Baguio

Historically the summer capital of the Philippines, Baguio has long been a sanctuary for those escaping the heat. Situated some 1500 metres above sea level, amid the tropical pine forests of Northern Luzon’s Cordillera mountain range, Baguio’s temperate climate is evident in the swathe of moss-clad trees, delicate orchids and blooming dahlias that fill the city’s many parks.

Though present-day Baguio is very much a university town with modern trappings, it has plenty left over from the American occupation of the early twentieth century, when it was established as the only US hill station in Southeast Asia. Chief among these is the scenic Burnham Park in the city centre, boasting a rose garden, orchidarium, manmade lake, grandstand and picnic grove. Stop by Camp John Hay, the former American rest station, for an insight into the US occupation of the area in the twentieth century.