(video source: Ray Digital via Youtube)
Good day, everyone! As of writing this blog, rain is finally pouring from the skies! Finally, it’s raining! Is this a sign that rainy season is already around the corner?
Here’s another good news! Guess what? I am now finally on my last blog for my Baguio Blog series! (*pops confetti*)
(image source: Katsanslimites)
Flowers at Burnham Park.
I have shared each places we had been, our commuting experiences, and thrift travel tips and tricks. For my last blog, I will be showing you the summary of my first and second Baguio City trip and how many places can we visit on a 2 days and 1 night vacation in the city. Plus, some things we should take note when traveling.
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN TRAVELING
♦ TIME
(image source: Pixabay)
Most important thing to consider when traveling is time. What we do is based on time, isn’t it? That's why we plan and make itineraries to make the most of our travel and not waste time, because time is a moment we cannot bring back. Traveling is mostly done for a certain time only due to some reasons like money and schedule. Let's say, you can only afford an overnight stay or maybe it’s your only free day. So you have to value time to accomplish all the things you want to do on your travel. Failing to do so might cause you to get stuck on one and eventually compromise your next plans. As the old saying goes, “Time is gold.” So arrive and leave on time. Avoid the "Filipino time" (for my Filipino friends) as much as possible and you'll see how smooth and organized your travel is going to be.
♦ DISTANCE
(image source: Mhaiiiself; edited by Katsanslimites)
Me finding the night market through Google Maps.
Second thing to consider is the distance of each destination from each other. We’re only visiting for a limited time and we definitely don’t want to spend most of our time inside the vehicle. We’re here to see tourist spots and not go for a joy ride.
Sometimes traveling can be unfair too. When traveling, you can either choose between these options: visit far and few destinations but more worth it, or near and many destinations but a bit cliche place. However, you can break this notion if you scheduled your itinerary properly and systematically. Again, it’s a race against time. So best thing to do is to wake up early and get out travel. Just like what our teachers had taught us in our Physics subject, that distance, speed and time are in correlation with each other. Thus, distance is equal to speed multiplied by time. Therefore, it means that to reach a certain distance, you must consider your speed and the time. I know I am no longer making sense so let’s just move on to the next.
♦ ITINERARY
(image source: Pixabay)
Traveling without specific plans or activities in mind sure is a wonderful feeling but it can turn out not so good for some. When we travel, we initially look for places and activities around the place which we can go and do because traveling is about seeing and knowing the place you are visiting. Planning your itinerary is part of traveling. Creating a schedule of your activities will make sure that you accomplish the things you've planned to do right on time without forgetting a single one.
(image source: Pixabay)
When you create your itinerary, make sure that you plan it properly. Most of all, be realistic with your schedule! Don't include so many places to visit because it might only leave you disappointed when you haven't visited them all. Always consider those two things I've mentioned above, time and distance. Consider the cost as well and don't forget to research about how to get to your destination. I promise, knowing the directions will save you a lot of of time and effort! It's also wise to include some backup plan for your itinerary because things might not go according to your plan.
You don't have all the time so only include what you think is worth the travel and time. Plan wisely!
♦ WEATHER
(image source: Pixabay)
Of course, who would travel during a bad weather? When planning out the schedule of your travel, you must also check the weather condition of your destination. Will it be sunny all day? Will it rain?
Baguio City has a bit unpredictable weather. And this unpredictable weather just might ruin your plans just like what we had experience when we went to Christmas Village. Safety must also be our top priority as the city is on a mountain and prone to landslides. On the other hand, knowing how the weather will be beforehand will give you tips on what clothes to wear.
♦ COST
(image source: Pixabay)
When your travel is sponsored, money shouldn’t be a problem. But if we are to travel using money from our own pockets then we should be mindful of our expenses. Will you stay in a luxury hotel or a transient room? Drive your own vehicle or ride public transport? Eat in a fancy restaurant or packed meals? Tourist destinations with fees or free entrance?
Whatever you choose is your choice. It’s your decision. If it makes you happy, go for it. But always keep in mind to spend according to your budget. Running out of budget while traveling is a nightmare. (Have you ever experience it? Gladly I haven't, yet.) Maybe you can try the cheap travel challenge if you are traveling on a tight budget.
However, if you have the means to afford something more pricey for your travel, then grab it. It’s a vacation anyways and it might only happen once. Who knows, right? If you think you deserve it, then you deserve it.
