Welcome to Baguio Series - Featuring Living Gifts Nursery & Mirador Hills

Hey! Welcome to this adventure blog channel. In this series, I will share with you our 2026 tour of Baguio and beyond. Happy reading!

Living Gifts Nursery

We were really amazed with the way "Living Gifts Nursery" was developed into an eco-tourism destination. Going here is not an easy adventure, believe it or not. From Baguio City proper, we drive up north of Benguet traversing zigzag roads, uphills, downhills, one-way traffic zones, cliffs left and right, and that feeling of nervousness the entire one-hour journey. We arrive there at about nine in the morning, under a cold drizzly weather, and what welcomes us is truly unimaginable.

After about a minute or two of registration and orientation at the welcome booth, the grand entrance is all about excitement. We were suddenly looking at a fairytale land of flowers, ornamentals, trees, greeneries, and on a variety of artistic creations of flora. All we can do at that moment is pull-out our cameras and enjoy the almost-endless photography sessions of the day. Here are some of the highlights to begin with.

Then we enter the kingdom of cactus - giant ones, dwarf ones. Seeing a plethora of cactus is beyond my imagination, for you can't just find them gathered in one nursery. As I rove around, all I can do is wonder on the huge effort and hefty investment they put into this dome of cactus. Please have a visit here and see it with your own eyes - this collection is truly beyond limits.

When its about time to say goodbye, we make sure all angles of beauty were captured. We tour the whole place, about 3 hectares or more. Noticeably, they have an excellent water system here. The landscaping is well thought-of considering that plants truly thrives in every corner of the nursery. This a must-visit spot in Benguet. Plan your travel during summer months for getting here could be challenging even for the experienced navigators.

Mirador Hills

Another breathtaking destination in Baguio is the "Mirador". From this map alone, you'll get to know why this place is not like any other tourist spot. There is about two-dozen places to go inside this heritage and eco-spirituality park. And here is a friendly caution - don't push yourself to visit them all for it will absolutely test your endurance to the extremes. Spoiler alert! That scenic spot of tall bamboos where picture-perfect angles are captured from, that's right here at Mirador!

This is the Mirador Hill Peace Memorial. Looks very familiar, right? To get a solo photo, you need to queue up, no joke. Lucky we are for the rainy weather give us the freedom to capture the moment without that guilt of having other visitors wait for their turn. There we go.

And the bamboo forest walk, this will surely complete your day. You might feel like you're in Japan or maybe China when you get in between these giant grasses. And to get here is like finding a missing gold mine in the map. It is somewhere down the hill concealed with trees and rocks. And once you find it, great memories comes next.

Did you know that Mirador is the extension of Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto? Well, this is what I happened to discover myself just when we are about to leave the place. I have no clue when we first get there, since we are driving a car. Until I noticed these hundreds of steps downhill and when I looked uphill, the grotto was right there.

Here's more of Mirador. Almost a walk to the heaven - that was the feeling we got. Spending a couple of hours here is a treasure you wouldn't forget for the rest of your life. Sit under the pines. Or maybe hop into an Ifugao house. Lean on giant trees or touch the rocky hills of Mirador park - stress all gone. This is a spirituality park and people from all walks of life are welcome to pray, meditate, and express their faith. I encourage you to come here once in a while. Serene and quite place.

There is really something about Baguio that make us come back. Maybe the cold weather and the exciting travel. Maybe the people and the environment. Maybe the food and the local market. Our first setting of foot here was back in 2007. Then we went back in 2014, 2024 and then this 2026. There were lots of changes, big changes, including me and my wife ages. We aged a bit but our desire to see more of Baguio, experience more of Benguet keeps on growing. We fell in love with this place.

I will be sharing more of Baguio and Benguet in my next blog post. The Valley of Colors, Bell Church, Strawberry Farm, and Baguio Museum are just some of them. Whenever time and budget allows, visit this place. These days, buses from Manila to Baguio are there to bring you safe. Accommodations in the city, even in the outskirts, is not that difficult to find. And to give you an idea, you're Php5000 to Php10,000 would be more than enough to enjoy Baguio. See you soon at Baguio.

