Meet the Out-of-Towners at the GrabTaxi Baguio Launch

The last time I went to Baguio was back in 2008 with my in-laws. So imagine my excitement when I received an invite to visit the place again for the launch of GrabTaxi. 

We had just returned from a whirlwind tour of that beautiful city, and after a three-day stay, my body is still having a hard time adjusting to the blazing temperature here in Manila. I absolutely love the chilly weather there. My head is still spinning from everything we experienced, so I thought it best to jot down some of my earliest thoughts from the trip while they are still fresh in my mind.

Initially, when I receive emails like this, the kind of opportunity I have always longed for, traveling to places with fellow bloggers, mixed emotions are always present. I have been a full-time mom for so long that I feel deeply connected to my children. They always ask why I have to go and when I will come back.

There was uncertainty about going, honestly. I was both anxious and thrilled to the point of feeling like I was walking on air. But I also know that I need to leave them once in a while for them to grow. They need to learn independence.

When I heard about our Baguio itinerary, one stop that truly scared me was the famous haunted Laperal House, especially the idea of exploring each room without a tour guide. Yes, I am a scaredy-cat. But when I am with my kids, I usually turn into something else, like the Hulk, just to protect them.

The Baguio trip was made even more enjoyable because of these wonderful Manila bloggers, namely Lou of LemonGreenTea, Earth of Earthlingorgeous, Enzo of Juan Manila Express, and the lovely people from Havas, Ms. Frances, Renzie, and Ms. Abi.

I will be sharing more photos from our visit and the highlights of the trip below.

DAY 1

We traveled from Manila to Baguio by van provided by our friends from Havas. Our meeting place was at Robinsons Galleria, and from there we took NLEX, then continued on to the new SCTEX, and finally the newly opened TPLEX. Driving through TPLEX was super convenient. We were already in Pangasinan in almost three hours, I think.

I wanted to confront our driver, as he was driving at an excessive speed of 120 mph, which felt dangerously fast for me. We all know that Baguio roads have sharp and blind bends, and to make matters worse, it was both rainy and foggy at the time. But I was too excited for the trip, so I let go of my frustration and decided to just let it pass.

We arrived late in the afternoon, and as I mentioned, it was foggy, so we didn’t really get much of a chance to take in our surroundings.

 

The first taxi we saw had GrabTaxi stickers at the back, meaning it was already part of the GrabTaxi community. The feeling of excitement for the launch was starting to sink in.

I am quite OC when it comes to hotels. I usually check reviews ahead of time to see whether a hotel is terrible or a good place to stay. I check everything, the bathroom, the firmness of the bed, and even test the WiFi.

With so many hotels to choose from in Baguio, you can still find relatively good accommodation at a reasonable price. For our trip, we stayed at Crown Legacy Hotel.

However, Crown Legacy is, without a doubt, not the best option when visiting Baguio. Overall, everything was quite disappointing. The hotel facilities were just so-so, and the rooms felt dull and gloomy. Our key card did not work, so we were given a mechanical key instead, but even that did not work properly. Their website stated that they have a pool, but I heard there was no water in it. Ms. Abi also mentioned that when she arrived, there were no available towels. I even noticed stains on the bed sheets and blankets. The restaurant only offered two breakfast choices.

It was truly disappointing, but I still love Baguio nonetheless.

After that quick but tiring hotel check, we packed up and got back into our van, then drove to Baguio City Hall to pay a courtesy call to Mayor Mauricio Domogan.

Baguio City Hall is hard to miss. Its distinctive building can be seen from afar. It is also the site of several major historical moments and remains one of the few that have endured through time.

The walls of Baguio City Hall showcase a wide variety of art, making it even more inspiring for me to create my own little “art project,” which, of course, included my selfie with all the wall art. LOL

  

With the gorgeous Ms. Frances of Havas while waiting for our turn at the Mayor’s office.

We were a bit disappointed that we were not able to have even a short chat with him.

Bloggers from Manila showed their respect to Mayor Mauricio Domogan and took a photo with him as a souvenir, together with the entire GrabTaxi team, of course. Baguio is the sixth city in the Philippines where GrabTaxi operates.

We were famished from all the traveling we had done, and Earth of Earthlingorgeous suggested that our next stop be Forest House, one of Baguio’s best boutique hotels and restaurants, if we wanted to have a satisfying meal.

Perfect choice for a cold night!

