Baguio is the city that the Philippines built to escape itself. At about 1,500 metres in the Cordillera, with pine trees, mist and an average temperature that would feel mild in Europe, it became the summer capital soon after the Americans arrived in 1900s, and the layout of the original city was drawn up by the planner Daniel Burnham. Today around 270,000 people live here, the traffic is a constant argument, and the cool air is still the main attraction for people from the lowlands.
The city has been shaken. In July 1990 a powerful earthquake brought down hotels and left hundreds dead, and the memory is still part of local life. But the city is resilient and charming in its way, with the hillside neighbourhoods of colourful houses, the market selling strawberries and fresh vegetables from the surrounding farms, and Session Road, the main street, lined with cafes and bookshops. Burnham Park, with its small lake, is where families go on weekends, and former American military land at Camp John Hay is now a leafy park.
The local food leans towards strawberries, peanut brittle and the ube jam sold in jars in the market. The indigenous peoples of the Cordillera, including the Ibaloi and Kankanaey, have shaped the culture of the region, and you will see weaving, wood carving and silverwork for sale.
For motorcyclists Baguio is the start of the Halsema Highway, one of the great mountain roads of the Philippines. It runs north through Benguet and over the Cordillera, reaching about 2,250 metres at its highest point, the highest highway in the country, passing vegetable terraces, pine forests and villages on the slopes. The road is a mixture of good concrete and rough patches, with landslides and washouts in the rainy season, and mist and fog can drop visibility to a few metres. Heavy trucks carry vegetables down to Manila, so be careful on blind bends.
Fuel is easy in Baguio, and the city has a large number of garages and parts shops. Fill up and eat well before leaving, since services on the highway are sparse.
The dry months of November to April are best, with the clearest views. Typhoon season, from about July to October, can close the road for days.