Since it was established as an American hill station in the early 1900s, the cold-weathered highland city of Baguio is the quintessential summer destination in northern Luzon, especially if you want to escape the heat and humidity of the lowlands. Its popularity, however, has made the city center more and more crowded over the decades.
One can head over, however, to the outskirts of the city to experience the peacefulness and natural surroundings of old Baguio. If you’re looking for a relaxing getaway, I highly recommend booking a stay at Tudor in the Pines, a new guesthouse set amidst Benguet pine trees, native to the Cordillera mountains, in Barangay Santo Tomas Proper, 6 km south of the city center.
Situated on a slope, the property consists of main guesthouse building partitioned into spacious suites and linked to a pair of Instragrammble glass-walled treehouses via a hanging bridge wrapped in wild vines. A tall water tank offers 360-degree views of the leafy surrounding neighborhood and nearby Mt. Santo Tomas. It’s a fantastic spot to watch the sunrise or sunset!
Amenities
During my stay at Tudor in the Pines, I was accommodated at the Garden Terrace (₱12,040 per night), a two-bedroom suite with a timber-floored, glass-walled patio with a panoramic view of the gardens and the treehouses beneath the pine trees. This accommodation fits up to four persons. Walking in from the patio, there’s a private living room with LED TV, a dining area and fully-equipped kitchen with a refrigerator, microwave oven, induction stove, electric kettle and utensils.
Room Rates
Accommodation starts at ₱7,260.50 (inclusive of AirBnB surcharges) per night for the Treehouse accommodation, good for two persons. Book your stay via AirBnB. Get 15% off when you book two (2) weekday nights from May 1 to August 31, 2023.
Dining Options
Unfortunately, the property doesn’t have a restaurant, nor does it offer breakfast options. The suites, however, feature fully-equipped kitchens where guests can cook and prepare their own meals and drinks. Aside from Gustavo’s Burgers up the street, there are no other places to eat out nearby, so if you want ready-to-eat food, you’d have to have food delivered via Foodpanda or GrabFood apps.
How to Get There
The most convenient way to get to Tudor in the Pines from the city center is by taxi cab (₱250). Tell the driver to take you to Balacbac Road (which is now labeled as Western Link Circumferential Road on Google Maps).
It’s also possible to get there by public transportation. The Baguio Plaza-Santo Tomas Proper jeepney conveniently plies between the property, which is located near the terminus of the route, and Burnham Park for only ₱18! It can be difficult to catch a ride during rush hour though as the jeepney queues at the city center can become extremely long.