Knowriel.org

Thank you for visiting this blog. Are you an OFW or an aspiring entrepreneur? I invite you to visit Knowriel.org, my other personal website that offers webinar, learning, coaching, and consulting on business and entrepreneurship. Here, you can learn for free. And if you feel the need to speak with me, a Business Coach & Consultant with years of experience on implementing Business Solutions, just give me a message. Explore the pages of Knowriel.org and let me know how can I help you.

Comments

A Day in the Life of Juan dela Cruz, a Filipino Commuter

A typical working day of an ordinary Filipino usually starts at four (4) o’clock in the morning. Really? Well, that’s a rough estimate. But the reasoning behind is that if you will come from the north or south of Manila, allocating two (2) hours travel will land you safe – helps you avoid getting late for your 9:00am time-in job. But still there is no guarantee to that. Practically, a three to four hours total time allocation or allowance will enable a Filipino commuter to be at work just right on time. How true is that? Alright, for the sake of argument, let’s dissect that lengthy hours right on this blog. Filipino Commuters fighting for space in a Public Utility Bus If you are a Filipino commuter, chances are, you don’t have to argue with me on this matter. But one may say, it depends on where you live and where you work. Okay, we’re talking about the average Filipino commuters here. Those who are living more than 20 kilometers outside Metro Manila, practically Filipinos wh...

“I Love Baguio City” - My Travel Story in the Summer Capital of the Philippines

The Strawberry Farm, Burnham Park, Mines View Park, the Mansion, Wright Park, Lourdes Grotto, and Session Road; these are among of the popular landmarks in the more commonly known “Summer Capital of the Philippines” – Baguio City. Why so? Well, the temperature here seldom exceeds 26 degree centigrade. During the cold season of December to February, the temperature falls down to even below 10 degree centigrade. The record low temperature was 6.3 degree and that was on January 18, 1961. How to Travel to Baguio City? Going to this cold city in the mountainous province of Benguet, Philippines is a six to seven hours travel by passenger utility bus from Manila. Starting from EDSA, traversing the NLEX, entering SCTEX, exiting the province of Tarlac and going through the neighbouring provinces of Pangasinan and La Union, and then exploring the zigzag road of either the Marcos Highway, the Kennon Road or the Naguilian Road, the coldest place in the Philippines will be reached. Baguio is a...

"Business as Usual" as the Filipinos Define It (Vulcanizing Shop, Sari-Sari Store, Bakery) – Part 1

I asked the shop owner about these old unused tires on what are they doing with it. The Vulcanizing shop owners says, “Oh, someone will pick up those tires and pay us 5 or 10 pesos each. Sometimes they just take it for free”. Vulcanizing Shop - A Classic Example of Filipino Business You’ve most probably seen and been into a local, typical vulcanizing shop like this one in the photo. The business concept is very simple. Here’s a customer with his flat or deflated tire and the vulcanizing boy will repair it using a rubber compound patch, a heating tool, and an air pump. If it’s a regular car or van tire, repairing one may only take 10 minutes the cost of which is around 30 to 60 pesos. If it’s a tire from a truck or bus, it could be around 30 minutes and the repair would cost the vehicle owner around 100 to 150 pesos. Here’s the thing. A shop like this one could potentially earn a revenue of 1000 up to 2000 per day just by repairing a flat tire. Why? Well, with thousands of...

The Solutions to the Problems in the Philippines – an Appeal for Help from People Like You

If I would become the political adviser of the Philippine president, I would propose to him solutions on how to resolve the problems and issues happening in this country. But if I would not become one, I will continue to become an adviser if not to the president then to the people. Manila, Philippines There are hundreds of problems the government of the Philippines is facing today and even in the past. Some of them can be considered solved while some are not. Some problems are recurring while others are permanent and therefore the solutions are only temporary. However, it is worth commending on how the current government is responding to the needs of time of the Filipino people. Ads by ProjectPilipinas Click Image to Learn More The rise of the Philippine Stock Exchange index is a valid proof that several economic measures are taking effect. The legal measures are showing results in the sense that the fight against corruption is not a “ningas-kugon” platform. The call...

