in mind that they need all the same things you might expect from any other college, e.g. transcripts, etc. Also, if you are stay for a while you might consider a getting a small pet.
What are most apartments like?
Most are wood or cement floors. Some are tiled. There maybe a small throw rugs.
Most bathrooms (which are called CR, Comfort Room) are small with shower. Few bathtubs are available. Hot water, which is not available everywhere is created using electric heating elements in the shower heads. Hot water tanks are not common.
There is no such thing as quite as in most cities. You will hear roosters, dogs barking, and maybe the choir on Sundays or a local school band practicing, and maybe some karaoke next door.
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Home Cooking
Almost all foods and ingredients are available. There are two categories for grocery shopping. The store market in which you can find almost everything. The other is the central market where all fresh fish products, meats, vegetables and fruits can be found. The vegetables are inexpensive and plentiful. Fruits are seasonal, but strawberries are common, along with watermelon, and all the tropical fruits. Many fruits and vegetables are imported from neighboring Asian countries. You might want to bring your own favorite spices.
Electric appliances are commonly used in the kitchen, but most cooking uses propane gas stoves. Ovens are not common, so baking is not done much. To refill a propane tank is around $7. Services (Maid, Laundry, Escort, etc)
You can usually choose how much or how little service you want. From a full time personal assistant to part time cleaning. Your personal assistant can shop for you, clean, cook, accompany you to the market, shopping, or as you travel. There are laundry shops, that you can take your clothes for cleaning or use local facilities.
American Population in the Philippines
It is estimated that there are over 100K Americans in the Philippines, but they are spread throughout the Philippines. Baguio is where the Americans had one of their camps and helped layout the city of Baguio and one of the main roads to the city. Although there is not a concentration of Americans any more, the city is familiar with the customs and culture, with one of the best golf courses in Philippines.
Security
Most stores, shops, banks, hotels, and other businesses employee private security guards. Overall crime is low, but as with most large cities, you must be careful to protect your personal items and be alert when traveling or in large crowds. You never want to leave valuables around or unattended, especially in a hotel or apartment without informing the management. Also, when in crowed areas, you need to be aware of potential pick pockets. Cell phones are common targets. At night when walking, stay off the side street and only walk on the main well lit streets. Truly, the old proverb applies here, “An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. Over all the city is a safe place, but there are many distractions if you are a first time visitor. A few dollars for an escort will go a long ways to making your adventures a lot more enjoyable.
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