REVISITING CAMP JOHN HAY OF BAGUIO CITY AFTER 10 YEARS WITH MY FAMILY

Location: Baguio City, Philippines 

A vibrant evening at The Manor Hotel in Camp John Hay

Every time I visit Baguio City, I never failed to visit the Manor Hotel.  But this time is more memorable as I have with my family.

Dining at the Hotel Bar

We did not have buffet dinner reservation when we went to The Manor Hotel and it was fully booked.  Thus, we ended up having pizza and drinks at the hotel bar instead of having dinner at its Le Chef Restaurant.

Le Chef at The Manor Hotel is an elegant restaurant which offers a diverse menu featuring French Mediterranean, Filipino, and Asian cuisines, with daily offerings of breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner.  The restaurant is renowned for its freshly baked breads, cakes, and pastries.   The ambiance is relaxing, set in a log cabin-style interior adorned with paintings, providing a comfortable dining experience.

Prior to our dining experience at the hotel bar, we explored the hotel and it was documented in the following photos.

First family picture at The Manor

Native handicrafts for sale

My son at the Children's Playground

My eldest sister at the Children's Playground

The Manor Hotel is not only distinguished by its impressive architecture and cozy interiors, but also blessed with an environment that truly sets it apart from other hotels in Baguio City.  This four-storey alpine-style log cabin structure, designed to blend neatly with towering pine trees, provides a magnificent view of the Cordillera mountain range.   Here, one can literally open windows to cool, fresh air.  For a distinct touch, a Baguio stone exterior finish shingled roofing and tinted glass windows add warm accents to Camp John Hay Manor's cozy, relaxed and luxurious ambiance.

This hotel sits on a total land area of approximately 2.48 hectares (24,800 square meters).  It is located in Ordonio Drive, Camp John  Hay, Baguio City with around 165 to 172 rooms and suites.

Services and Amenities

Dining and Lounges

• Le Chef: Serves international and local dishes with scenic garden views.
• The Piano Bar: Offers light fare, drinks, and relaxing evening ambiance.

Wellness and Recreation

• The Spa: Provides traditional massages, aromatherapy, and hot stone treatments.
• The Gym: Equipped with exercise machines, locker rooms, a sauna, and a jacuzzi.
• Golf Course:  Access to the nearby 18-hole championship course.

Family and Pet Services

• Playgrounds & Kiddie Corners:  Outdoor play spaces and supervised activity options for children.
• Place O' Pets: Cozy pet accommodations and grooming areas for animal companions.

Room and General Facilities

• In-room features:  Free WiFi, flat-screen cable TVs, kitchenettes with small refrigerators, electric kettles, and private bathrooms with bidets.
• Event and Business spaces:  Conference rooms and a convention center for meetings and functions.
• Parking: On-site self-parking and valet options.

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SM MALL IS EVERYWHERE IN THE PHILIPPINES INCLUDING THE SUMMER CAPITAL OF THE PHILIPPINES BAGUIO CITY

 LOCATION: BAGUIO CITY, PHILIPPINES

The imposing SM City Baguio

SM City Baguio was built on historic Luneta Hill along Upper Session Road.  Construction started in 2001 on the former site of the burned Pines Hotel, and the mall opened on November 21, 2003.  It was designed to use natural mountain breezes and sunlight instead of standard air conditioning in common areas.  A total of 182 trees (including 97 growing Benguet pines, 42 pine saplings, ang 43 Alnus trees) were affected for earth-balling and removal.

My son and I at SM City Baguio

This mall is owned by SM Prime Holdings, one of the largest integrated property developers in Southeast Asia, which was founded by the family of the late Filipino-Chinese business magnate Henry Sy.

My wife with me on a Baguio City tour

This mall is the 22nd largest shopping mall in the Philippines.  At a floor area of 196,000 square meters (2,110,000 square feet), it is the largest shopping complex in the Northern Luzon Region.  The entire mall complex stands on a land area of 80,000 square meters (860,000 square feet) on Luneta Hill on top of Session Road overlooking historic Burnham Park and opposite Baguio's City Hall which is situated on a northern hill.

The colorful wall decoration at the mall

The mall features an SM Supermarket on the lower ground level, and four cinemas and Cyberzone on the 3rd level.  The Department of Foreign Affairs Consular Office (DFA CO) Baguio, the first and only passport office in the Cordillera Administrative Region, is located at the mall's upper basement level.

SM City Baguio also has Sky Ranch on a 5,500 square meters (59,000 square feet) lot beside the mall, along Rambakan Drive.  It opened on November 8, 2018, with numerous attractions such as a Viking ride, a carousel, and a drop tower.  One notable attraction is the Baguio Eye which is a 45-meter (148 feet) diameter Ferris wheel that stands 50 meters (160 feet) tall and carrying 24 air-conditioned gondolas. 