Jesus Christ’s Hands (Kamay ni Hesus) – an Image of Ultimate Devotion

We visited Kamay ni Hesus in 2011. That big statue of Jesus Christ, similar to that one seen in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, is a magnificent wonder. Probably, this hidden place in the province of Quezon is not yet known to the world. Then this post is a good starting point to share it. More than 85% of the Filipinos are Catholics. Many are truly devoted. Some are not. This holy place is a place of worship for many Catholics. At about 50 feet tall, this statue of Jesus Christ is a magnificent structure made even more noticeable when placed on the mountain top. About two thousand to three thousand visitors come into this place everyday to pray, to stroll and to witness the beauty and holiness of this man-made mountain park. On the Photo: A view from the Foot of the Mountain at Lucban, Quezon, Philippines Kamay ni Hesus “Kamay ni Hesus” in Lucban, Quezon is proving it all. A structure, a park , a holy place – many believes that it will last for a lifetime. On a larger scale, Chris...

The Divisoria Malls - Defining Shopping in the Philippines

They call it the 168 Mall. It is one of the busiest places in the Philippines during shopping days like Christmas season when longing for enjoyment and relaxation is on the air once again. From Cavite, my home place, going to Divisoria, it will take you about an hour travel under normal traffic flow. What is in this place? Well, Divisoria is the Bargain Shopping Capital of the Philippines . This is where wholesale and retail prices make shoppers say “WOW!” on delight. Visiting this place will definitely give you a realization about shopping on a different dimension. Find out why on the next paragraphs. On the Photo: The Popular 168 Mall in Divisoria, Manila, Philippines Divisoria is located in Binondo, Manila. It is accessible via Quiapo(where the famous Black Nazarene of Quiapo Church is) thru Recto Avenue and via Lawton near Manila City Hall. Divisoria has been there since the early 90’s. As it is near the North Harbour, Manila’s main seaport, the freshest and cheapest produc...

“Fixer” in Philippine Government Agencies Like the Social Security System (SSS) and Land Transportation Office (LTO) – What We Filipinos Can Do About it?

Maybe in this post, I can clearly explain how “fixing” works in many government offices in the country. The idea is first, to warn you that such illegal fixing happens, and second, to give you tips on how you should avoid them. Plain and simple, we will not in anyway damage or speak against anyone or any particular office of the government in this post. It just happened that this is about my experience with LTO and SSS Tagaytay. I want to emphasize that still many government employees in the Philippines are doing their jobs right - including those who are working in the said branches. If you have experienced transacting with any government offices here in the Philippines, whether you're a Filipino or not, you should already be familiar with these signages. NO TO FIXER Banner in an LTO Office NO NOON BREAK Banner in LTO Tagaytay Here’s a bit of knowledge for you to digest first. What is “fixing” or who is a “fixer” by the way? In the Philippines, these good w...

Interesting Facts from the Historic Province of the Ilocanos - Ilocos Norte, the Philippines

In 2016, my friends traveled to the northern part of our country – in Ilocos region. The views there are truly amazing, so I decided to create this post about Ilocos Norte. No wonder, some of the places I am going to share here do exists in the Philippines for centuries. Yes, that old! Not only that, I researched more facts about these places that may help you appreciate more the beauty or importance of them. Ready to be fascinated? Here we go. Sand Dunes, Paoay, Ilocos Norte The Sand Dunes in Paoay Ilocos Norte is in some ways comparable to the desert safaris found in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Marrakech. Land cruisers or 4x4 rough terrain vehicles will tour you around the dunes. The place is also known as the Ilocos Norte Sand Dunes (INSD) and is considered a National Geological Monument. The locals call it La Paz Sand Dunes or Bantay Bimmaboy. Notable feature of this tourist destination is that it is an 85 square kilometers dry zone facing the West Philippine Sea. Today, adventu...

Search This Blog