At 7:30 in the morning, outside our room at Casa Vallejo, the rain was threatening to take over the day. Jigs sweeped the window curtain with his hand, examining the drizzle and grey shades. “What now?” he asked.


His resolve was 50-50. Mine was…well, I can be ridiculously stubborn when it comes to traveling, even alone with a toddler. I didn’t pay an extra night to snuggle inside a hotel room and surf channels. I came to teach and spend the rest on seeing town. 

So we grabbed our umbrellas, hailed a taxi and left the hotel at 8:00 AM for Tam-Awan Village along Benguet Road.




Two ways to access the exhibit area/ Cafe: A shorter but steep staircase, and a longer but safer route

Within 30 minutes we were in Baguio’s artsy reconstructed Ifugao Village. Manong Driver waited for us at the small parking space as we explored the village for an hour-and-a-half. En-route he made a good pitch for a half-day Baguio City-La Trinidad Valley tour for P1,000, and I’m glad we agreed, because rarely did a jeepney or taxi passed by the village – and it was raining and a weekday!



Psychedelic toilet.
The Huts

The idea behind Ben Cab and Chanum Foundation’s brainchild is to offer visitors a genuine experience of Cordilleran art, fare and architecture without needing to go deep into the Valley. 

Nine Cordilleran huts, including the first three Bangaan huts procured in ’98, are scattered across the 2.5-hectare hill, accessible via bamboo bridges and established trails. 


Some of these houses are open for lodging, including the famous Dukligan or fertility hut, which caters specifically to couples who are trying to conceive. Elders also advise touching one of the carved bulols (rice god sculpture) to guarantee conception. 


Majority of the huts can be easily accessed halfway through the hill, before and within Tam-Awan Cafe/  Bugnay Gallery/ the Portrait Sketching Area (those three sit next to each other). However, the gazebo and the Spirit House requires walking further up a trail leading to two view decks. Chances are, if you are with child and you arrived on a rainy day, you’d get discouraged to do so.

I implore you not to be.

*See next section.

Viewing Deck

A steep and moss-covered staircase stood in front of us by the Agape hut. On either side was muddy earth, a bit loose, overlaid with untrimmed grass, twigs, trees and God-knows-what-else. Even with a good pair of trekking sandals, the wet soil and uneven rocks could easily cause an accident. Lia had to stay with Jigs at the cafe while I explore the rest of the trail because, well, between me and him, I’m more enthralled (and less paranoid) about trekking. 

Path leading to View Decks 1 and 2
The trail itself would’ve been extremely easy on a dry day. If a peaceful walk amid forests, cicada chirps and overlooking vistas thrill you, the trail should be manageable. Afterall, you pay P50 (P30 for students, P20 for kids) for a tour of the entire hill. 

View Deck 1
The trail leads to a lower viewing deck that offers a panoramic view of Benguet Road and the Cordillera mountain range. Just below the deck is the Spirit House, the ninth hut installment. Supposedly there is also a huge dream catcher along the trail but for some reason, I did not see it. Might have been covered by layers of foliage and trees.


Situated atop the hill is a second, more expansive and more recent viewing deck – which I would’ve visited had Lia not cried audibly enough all the way from Bugnay Gallery to View Deck 1. Or approximately 0.5 kilometers away and 15 feet down from where I stand. True story.


Tam-Awan Cafe

It was still quite early, and there weren’t any artists to do portraits (P100 per person; P300 for a couple) yet in the Portrait Sketching Area, so we headed for breakfast at the fronting Tam-Awan Cafe.

Right in-front of Tam-Awan Cafe is a small space for cultural dances by Ifugao tribesmen on weekends.
Cafe menu uses indigenous Ifugao fabric for cover. Nice.
Tam-Awan Cafe is the village’s in-house cafe that serves authentic local specialties like Pinikpikan and Kiniig – smoked meat cooked on a bamboo slab and coal, Cordilleran-style. (Can be ordered with rice or as a sandwich) 

The cafe also features art installations including sculptures and paintings. A makeshift altar showcasing several wooden bulols lends a truly Ifugao feel to the cafe.



