MANILA, Philippines — The North Luzon Expressway Corp.(NLEX), in partnership with Victory Liner, SM Supermalls, and Microtel embarked on another Lakbay Norte destination; this time to the summer capital of the Philippines via Clark, Pampanga.
With the summer season predicted to be hotter than past seasons, Baguio is bound to be a favorite destination yet again for many Filipinos who want to take a break from the scorching heat of the sun.
A group of travelers went to check out the destinations along the way and while in Baguio, touted as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines."
Malling in Clark
Before heading to Baguio, there's a stopover at SM Clark. The mall's "Travel Your Color" campaign features every hue on the color spectrum that corresponded to a specific itinerary: blue stood for beaches, yellow for food and gastronomy, red for arts and crafts, green for the great outdoors, and orange for culture vultures.
The campaign saw the mall as a travel destination, especially for those who don't want to travel far from home. The mall is, after all, a one-stop shop for dining, family entertainment (like IMAX movie viewing, ice skating, or bowling games), shopping, and bonding moments.
Museums and art stops
Aside from the popular BenCab Museum, art aficionados would love the bric-a-brac at Ililikha. Film director Kidlat Tahimik (known for his 1977 opus "Perfumed Nightmare) bonded with other local artists to come up with this maze of alleyways offering food and eclectic art forms right in the heart of the city.
A visit to the Baguio Museum can have a lucky set of visitors with a chance encounter with sculptor Ernesto Dul-ang, who was responsible for some of the most beautifully sculpted pieces on display. According to Baguio Museum Executive Director Stella de Guia the roof of the museum's topmost floor is colored black as it approximates the soot-covered ceilings and roofs of most Ifugao dwellings.
Comfy stay at the hotel
Foodies would revel in Microtel's wood fire brick oven pizza at Amare La Cucina, apart from its other mouthwatering delicacies. Plus, barako coffee lovers would be delighted to know that there's a percolating coffee machine at the lobby area where guests can have their unlimited supply of caffeine fix.
There are more snaps and more fun time with the barkada at the hotel. More than its comfortable and clean facilities, it makes for an ideal choice of stay because of its proximity to Baguio's tourist attractions, from parks to museums, as well as food stalls of pasalubong finds.
Lakbay Norte offers travel propositions through its network of carriers (Victory Liner), paved dedicated highways (SCTEX/TPLEX/NLEX), drive & dine stopovers (Hap Chan and Bloom & Baker Café, among many others), as well as outdoor and indoor destinations (SM Supermalls).
On the way back to Manila, the group was given a night tour of the 4th Avenue connector in Caloocan City, prior to its opening for public use.
The recent Lakbay Norte trip showed that despite how many times one might have trekked the familiar corridors of North Luzon, there is always that hideaway that one might have missed in previous trips.
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