TAM-AWAN: Baguio’s Artist Village and Gardens in the Baguio Sky

TAM-AWAN Village is a reconstructed Cordillera village showcasing the traditional Ifugao Huts, and Baguio’s art and culture scene. It was established by National Artist BenCab in 1998 together with Chanum Foundation to promote the local Baguio Artists. Tam-awan is a local word which means “vantage point”. 

You can check out the permanent and occasional art exhibits from various Baguio artists. Also, artists are always available to sketch your portrait. There is a Cafe where you can get a taste of Cordillera flavors. Lastly, you can immerse yourself in the culture by staying overnight in the village in one of the authentic Ifugao huts.

Here’s a quick tour of TAM-AWAN Village:

Flavors of Baguio: Discover Baguio, One Bite at a Time!

• C BOUTIQUE HOTEL ‘s Flavors of Baguio Food and Heritage Tour
• SOLIBAO: Baguio’s BEST Filipino Restaurant since 1972
• ROSE BOWL: Baguio’s Home-Grown BEST Chinese Food since 1945
• TAM-AWAN: Baguio’s Artist Village and Gardens in the Baguio Sky
• HILL STATION: One of the BEST Restaurants in Baguio! (Revisited)

The village is located on a hill so as you enter you have to go up the stairs and choose between the easy route or the short-cut but steeper route. We prefer the shorter route with the salamander design.

They have a shop where you can buy authentic Ifugao hand-made products.

There’s always an ongoing exhibit showcasing the best of Ifugao art. 

We like the Portrait Sketching sessions (10-15 minutes) and you can choose the artist to sketch you.

Portrait Sketching fee: Solo (P100, P150 with color) | Couple (P300, P350 with color)

You can have a guide tour you around the village and explain the artworks like this Solar Drawing by Jordan Mang-osan.

One of my favorite exhibit halls is this Ifugao Hut turned into a gallery. 

It currently exhibits the Solar Drawings of Jordan Mang-Osan featuring the Igorot Mother and Child and scenes from the Ifugao culture.
  
Congrats Jordan (in black jacket) for the really nice Solar Drawings!

Even the restroom is jazzed up with colorful patterns and interesting designs.

According to the Ifugao culture, these Fertility Idols help you conceive when you touch them.

We decided to tour around the village, and the steps became steeper but the boys were still able to manage it and in fact, had fun climbing the hill.

The village showcases Ifugao Huts — the beauty and exactness of its construction, to better appreciate the culture of the Cordillera region.

Here’s a look at inside one of the fertility huts that promise higher chances of conception. 

Here’s a look of the village surroundings from one of the elevated view points.

The trail is relatively safe but you need to make sure you have eyes on the little ones.

(Note: It’s not recommended to go around if it rains because it will be muddy and slippery.)

One of the favorite art installations of the boys is this Dream Catcher.

Here’s one of the perfect sunset vantage points and on clearer days, you can see the West Philippine Sea in the horizon.

(TIP: The best time to go to Tam-awan is around 3pm and wait to catch the sunset)

To end the tour, you have to cross this Bamboo Bridge.

It’s fun to hang out in this “ceremonial” communal table where you can hang out with the artists over coffee and tagay of gin 🙂

I love this smoked pork, Cordilera style, served as pulutan.

You can also have merienda while you wait and savor the Tam-awan experience. 

Here’s the portrait sketch of our designer friend Michi Calica.

Here’s a mature and realistic sketch of Rache.

Thanks to Malen Catajan and Chit Asignacion for accommodating us in Tam-awan! 

Contact Malen at 0918-946-4527 or Chit at 0917-553-4078 if you want to know more about Tam-awan or looking for a collaboration with the Chanum Foundation group.

Overall, It’s a nice place to have merienda, to buy pasalubong arts & crafts, and to have a nice souvenir sketch portrait. Make sure to have time to hang-out with the artists to appreciate the life and culture of the Cordillera people.

