By Bernadette Chua, Segment Producer
Do you know you can now go river kayaking in Baguio?

After a hundred years of welcoming numerous summer tourists into its mountainside city, Baguio is now repackaging itself as an adventure destination.

While tourists can still enjoy the trademark Baguio experience – horseback riding in Wright Park, boating at the Burnham Lake, and the breathtaking landscape at the Mines View – they can now also surf rivers, kayak, and a lot more!

Taking advantage of the rugged beauty and mountainous terrain of its neighboring towns, Baguio City is saying that after a hundred years, there’s still a lot more to see and do in Baguio.

Baguio-Benguet Adventure Challenge

Approximately 45 minutes from Baguio City is Adunot River, located in nearby Bokod, Benguet. Here, the rapids are perfect for kayaking and river surfing.

You can also try rappelling off Adunot Bridge. You can try hanging lizard-style (upside-down) or ala-Mission Impossible down to the cold waters of Adunot River.

Rappelling in Baguio is now possible with the newly-launched Baguio-Benguet Adventure Challenge!

Other activities that could be tried out in other nearby Benguet towns include mountaineering, spelunking, river hiking, mountain biking and ATV driving.

The itinerary (activities and locations) is designed depending on your preferences and time table. Because this is part of a package tour, price range depends on the number of activities, days and people in your party.

Be ready to spend at least P1,500 per person for a group of 12. That’s inclusive of free meals, transportation and equipment. Accommodations, however, are not included.

For reservations and other inquiries, contact the 24 Hours Adventure Team at (074) 309-1256.

Balatoc Mines Tour

Another interesting adventure in Baguio can be found just 30 minutes away from the city, in the mining town of Balatoc in Itogon, Benguet. The Balatoc Mines offers a unique experience for visitors, where they get to simulate the mining experience and pretend to be miners for a day.

Tourists can be miners for a day with the newly-launched Balatoc mines tour

The only mining tour in the country, you get to dress up like miners and go underground into a mining tunnel to experience a little of the miner’s life, including operating a drill machine, witnessing a dynamite blast, and riding a mine cart.

An authentic toilet car serves as one of the tourist attractions in the interactive tour

The guided tour lasts for about 1.5 to 2 hours. Cut-off for accepting visitors is at 2 PM to ensure tourists get to finish the tour before it gets dark. Entrance fee is at P250 and a discounted P150 for students.

The author during coverage at the Balatoc mines tour
For reservations and other information, you may get in touch with the Balatoc Mines Tour office at (074) 422-1116