"There’s something about a restaurant that has fireplace that makes you just want to cuddle up on the sofa and sleep. The interiors of Forest House Bistro and Café are definitely the first thing that catches your eye. The warm and homey, log cabin-y place – all brick and pine – makes you wonder why not all restaurants in the City of Pines are like this."- COOK

 

Forest House was born of a concept to capture the very essence of Baguio City. 
A place to escape the harshness of reality and take time out for a breath of fresh air.
A place where you can sit back, relax, over a cup of freshly brewed coffee as you pine the hours away . A place where you gather with friends and relatives to celebrate the joys of life. 

Indeed, this place has a cozy and warm ambiance. I would love to have a home similar to this one. Who has not dreamed of an idyllic house in the countryside? I love anything rustic and country-inspired, with the informal beauty of the natural world.

 

Here are some of the Forest House delicacies we tried, and we all loved them. I highly recommend ordering their hot chocolate drinks in different flavors, as they are one of their bestsellers.

I had the Fusilli Pasta with Pesto, priced at 275.00. It is one of their bestsellers, tossed in their special chef’s pesto and served with squid and shrimp.

Enzo of Juan Manila ordered the Forest House Lamb, priced at 525.00. It is grilled lamb marinated in mustard, garlic, and Japanese soy sauce.

You will definitely enjoy your stay in this quaint, rustic, country-style restaurant for its simple ambiance, basic facilities, and understated class.

The romantic glow of lights and lanterns inside the restaurant is truly magnificent at night.

You can also enjoy an outdoor patio with a spectacular view of the Baguio mountains.

We returned to the hotel after that wonderful and satisfying dinner and went directly to a nearby KTV house. One of my favorite things to do is sing in front of a karaoke machine. We sang our hearts out all night and even made new friends along the way.

We rented out a room and had even more fun. The karaoke machine was easy to use, and we had enough space for all of us. The drinks were reasonably priced, and they served the usual bar selections.

We definitely had a blast!

They had every song I could think of, including current hits playing on the radio. However, I had more fun singing Michael Jackson and Boyz II Men hits.

DAY 2

So our second day started with the usual routine. Although I am a mom of three, I am more of a night owl than a morning person. But we all have to start our day at some point, right?

I usually keep my phone on the bed beside me so I can easily go online and check what is happening on social media. That is typically my morning routine. However, our itinerary for the day included a visit to the Baguio market, the Good Shepherd store, and my much-avoided trip to the Laperal House.

When we went to Good Shepherd House, it was truly unfortunate that there was no ube jam or strawberry jam available that day. I ended up buying strawberry jelly and peanut brittle instead.

When we went to the market, the first thing they bought was a Baguio reed broom, or walis tambo, because it is much cheaper there than in Manila. Also on our market list were lemons and strawberry coin purses for my daughters.

Our road trip continued to Hill Station Restaurant to grab a quick bite before heading to the White House.

Hill Station is located in Casa Vallejo, Upper Session Road, Baguio City. They offer dishes that blend the flavors of Asia’s hill stations with the tastes of Old World Europe and New World America.

This is a quiet place to relax and enjoy the view of Baguio, and it is also the perfect spot to take a selfie.

I am not really sure if they were more excited about the dishes or the visit to the White House. They had been planning a strategy for once they got inside that mansion. As for me, I was already planning how to get out of that house alive.

Earth loves anything with lemon in it. She ordered the Lemon Chocolate Cake and the Lemon Brazo below.

 

I love pasta in olive oil. I ordered Linguine with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Pecorino, made with the finest Roma tomatoes, white wine, and Malagos pecorino. The white wine flavor was a bit too overwhelming for my taste.

 

This is the Malunggay Pesto Pasta with garlic bread.

 

They opted for the sizzling sisig with egg and the tapas with bread.

Casa Vallejo is just across SM Baguio and a few steps from the busy street of Session Road, and within walking distance to the cathedral. You can still feel the old Baguio charm when you visit this place.

Tan tananan! Here it is, my friend. The #14 Laperal White House, famously known as the Haunted White House, is the kind of place that gives you the creeps every time you take a tour.

SPOOKY TALES OF LAPERAL

Before anything else, the Laperal House is now open to the public, and you need to pay an entrance fee of 50 pesos to scare yourself a little. But did you know that scaring yourself actually has some health benefits? Still, I would rather be unhealthy than go inside again.

I am not entirely sure why Lucio Tan would buy something as eerie as this. Perhaps he saw a hidden treasure or even a passageway to Neverland. We will never know. The only thing I do know is that this place is said to be haunted.