We were mesmerized by this beautiful lady. Truly a gorgeous Pinoy masterpiece.

I ordered the Cordilleran Clubhouse Sandwich (P220). While the Kiniig was indeed smoky and tender, I am not exactly over themoon about it. It is a decent sandwich, and I managed to finish two our of four slices. 

Cordilleran Clubhouse Sandwich

Jigs had the Tam-Awan Burger (190). We liked the plump, juicy patty and the melted cheese. Sandwiches also come with fresh greens on the side (equally huge!), drizzled with their famous house dressing. Servings are HUGE and are good enough for sharing. They don’t scrimp on food especially when it comes to veggies. You won’t regret the salad – freshest, crunchiest produce; delightfully tangy dressing.


Freshly squeezed Dayap Juice (P60). Incredibly sour but refreshing. Add a bit of  kalamay!
Otherwise, you may request for potato chips or their french fries – also a must-try. Deep fried and unskinned, sprinkled with a dash of parmesan cheese and paired with yummy mayo dip on the side, the fries is so good that we had a second helping (P65, good enough for sharing for 2-3). 

Dinikdik na kalamay. Sarap papakin. Hehe.
Portrait Sketching area fronting the Cafe.
Bugnay Gallery
Bugnay Gallery showcases an eclectic array of Ifugao-inspired paintings and other artworks by Baguio artists. The Gallery, much like every hut in Tam-Awan, resembles an Ifugao home – from the base to the decors.


The paintings are well-crafted and mirror the history and olden traditions of the Ifugao. They offer guests excellent insight into their culture and the (usually) undiscovered raw talent of Filipino painters.  


I especially love these paintings of Ifugao women depicting the timeless tradition of babywearing and breastfeeding (Proud babywearer and breastfeeder lang! Hehe).

*NOTE: It is prohibited to take photos of the paintings due to potential copyright issues. Had to ask permission to do that for the blog (Anton Diaz obviously got the go signal once, so…). 


Read the rest of the Baguio trip series:
Baguio’s Charm and A First Teaching Engagement
Review: Casa Vallejo Hotel, Baguio City
Mt. Cloud Bookshop, North Haven Spa and Cinematheque at Casa Vallejo, Baguio City
Baguio’s Famous Haunts: The Diplomat Hotel, Laperal House and Casa Vallejo Hotel
Baguio’s Tam-Awan Village: Nature and Art Haven

SM Baguio’s Pretty Skyline, Baguio Cathedral, and A Little Known Bulalohan
In Uncategorized

Gretchen is a Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize-nominated poet and essayist from the Philippines, where she embraces life while managing bipolar disorder and ADHD. Her confessional pieces unpack the complexities of grief, healing, motherhood, love, and intersections, garnering recognition from the Greg Grummer Poetry Contest and Navigator's Travel Writing Competition.

8 Comments

  1. I've been to Diplomat Hotel this May and I pass by Laperal House every time I run and both places are really creepy. Being on top of Dominican Hill, makes Diplomat Hotel extra creepy.

    Reply

  2. Yes, they're very creepy indeed. On the other hand, wow, you live and run in 🙂 Sarap naman 🙂

    Reply

  3. The first two indeed look spooky inside and out but the last one looks like a very welcoming place. I'm not much of a brave person when it comes to this so your pictures are enough for me.

    Reply

  5. Ohhh, I miss this place so much! We used to live just less than a hundred meters away, along the same road. I love Tam-Awan's resto!

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  6. Ay yes! I remember your Hippie Mum entry nung nakatira pa kayo sa Baguio! Luna was so small then! Love the resto too. Ang saraaap ng pagkain and the artwork is tops!

    Reply

  7. Nice post. I have just discovered you blog and enjoy what I have read so far. Love your pictures….it really shows how spooky the places can be. I love reading about old houses, structures and stories attached to these places but I have never been to one.

    Reply

  8. Muchos gracias! Glad you liked the photos. I too have an affinity for spooky stories, old structures and historic places. You should definitely try visiting one. It's quite a riveting experience 🙂

    Thanks for swinging by!

    Reply

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