During Holy Week, I usually don’t plan any trips. First, fares are expensive (walang promo fare or mabilis maubos pag Holy Week). Second, I don’t want to go to a crowded beach (imagine, Boracay with all those people). Third, as a Catholic school girl, medyo conservative pa rin ako, kaya aside from going to the church, staycation ang drama ko. Jeff, on the other hand, usually takes this opportunity to explore the mountains. This time, he’ll go to Kibungan Circuit in Benguet and he suggested that we’ll meet in Baguio after his adventure. I’m not really excited at first, kaya lang when we told Gwen about strawberry farm, she got excited and started praying about her trip to Baguio.
Spell RUSH. STRESSED.
Ayun, I started to check out hotels and as expected, most of them are fully booked. Thankfully, City Center Hotel has an available deluxe room good for 3 persons, I wanted the Family Room so that it’s bigger but fully booked na. This is what City Center Hotel in Baguio looks like, it’s along Session Road.
City Center Hotel, Baguio
Another problem is the transportation. I called up Victory Liner in Caloocan, Pasay and Cubao last week if they still have available tickets to Baguio for April 17, ubos na raw lahat pati yung deluxe bus trips! April 19 na lang may available. Uh-oh! I really wanted to call the trip off. But I suddenly remembered about iwantseats.com.ph, online reservation for the Genesis Joybus going to Baguio or Baler. And YES! they still have tickets available so I booked right away. It’s Php 700 per way, more expensive than regular fares to Baguio which is around Php 500, but Joybus is the executive coach of Genesis lines. It’s only 28 seater, no stop-overs, with on-board comfort room, free wifi, snacks, blanket and a BUS STEWARDESS. First time to encounter a bus stewardess :). Here’s what the Joy Bus looks like:
Genesis Joybus
inside the Joybus
So this is it, we’re off to Baguio this Holy Week!
It’s been more than 5 years since my last visit, please share where to eat and new things to do and try in Baguio.
Wow! Im sure it feels like you were on a plane with this kind of bus. I can take more hours of travel with all the bus features. That truly brings joy. What I love doing when in Baguio is walking around the park early morning, picking freshest harvest and night market.. and oh i Love everything!
Inggit ako! I want to go to Baguio! Enjoy your vacation!
I never tried going to Baguio during Holiweek because we normally spent it in my province with my Family.
Thanks Peachy!
This is the first time that we’ll be out of town for the Holy Week, I’m excited!
And the weather! The bus is really comfortable, I rarely sleep in the bus, but in here, I slept like a baby 🙂
dream ko sumakay sa Joy Bus 🙂
how was your Baguio trip? I heard traffic was worst during the Holy Week
We’ve never ridden a Joy Bus before. I’ll suggest this to hubby on our next trip to Baguio, hopefully soon!
8 hours kami! Traffic from Balintawak to Dau. Buti na lang naka Joybus kaya comfortable pa rin.
how I wish Baguio is near also in my place, pero nasa Mindanao kami… super layoooo… super magastos.. but I have promised my family that we will tour around the PH one place at a time..
Hi Badet,
I am travelling to Baguio on Oct 23, 2016 (this coming saturday). I booked a Genesi Joy Deluxe via Pinoy Travel Online. Sadly, wala silang feature na pinapipili ako ng seat. Confirmed na yung payment ko, I was expecting at the end of the process I will be able to choose a seat, pero wala.
I checked out iwantseat, and there, may option na pwede kang pumili ng seats – I’d like to ask, when you booked and chose your seats, nasunod ba ito? Did they honor the seats you’ve chosen?
Haist, baka kasi ako matapat sa may comfort room and sa super lakas na aircon. Any suggestion which seat number to choose?
Thanks,
Leo
Hi Leo, yes if sa Iwantseat ka nagbook, ikaw pipili ng seat number mo, may ticket naman na printout after you paid at nakalagay dun yung seat number. Di ko na maalala yung seat numbers, pero may layout naman ng seating plan if magbubook ka. Basta wag sa last row kasi hindi narerecline yung seats.