Local tourism officials are making effort to sell Benguet province as a destination for adventure seekers, hoping to attract vacationers into expanding their itinerary and visiting places outside of Baguio City.
A survey conducted by the Baguio Convention and Visitors Bureau sought to find out how people perceive Baguio today.
“Today’s generation wants more adventure-related activities,” said BCVB executive director Amboy Guevara Jr. in a press briefing during the recent week-long Lakbay Norte (Travel North) media tour.
Guevara said that they are not only promoting Baguio City but its neighboring towns as well in Benguet province. “We’re making the playground bigger as we want to enhance the tourism of other sectors in Benguet,” he said.
He is referring to the surrounding towns Bokod, Itogon, Tuba, Sablan, La Trinidad, and Tublay which now offers rappelling, kayaking, mountaineering, fishing, mountain biking, spelunking, trekking and river surfing.
Tourists can opt to start their Benguet adventure by playing a game airsoft in “battlegrounds” such as Camp 7 (Kennon Road) (near the Philippine Military Academy headquarters), Shaggy Park in La Trinidad and Crosby Park in Balatoc, Itogon.
La Trinidad is 25-45 minutes away from Baguio city proper while Itogon is less than an hour away.
Aside from playing airsoft in Itogon, tourists can also take the Balatoc Mines Tour, where they get to see how tunnels are dug and even witness a simulated explosion.
For motorsports enthusiasts who want to explore the rugged terrain of Benguet, ATV driving can be done in Wangal-Longlong in La Trinidad, Benguet.
Tuba, 45 minutes away from the city, is a site for rappelling, bouldering, and rock climbing.
The majestic Ambuklao Dam in Bokod, Benguet should also not be missed out. The dam is a picturesque sight especially if you get to catch the releasing of water flowing to the Agno River.
Paddlers can try the medium range open and whitewater kayaking in the dam, which is less than two hours away from Baguio.
The BCVB makes adventure tourism distinct by mixing style in rough activities through the service of the Baguio Country Club.
“The idea here is after kayaking, fishing, or rappelling, the guests are treated with cocktail drinks and fine-dining accompanied with chefs and butlers who serve the food,” said Guevara.
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