BAGUIO
BOTANICAL GARDEN
The Baguio Botanical Garden is located east
of Baguio's downtown area. You will find it between Teacher's
Camp and the Pacdal Circle. Its main entrance is along Leonard
Wood Road and just across the street from Gilberto's Hotel
and Baguio Vacation Hotel. It is quite a large park and
about the same size as Burnham Park.
Also known as the Igorot Village, the Botanical
Garden features native huts typical of the type of Igorot
dwellings found in the Cordilleras. The village is said
to capture the ethnic spirit and cultural legacy of the
Igorots and being tranquil and quiet, it is a nice place
to just sit down and relax, take a leisurely stroll along
its narrow and winding pathways and also enjoy the landscape
where you will find numerous plants and trees.
Some years back Igorot dances and rituals
were held in an improvised outdoor stage within the village.
Local students go to the Botanical Garden for a day of retreat
or just enjoy the outdoor environment. When visiting the
Botanical Garden, you will usually find a group of Igorots
at the main entrance who are dressed in their authentic
native attire and regalia. They will be more than happy
to pose with visitors for a souvenir picture ... of course,
for a fee.
There are plants that are also sold at
the Botanical Garden, however, before you decide to buy
any, be aware that some of these plants may not be suitable
for replanting in lowland areas where the climate is much
more humid and warmer than that of Baguio. Just bear in
mind that the city has an average elevation of about 5,000
feet (1,524 meters) above sea level with a temperature a
number of degrees lower than that of Manila and the nearby
provinces in northern Luzon. It will probably be best to
just admire or take a photograph of the beautiful plants
and colorful flowers that are abundantly seen and grown
in Baguio.