Day 75 (93 days to go) of my temporary language study abroad program in Baguio, Philippines.
Ruins. It may be a hidden travel spot where you can experience an indescribable feeling. It is often described as nostalgic, but how about having an experience that feeds your senses every once in a while, an experience that makes you feel nostalgic?
Actually, there are abandoned buildings in Baguio, and in an area quite close to the city center. Since this was my first experience there myself, it is difficult to compare it with other abandoned buildings, but I will report on its contents.
What is the “Diplomat Hotel” called a ghost hotel?
Heritage Hill and Nature Park Garden (former Diplomat Hotel) is located on top of a small hill 2~3km away from Baguio City, and is rated as high as 4.4 Stars (2572) on Google map. It is not only a ruin, but has become a popular tourist attraction that can be easily accessed.
The building was abandoned and remodeled repeatedly, changing to the current building in the 1970s and then abandoned in the 1980s. Its wartime history, coupled with its eeriness, has led to various ghost stories being told, and it is also known as the Ghost Hotel.
It is actually located where I can see it from where I am staying, in the arrow in the image. For tourists, it is usually accessible by cab, but you can also take a jeepney. However, this time I decided to go on foot.
It was a steep road to go on foot….
According to Google map, it takes 33 minutes and the distance is 1.9 km, so I thought it would not be so difficult. However, the location is “Hill,” so we had to climb quite a distance. The entire route is a descent of 30 meters in elevation and a climb of 131 meters in elevation.
However, I myself like walking in the city, and although it was difficult, I enjoyed it along the way. It is exciting just to walk in an untouched area that I usually don’t go to, a place with a very strong local flavor. The scenery that you can see from the road is also quite beautiful since it is located at a high point in Baguio.
Along the way, you will find cheap cafes where you can get two hamburgers for 55 pesos (about 170 yen), individual stores where you can get T-shirts for 20 pesos (about 170 yen), and stores where you can see big dogs and other things worth seeing. However, since the area is not designed for tourists, the streets are steep and it is easy to get lost. I almost got lost twice.
In conclusion, in my case, it was a good decision to go on foot. The hotel itself is not that big, and if that was the only purpose, I would have had too much time on my hands. So, if you can enjoy yourself on the way, wear comfortable clothes and go on foot! There are some hills that will leave you breathless, so please be enthusiastic.
Now it’s time to go to the Ghost Hotel (entrance fee: 10 pesos for adults and 5 pesos for children).
After going up and down the hill, we finally saw a building that looked like the Ghost Hotel. It is quite exciting to see such a weathered building appear out of nowhere. However, this looks like a separate building, and you cannot get any closer. This atmosphere alone is picturesque.
Here, you pay the admission fee. Adults pay 10 pesos (about 26 yen) and children pay 5 pesos (about 13 yen). It was a weekend day, so there were about 30 tourists. Finally, we came face to face with the ghost hotel.
The impact of the first sight was quite large. I felt a feeling of “The Nostalgic,” a feeling of eeriness and greatness in the midst of the excitement. I can’t help but think that the hotel must have been quite prosperous in its prime location on top of the hill, with its luxurious hotel.
This is the entrance behind the main gate. It has a European atmosphere with many columns.
You can see the remains of a bulletin board, which may have been a lounge or lobby.
From the tiles and the hollows in the wall, we can guess that this is a restroom.
A meeting place? It looks different, perhaps because it has been cared for later.
A fountain can be seen in the back of the building. It must have been a type of hotel with a garden in the center.
The window has broken glass. A piece of glass remains intact directly below it.
You cannot enter the building, so you can only look at it from the outside. The hotel itself is not that big, and you can go around it in about 2 minutes. It is not suitable for a long stay, but you can fully enjoy the extraordinary feeling.
The weather that day was foggy. The weather was perfect for creating an atmosphere. However, the view from the top of the hill is nice, so you can enjoy it differently on a sunny day. Some tourists brought their dogs and some brought snacks to eat.
Guinness record monument on the site
In the same site, there is a Guinness World Record stone monument as “The largest ten commandments tablet building”. In other words, it means “the world’s largest stone monument containing the Ten Commandments of Moses.
I had not purchased any previous information about this stone monument, so I noticed it after I went there. In the picture you can see a security guard, so it is easy to imagine how big it is.
Additional information: How to get there by Jeepney…
I mentioned at the beginning that you can get there by jeepney, and I actually saw a few jeepneys passing by.
If you are going to try by jeepney, take the jeepney marked in the photo. The jeepney is the one that goes around the route “Dominican Hill Circuit from the city center.
Unusually, there is a bus stop for the jeepneys near the Ghost Hotel. If you are familiar with the area, you can easily come here by jeepney without taking a cab. I don’t know the actual fare, but my feeling is that it is about 25 pesos (about 70 yen).
Summary
This time, I reported about a tourist attraction, a ghost hotel called “Diplomat Hotel,” which is easily accessible from Baguio City. It may not be enough for those who love ruins, but as a casual fan, I enjoyed it very much.
The scale of the hotel is not so big, so if you come here as a tourist, you might want to visit this hotel and the nearby Eco Park as well. I would definitely recommend you to go there on foot, but it would be troublesome if it rains, so please consult with the weather and your health condition before making a decision.
I plan to continue my journey of visiting famous hidden spots. See you next time!