REVISITING BAGUIO

Baguio City is the summer capital of the Philippines.  It’s a city located on top of the mountains in the northern region of the country.  To get there, you’ll have to drive or take a bus from Metro Manila.  The trip now takes 4 hours (Woohoo!) compared to the usual 5 thanks to a new segment of the TPLEX (Tarlac, Pampanga, La Union Expressway) just located right after the SCTex (Subic, Clark, Tarlac Expresway).

If you’ve been here before, I’m pretty sure you already have a list of things to do in Baguio.  You’ve explored the usual tourist spots like Mines View, Camp John Hay, Burnham Park and The Mansion.  You probably had your photo taken by the huge lion’s head along Kennon road & brought home strawberries & peanut brittle to your loved ones.

Baguio City remains a charming city with great weather all-year round and lesser volume of vehicle traffic and air pollution than Metro Manila. The truth is, I would rather go to Baguio than any other place in the Philippines for a vacation.

Where we stayed --- Lucia's Bed and Breakfast

I was lucky enough to stumble upon Lucia’s Bed and Breakfast while searching for places to stay in Baguio. It’s a charming house-turned-bed-and-breakfast by Ms. Lucille. Our host, Kulin, welcomed us.  Lucia's is named after the owner herself, and her daughter Lia. This B&B, for me, is a quintessential shabby-chic rest house I imagined it to be. Everything about this B&B, from the little knick knacks that line its shelves, down to the fragrant afternoon tea we were served, are the owner's own items. The furnishings and little trinkets that you can see and fill the B&B are personal belongings of Ms. Lucille.  It is these little details that give Lucia's Bed and Breakfast that warm and homey feel.  Accommodations come with free breakfasts prepared at your requested time, and guests are free to use the home’s kitchen and dining area to cook and prepare meals.

Rooms can also be rented separately, and are great for couples or groups of friends looking for a quiet place to stay in Baguio while still having the tourist spots and the town square within reach.  What's great? Free WiFi. 

A hot afternoon English tea and wafers greeted us -- and this pretty living area.

My nieces enjoying their afternoon tea at Lucia's

The common area has a living and dining area, kitchen, as well as foosball and pool tables and about six bedrooms, roomy enough to house a large family on vacation. 

The facade of Lucia's Bed and Breakfast  (this is the basement of the house, the main entrance is about 30 steps uphill).

We stayed in the Luscious Room -- can accommodate 5 pax -- there is also a day bed inside.  The mattress and the pillows are so comfy, we had a very good sleep. 

The rooms and the toilets are squeaky clean. There's a wide cabinet for all our things. 

Large windows from the living area open to the slopes of land dotted with pine trees and invite lots of natural light in during the mornings.

One of the highlights of our stay at Lucia's B&B is the breakfast served at the garden. Their breakfast are all made with the freshest ingredients available in Baguio. Everything was made with love.  We had English muffin (freshly baked every morning) with Chorizo patty, spinach quiche, baked granola strawberry tart, and freshly brewed coffee.  Yum….yum…yummy!!

Our gracious (back, from L to R) host Kulin and their concessionaire (yes, her cooking is really, really good).  

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