No, I am not gifted with a third eye, but I did feel a strong presence of some kind the moment I entered the place. And even now, it is a bit unsettling as I try to finish this post.

I only visited the living room area and never made it to the second floor. I initially planned to explore further, but after about 10 minutes on the first floor, I suddenly felt a wave of panic rising inside me. It felt as if there were too many people around, like being inside an MRT during rush hour. It was intense.

At the same time, my mind pushed me to continue. I looked at the stairs and tried to calm myself, but it felt like someone or something was right behind me, and I felt like I could hyperventilate any moment.

It also felt strangely claustrophobic, as if I were trapped in the space, with no air moving at all. The strange part is that the house was completely empty, and it was even colder inside than outside. Creepy, right?

I ended up grabbing Enzo’s arm and asking him to go outside with me because the feeling was too overwhelming.

Sometimes, experiences like this make you think that we are not really alone in this world.

If you want more creepy stories about this house, you can look up Jay Taruc’s video on YouTube.

After the Laperal tour, we felt the need to head back to the hotel to regain our lost energy. We slept for two hours, took a bath, packed up again, and then rode the van to The Tasting Room at Baguio Craft Brewery along Palispis Highway for the #GrabTaxiBaguio launch.

I loved how the management of Craft Brewery transformed the place into something else, as if we were in “GrabTaxi Land.” LOL

I don’t think I will ever get tired of a place with a rustic, country touch. There is no such thing as too much wood in a house. I love everything made of wood. I am beginning to think my past life was a tree.

  

Enzo and Earth tried and tasted 16 crafted beers to find out which one would be their favorite. In total, Craft Brewery offers 39 crafted beers.

Mine was the kiwi-flavored beer, with a hazy golden color and a crisp, smooth kiwi finish. It almost tasted like an ordinary kiwi juice with soda, which I really enjoyed.

This is LAGUD Strawberry Beer, which has a distinct strawberry flavor. It has a well-balanced malt taste and a reddish appearance. I took home four bottles and gave three to my sister-in-law. She was so happy to receive one from me.

See video of Happy Boy of GrabTaxi twerking like Miley

The weather was already chilly, but there was no better way to cool down even more than with a few more of their craft beers. I had an IDA grapefruit-flavored beer, which was on the sweeter side.

A woman cannot live on beer alone, so I needed something to line the stomach. I opted for a dynamite with a twist, which was a bit too spicy for my taste buds. The grilled fish in pita bread, on the other hand, was a bit bland for my liking. Still, my mouth is watering as I type this.

I forgot to include the photo of the chicken wings, which were my favorite. I had about three plates of them, it was so good! They used Himalayan salt, which added the perfect salty flavor to the wings.

Meet the coolest GrabTaxi Team!

After the launch, we went straight to Always Bean Café near our hotel to meet up with some of the Baguio bloggers there.

I love cafés! I enjoy sitting in cafés, sipping a vanilla frappé or hot vanilla drink with my kids or friends, but I don’t usually bring my laptop with me. I’d rather use it at home than inside a café, unless I need to charge the battery.

But this time, I opted for hot chocolate with marshmallows on a cold, windy, foggy Wednesday night. My stomach was too sensitive to any caffeinated drinks that evening.

The Baguio bloggers we met also shared some local ghost stories, which freaked me out a little… big time!

 

A blogger friend was able to use GrabTaxi conveniently and quickly.

 

DAY 3

 

On our third day, we went to Café by the Ruins on Shuntug Street before heading back to Manila. Their menu is designed to highlight natural and local ingredients from the region, showcasing vegetables and fruits at their best seasonal quality while also offering vegetarian options.

 

I had a nice cup of hot tsokolate made from tablea, with a delicious blend of sweetness and the rich creaminess of milk.

 I also got a free fruit cup with mangoes, banana, watermelons and papaya.

 T

This bacon from Scratch is way better than the ones bought in stores. I love how these were cured and cooked, and how perfectly they paired with the organic red rice. It was truly filling!

You can see how refreshed we were after our three-day tour in Baguio. Just look at our faces, we were all glowing, right?

What was meant to be a quick update of our Baguio trip seems to have turned into a gazillion-word post with lots of photos!

For my next post, I will be sharing more about GrabTaxi Baguio, so make sure to check the blog if you are interested in learning about the most convenient way to get a cab in Baguio.

Thanks again, GrabTaxi and the lovely people of Baguio!