Other facilities include:

• SM Cyber Baguio, 5 Floors and Houses Foundever, ThoughtFocus, Benguet Laboratories, Krispy Kreme and a Covered Parking Facility.  It is located Along Harrison Road (Near Sunshine Park).
• SM Fiesta Strip, 2 Floors and Houses Teleperformance. It is Along Harrison Road (In Front of Sunshine Park0>
• SM Power Station Building, located at the back of SM Cyber Baguio Building 1 and Beside Sky Ranch Baguio.
• North Terrace, which opened of May 20, 2019, located in front of the mall's Supermarket Entrance.
• Carpark Annex, an expanded parking facility with more than 600 slots across five levels, opened on October 16, 2019.  The entrance is located along Governor Pack Road.
• Sunset Terraces, with its Lower Ground and Upper Ground levels opened on December 14, 2019 and its 2nd level opened on February 15, 2020.
• The Sky Terrace, the latest attraction at SM opened on October 2, 2020.

Part of the mall's Sky Terrace

Enjoying Baguio City's nightscape

The Sky Terrace of the mall is an open-air veranda and dining space located on the mall's third level, which also features sections like the Sunset Terraces and Sky Pods offering panoramic views of the city skyline.

The Sky Terrace of SM City Baguio

Another mall's attraction

DISTANCE AND TRAVEL TIME FROM MANILA

The travel time from the capital city of Manila to Baguio City is typically  4 to 6 hours, depending on traffic, the mode of transport, and your specific departure point.  The total driving distance is about 245 to 266 kilometers.

HOW TO GO THERE FROM MANILA

Traveling from Manila to Baguio by public commute is done by taking a direct air-conditioned bus from major terminals in Cubao, Pasay, or Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), with key operators including Victory Liner, Genesis JoyBus, and Pangasinan Solid North.  From Manila to Baguio City, it runs via major expressways (NLEX, SCTEX, and TPLEX) combined with mountain ascents like Kennon Road or Marcos Highway.  As of this writing the fare ranges from P600 (US$ 9.72) to P1,500 (US$24.31) depending on the bus class.

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CONCERT AND STAYCATION IN LEGAZPI CITY WITH MY FAMILY

 Venues:  Marison Hotel, Legazpi City, Albay, Philippines (Concert)
                 Your Brothers House Tribal Village, Legazpi City, Albay, Philippines (Staycation)

Cabanas at Your Brothers House Tribal Village

Exploring Your Brothers House Tribal Village upon check-in

Checked in time at Your Brothers House Tribal Village was at 2:00 P.M. and we were billeted at No. 7 Temple Cabana.  This is located along Pawa Road, Barangay Pawa, Legazpi City.

No. 7 Temple Cabana - our overnight accommodation

Our accommodation can accommodate 3 adults and 1 child and its overnight staycation cost is P3,798.45.  It has no complimentary breakfast.  It offers free WiFi, parking and cable TV channels.  From its location, the majestic Mayon Volcano can be viewed.  It also offers ATV rides services heading to the majestic view of Mayon Volcano.

The air-conditioned room interior

The overlooking view from the balcony

The attic for extra bed

Exploring the attic

The native material walling

The lush green garden

The spacious lush garden

Roaming around the property complex

Exploring the property complex

Exploring the property complex with my son

Heading to the pool

The small-size outdoor pool

While at Marison Hotel for the concert

Upon arrival at The Marison Hotel

The Marison Hotel is a top-ratedd 4-star destination located at Corner Imelda Roces Avenue, Barangay 38-Gogon, Legazpi City, Albay.  It features an outdoor pool, fitness center, and great views of the Mayon Volcano.  It is 10-kilometer away from Bicol International Airport or 20 to 26-minute drive.  It is just an 18-minute walk or 1.5 Kilometer to SM City Legazpi and close to the Legazpi City Convention Center.

Heading to the concert venue in the hotel

The concert venue

Enjoying the gala dinner with my family and friends

The concert's major opening production

The back-up performers

The first of the two major performers

The second of the two performers

Finally, the performed together

After the concert

Dropping by at the hotel's outdoor pool

My playful son at the hotel's piano corner

A final look at the hotel

Back to our Staycation Accommodation

Just arrived back from the concert

Tired coming from the concert

While at the outdoor pool for a night swimming

A cool night swimming with my family

The following morning with my eldest sister, Ate Rose

Breakfast Dining at Kuzina Zebra at the Tribal Village

Breakfast meal with hot chocolate

My wife, Stef after the breakfast

Enjoying the background

My eldest sister

A rainy morning swim

Bonding with my son

Making it big

Sumptuous lunch at Kuya J's Restaurant in SM Legazpi City

For tourists who are already in this place, you can enjoy the major attractions in the municipality of Camalig.  See for this link or Quituinan Ranch to have an intimate engagement with the majestic Mayon Volcano.

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