TAM-AWAN VILLAGE
366-C Pinsao Proper 2600 Baguio City, Philippines
Telephone: +(63 74)446-2949
Mobile Number: +(63 921) 588-3131, +(63 915) 948-8773
Website: www.tam-awanvillage.com
Email: tamawanvillage@gmail.com 

Entrance Fees: Children (P20), Student (P30), and Adult (P50)
Rates: 1 Person (P500), 2 Persons (P1,000), Extra Person (Add P300 each),  
Group of 10 pax or more: P350/each 

Picnic Fee (9.00am to 6.00pm): P200 for a group of 10 (entrance excluded). +P20 additional pax.
Bonfire Fee (6.00pm to 11.00pm): P120 each (entrance excluded)
Use of Hut without beddings: P500/Hut/Day (entrance excluded)
Function Fee: P8,000 (Maximum of 40 pax)
Cultural Show: P5,000
Workshop: P450/module/person.

How to get there: It’s best if you have your own transpo to get here. You can ride a jeep via Quezon Hill Tam-awan Jeep or Long-long via Tam-awan Jeep from Kayang Street, Baguio City Market. You can also take the taxi and give directions for Tam-awan, Pinsao Proper.

Related Blog Post: Go Baguio | Tam-awan Village

Flavors of Baguio: Discover Baguio, One Bite at a Time!

• C BOUTIQUE HOTEL ‘s Flavors of Baguio Food and Heritage Tour
• SOLIBAO: Baguio’s BEST Filipino Restaurant since 1972
• ROSE BOWL: Baguio’s Home-Grown BEST Chinese Food since 1945
• TAM-AWAN: Baguio’s Artist Village and Gardens in the Baguio Sky
• HILL STATION: One of the BEST Restaurants in Baguio! (Revisited)

Related Blog Posts on Baguio:

BAGUIO: Your Awesome Journey to Baguio Food Trip (Infographic)

Awesome Baguio Experience Series:

• BAGUIO’s Panagbenga Flower Festival
• MAMA’S TABLE: Chef Vicky Tinio Clemente’s Private Dining
• STRAWBERRY FIELDS Forever…
• BENCAB MUSEUM Experience
• CAFE SABEL @ BenCab Museum
• HILL STATION & Mt. Cloud Bookshop
• HAPPY TUMMY & Wright Park
• BLISS CAFE & Hotel Elizabeth
• CAFE BY THE RUINS Breakfast!
• EVE’S GARDEN Organic Lunch

Awesome Baguio Experience Series II:

• THE CHEF’S HOME in Baguio
• OH MY GULAY @ Vocas Artspace, Session Road, Baguio
• FOREST HOUSE Bistro Cafe (Our First Time)
• O’ MAI KHAN Mongolian Barbecue & Hot Pot
• LE CHEF AT THE MANOR, Camp John Hay, Baguio
• CHOCO-LATE de BATIROL, Camp John Hay, Baguio
• LE MONET Breakfast Buffet – The Best in Baguio?

Live an Awesome Life,

 
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
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If you have tips on awesome food and travel destinations, please email me at anton@diaz.ph.

Full Disclosure: Our Flavors of Baguio Tour is courtesy of C Boutique Hotel. I wrote this blog post myself, and it expresses my own opinions. We only feature awesome experiences in the blog.

I have no business relationship with any company mentioned in this post or any organization promoting it. As a policy, I don’t receive compensation from food and travel places we feature in the blog.

P.S. FLAVORS OF BAGUIO TOUR is in partnership with Our Awesome Planet and exclusively offered for C Boutique Hotel’s guests:

Flavors of Baguio Tour Fee:

• P1,700/person, min. of four (4) participants, No Transportation, requires 1 night C Boutique
• P2,250/person, min. of four (4) participants, Inclusive of Transportation, requires 2 nights C Boutique Booking

Tour Experience Includes:

• Lunch at Solibao or Rose Bowl, 
• Baguio Tour of Laperal Mansion, Bahay na Puti, Diplomat Hotel @ Dominican Hill, 
  Lourdes Grotto, Sabado’s Handicrafts; 
• Merienda at Tam-Awan Village; and
• Dinner at Hill Station, Casa Vallejo. 

Excludes: C Boutique Room Accommodation which needs to be booked directly to the hotel.

To book the tour, contact Anton +63917 5683-627 or book directly at the C Boutique Hotel reception upon check-in.