Baguio is now a terrible destination

[JJReyes]

Baguio use to be an ideal summer destination.  It was very clean, unpolluted, wholesome and safe.  As pre-teens, we were permitted to roam around without adult supervision to engage in fun activities like horseback riding, skating and boating at Burnham Park, or visiting friends from Manila who were also spending their summer months in a cooler environment.

Not anymore.   It's wall to wall people, one after the next commercial establishments and restaurants, and vendors trying to sell their trinkets.  Our four days trip turned out to be a waste of time.  Traffic is horrific with parking nonexistent.  We couldn't stop at Burnham Park because there was no parking available.  Never mind that the artificial lake, originally designed as a water reservoir for the city, had water that was a dark, rusty red from pollutants.  Vacationers continued paddling small boats in what looked like a large sewer tank.

The only saving grace was my brothers-in-law's invitation to stay at the Baguio Country Club.  Surrounded by pine trees and golf course greenery, this area and next-door Camp John Hay were a pleasant refuge.  They even had a dormitory and cafeteria for drivers and bodyguards.  

Remaining optimistic, I am looking forward to our 18 days Cebu visit.  We reserved a room at Seda Hotel at or near the IT Park to use as a base.  Relatives suggested we go to Bohol for the day to look at little monkeys.  It turns out this trip is a minimum 14 hours.  My wife and I instead decided to look at National Geographic pictures of the Bohol monkeys. 

[Freebie]

Baguio Country club used to be wonderful, could sit there eating a leisurely breakfast whilst the early risers finished their round. Now, sadly full of rich arrivistes from Manila . John Hay has been gentrified. Also used to be cool calm and casual and was never about money. They had one hole, Cardiac Hill I think it was called , where gy one drove from a tee box to a green that was at a significantly higher elevation. And theres was a rope to help the unfit get to the top.  Now thats also ben gentrified and done away with.

The moment they built the SM it guaranteed driving and parking chaos and its been that way for past 10 years. Thanks SM, you helped destroy what had been an interesting town. Needless to say I havent been for 10 years , prefer to keep the memories of how it was,  semi- intact.

[gbmmbg]

The wife and I spent 3 days in Baguio  back in 1987. I returned a few times with friends that had never been to show them around a little. We were up in Manila a few years ago and the wife wanted to take a short trip back to see what it looked like now. On the way back to the city after a two day stay my wife said she wished we had never came back. The great memories she had of the the clean fresh Baguio were now forever gone.

Edited January 18 by gbmmbg

[OnMyWay]

8 hours ago, Freebie said:

The moment they built the SM it guaranteed driving and parking chaos and its been that way for past 10 years. Thanks SM, you helped destroy what had been an interesting town. Needless to say I havent been for 10 years , prefer to keep the memories of how it was,  semi- intact.

I don't know much about that phase of change.  My first visit was in 2013, by bus.  Next trip after I bought a car.  Starting in Laguna, going through Manila on EDSA, then getting on MacArthur/ National Hwy all the way to Marcos Hwy or Kennon Rd.  It was an all day, miserable trip.  MacArthur is terribly dangerous, with a mix of tourists overtaking going way too fast, buses going too fast, slow moving farm vehicles, trikes, etc.  Night is even worse.  Unmarked, unlit giant trees right in the middle of the right lane.  So stupid.

The expressways changed all that.  I just checked, and right now from Cabuyao Laguna to Baguio is 4 hours 43 minutes.  Starting in Subic, 3 hrs 21 minutes.  I have made it from Baguio to Subic in less than 3.  For me the TPLEX completion to Rosario has had the biggest impact on Baguio traffic, coupled with many Filipinos being able to buy their own cars.

[craftbeerlover]

10 hours ago, JJReyes said:

Baguio use to be an ideal summer destination.  It was very clean, unpolluted, wholesome and safe.  As pre-teens, we were permitted to roam around without adult supervision to engage in fun activities like horseback riding, skating and boating at Burnham Park, or visiting friends from Manila who were also spending their summer months in a cooler environment.

Not anymore.   It's wall to wall people, one after the next commercial establishments and restaurants, and vendors trying to sell their trinkets.  Our four days trip turned out to be a waste of time.  Traffic is horrific with parking nonexistent.  We couldn't stop at Burnham Park because there was no parking available.  Never mind that the artificial lake, originally designed as a water reservoir for the city, had water that was a dark, rusty red from pollutants.  Vacationers continued paddling small boats in what looked like a large sewer tank.

The only saving grace was my brothers-in-law's invitation to stay at the Baguio Country Club.  Surrounded by pine trees and golf course greenery, this area and next-door Camp John Hay were a pleasant refuge.  They even had a dormitory and cafeteria for drivers and bodyguards.  

Remaining optimistic, I am looking forward to our 18 days Cebu visit.  We reserved a room at Seda Hotel at or near the IT Park to use as a base.  Relatives suggested we go to Bohol for the day to look at little monkeys.  It turns out this trip is a minimum 14 hours.  My wife and I instead decided to look at National Geographic pictures of the Bohol monkeys. 

I have a friend that went to college there in the late 60s - early 70s and  a few other friends that used to go there in the 70s for family vacations and listening to them tell me how it used to be, is both incredible and incredibly sad.    I have been up there a few times over the years and probably never again.   There are mountains with literally no trees and wall to wall to wall to wall houses.   There is no place to park anywhere, so even with a car, one is forced to take a taxi to even just go to a restaurant.   The Gov's and Mayors over the last couple of decades should be fn ashamed of themselves.   But of course they are not, as they are either now living abroad or in an exclusive sub division, with zero regard for whatever they did or did not do.  

[russellmania]

Seems Philippines is starting to get over populated all over. 

[MotorSarge]

I can't compare it to its past, since my first trip was in 2019.

I'll have to say it was busy but that was during Christmas week so again I can't compare it to what summertime may be like.

I was content with what I thought was really not that crowded comparable to where I grew up in a large city stateside.

My only complaint was our youngest son and 2 gran kids stepped in dog shite more than once 

[Mike J]

This has been a valuable thread for me.  Wife likes to travel and explore.  I just scratched Baguio from my "Philippine potential areas to visit bucket list".   

[BrettGC]

AM and I visited there in 2018 and other than the climate we didn't find it any different to any other tourist oriented city in PI TBH.  Based on the comments in this thread it makes me wish I'd seen it prior to the apparent decline. 

[JJReyes]

The title should have been, "Baguio is now a terrible destination."  The topic uploaded while trying to make corrections.  I didn't know how to change it.

My sentiment is similar.  This was our last visit to Baguio.  There are other visitor destinations in the Philippine to add to our bucket list.  The difference is our current need for upgraded facilities (clean toilet, comfortable bed, etc.).  In the good old days, traveling in a large van, we could sleep in the back seats using sleeping bags if upgraded hotels were unavailable.