FIRST TRIP ITINERARY
(image source: Katsanslimites)
First trip itinerary.
My first overnight stay was with my family. Budgeting was not much of a problem for this trip because my family can cover up to some of my expenses too. We were able to eat at fast food chains, ramen restaurant and had taxi as our transportation for our entire trip around Baguio City. It was a comfortable and delicious trip. However, the disadvantage of traveling with my family is time. On the first day, we already arrived late than our scheduled time and so some of our day time itinerary were crossed out on the list. We also overstayed at Christmas Village and when we came back to the city proper, we were all already feeling sleepy to go to the night market. My brother doesn’t even know where the night market is located so it’s a failure.
On our second day, we continued our journey at around 12:30 after having our lunch. We took so much time at Mines View Park because of taking photos and trying out the Cordillera costume. Most of our itinerary for this day were quite unplanned. Since we only had a few hours left before we go home, we just settled for the nearby destinations in the City.
For this trip, my family and I were able to visit 5 tourist destinations in Baguio City. 1 during the first day and 4 on the second day.
I had also written about the places we have visited for this trip. Check them out!
☺ Cheap Rooms in Baguio City: Babs Place Baguio Transient Room
☺ A Merry White Christmas at Baguio Country Club's Christmas Village
☺ A Side Trip to Baguio City's Popular Landmarks: The Mansion and Burnham Park
☺ A Beauty at the Edge: Mines View Park
☺ Historical Core : A Walk Through History of Camp John Hay
☺ Ramen Nagi: A Taste of Ramen from Japan
SECOND TRIP ITINERARY
(image source: Katsanslimites)
Second trip itinerary.
My second trip in Baguio City is with my friend, mhaiiiself. It’s also an overnight stay just like my vacation with my family. We were also behind our schedule for our first day (about an hour) but I observed that we had a more flexible time. We were able to leave our transient room earlier and because of that, we got more time to walk around the area. We also got to dare ourselves to be spendthrift on our entire travel. Riding jeepneys and walking were sure exhausting but fun. I know we probably can’t do these things when we are traveling with our families (of course, comfort is our top priority for our family) so I'm glad we had this trip to experience it. What’s good about exploring with a friend is that you can go a little crazy on your itinerary with your sanity still intact. Sometimes it’s fun to do things that are less comfortable and different from what we’re used to.
For my crazy trip with my friend, we were able to accomplish 4 places on our original itinerary and had 4 unplanned side trips. We got to visit 4 places on our first day, while 4 places again on our second day. That’s 8 destinations in total.
Here are my blogs for my trip with my friend:
☺ Cheap Transient Rooms in Baguio City: Yang's Home Stay
☺ When it Rains: An Unfortunate Experience at Christmas Village
☺ Strawberry Farm: A Strawberry Kingdom in La Trinidad
☺ Bell Church: A Chinese Temple in Baguio City
☺ Tam-Awan Village - Garden in the Sky: A Haven of Cordillera's Culture and Arts within the Urban
☺ Night Stroll at Baguio City: Malcom Square, Burnham Park, and Night Market
☺ Baguio City Public Transportation Experience
☺ Thrift Tips: How to Travel Cheap in Baguio City
A MEMORABLE TRIP
(image source: Katsanslimites)
Mural outside Tam-Awan Village.
Making the most of your travel is definitely a challenge. Some people feel their travel is more worthy when they have been to more places. Others based it on the happiness and contentment they had felt. For me, the number of places we have been on a single trip isn’t my priority (although it matters too), instead, having that feeling of satisfaction after visiting a place is. So even though it’s just one or two places I could visit is totally fine as long as I had enjoyed, felt comfortable and connected with the place. A place that gives me a feeling of wanting to come back is something I would consider a worthy travel. Well, we all have our own reasons and criteria of choosing which is to be considered worthy, so whatever your choice is, believe it with all your heart.
A memorable trip. What else should I call these two trips? I really had fun and never felt so happy because I got to see Baguo City twice in less than a month. My two separate visits had given me different perspectives about the city. It was a very amazing experience, that’s all I could say.
(video source: Nomadic Mike via Youtube)
Lastly, I know how annoying it is if you got your itinerary messed up. Avoid freaking out and stay calm so you’ll have a clear mind to decide what to do next. Plans are bound to fail until they are accomplished. Nobody's perfect, so relax and prepare yourself for the unforeseen scenarios.
Don’t let the bad vibes eat you, enjoy the trip!
Thanks for reading!
✧ Katsanslimites
