A first-timer around Baguio with the HONOR X9d 5G

There is something about Baguio that feels familiar even before you get there. Maybe it is the stories from friends who treat it like a second home. Maybe it is the photos of pine trees and fog that flood social media every February during Panagbenga. For years, I have heard about it. This time, I finally booked a weekend trip and went.

It was my first time in the City of Pines. Yes, never been here before I took that photo. No tour package. No fixed itinerary. Just a bus ticket, my usual weekend getaway luggage, and the HONOR X9d 5G in my pocket.

I wanted to catch Panagbenga, the annual flower festival that transforms the city into a moving canvas of floats and dancers. But I also wanted to see what else I could squeeze into a limited stay. Everything was DIY. I relied on maps, quick searches, and instinct. In a place I had never been to before, my phone became my guide, camera, and notebook.

Session Road

My first real stop was Session Road. If Baguio has a heartbeat, it is here. Jeepneys and taxis pass by steadily, cafes line the sidewalks, and during Panagbenga, the entire stretch feels alive.

I walked without a clear destination. Street performers played music on the side. Flower installations appeared in pockets along the road. And the little side trip to cafes that made it worth it, such as the OG Vizco’s in the street for a quick Strawberry Tart. The cool air made the climb less tiring, though the city’s slopes are no joke.

This was where I began testing the X9d’s camera in a real travel scenario. The bright afternoon sun, mixed with shadows from buildings, can be tricky. The phone’s large sensor handled the contrast well, keeping details in both the sky and the street. Colors from the displays looked natural, not overly saturated.

Ili Likha Artist Village

From the busy main road, I made my way to Ili Likha Artist Village. It feels like stepping into another world. Tucked behind Session Road, this space blends art, food, and nature in a distinctly local way.

Bamboo structures, murals, and small eateries are arranged in levels. You can get lost in corners filled with handmade crafts and sculptures. It is quiet but full of character.

Here, I appreciated the phone’s display. Even under daylight, it remained bright and easy to read. Checking directions, replying to messages, and reviewing photos did not require me to squint or find shade.

The screen also made scrolling through photos feel immersive. While durability is one of the phone’s key traits, what stood out to me in Baguio was its balance. It felt slim in hand, easy to hold while climbing narrow staircases and weaving through small art stalls.

Our Lady of Atonement Baguio Cathedral

One of the most recognizable landmarks in Baguio is the Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral. Perched on a hill, it requires a climb up a long set of stairs. As a first-timer, I felt like the ascent was part of the experience.

At the top, the view opens up. The cathedral’s pink facade stands out against the green hills and blue sky. Inside, the atmosphere shifts to quiet and reflection.

The HONOR X9d 5G does its job well in taking photos. Even inside the church, where lighting is softer, the phone maintained clarity without overexposing the stained glass windows.

Baguio Museum

I initially planned to visit Sunshine Park to see the nearby colorful Kalasag mural. However, I learned that the park is currently closed for upgrades. Instead of skipping the area, I went to the Baguio Museum, which was just beside the park.

It turned out to be a good decision. The museum provided context to the city’s history and Cordillera culture. Traditional attire, artifacts, and old photographs lined the walls.

Indoor photography can be challenging, but the X9d handled the dimmer environment well. Shots of woven textiles and wooden artifacts retained detail without excessive blur. The optical image stabilization helped keep images steady, especially since tripods are not always allowed inside museums.

Bell Church

Baguio is not just pine trees and markets. A visit to Bell Church revealed a different cultural layer of the city. With its bright colors, pagoda-style architecture, and dragon sculptures, it felt like a sudden shift from the Spanish-era cathedral.

The detailed designs were perfect for testing the camera’s close-up capabilities. From carvings to painted beams, textures were captured clearly. The dynamic range helped retain the vibrant reds and greens without washing them out.

Navigation here was fully DIY. I relied on 5G connectivity to check routes and public transport options. The connection remained stable, which helped me adjust plans on the fly.

Valley of Colors

Before heading back to downtown, I made one last side trip to the Valley of Colors in La Trinidad, Benguet. It’s a quick 10-minute walk or a two-minute jeepney ride from the Bell Church. Rows of houses painted in bright shades climb up the hillside. It looks almost unreal in person.

Getting there required a short ride out of Baguio. Again, it was all DIY. I checked routes, fares, and landmarks on the phone. Having reliable battery life mattered here. After a full day of photos, maps, and social uploads, the X9d still had enough charge left for the side trip.

The Valley of Colors was a fitting finale. The camera captured the layered houses clearly, even from a distance. Zooming in did not immediately degrade quality. The colors looked lively but not exaggerated.

Baguio Public Market

Instead of squeezing myself into the crowded night market, I chose to visit Baguio Public Market for local finds. It was still lively, but it felt more practical and less chaotic. Vendors lined the aisles with fresh vegetables from nearby farms in Benguet, stacked in neat piles and sold at prices lower than what I am used to back home.

Strawberries were everywhere. Bright red trays sat on tables, ready for tourists looking for pasalubong. I took a few close-up shots with the HONOR X9d 5G, and the details came out clean. The camera handled the mixed indoor lighting well, keeping the reds natural instead of overly saturated.

There were also souvenir sections inside the market, from woven crafts to wooden keychains and Baguio-branded shirts, keychains, magnets, and bags. The narrow aisles meant I often had to shoot quickly, sometimes with one hand while holding a paper bag in the other. The phone’s stabilization helped keep photos steady, and the slim build made it easy to grip even in tighter spaces.

A weekend that felt longer

Traveling to Baguio for the first time felt overwhelming. The roads twist, the terrain rises and falls, and the city can get crowded during Panagbenga. But the DIY approach made it more personal. Every wrong turn led to a new cafe or unexpected view.

The HONOR X9d 5G became part of that experience, not as a spotlight product, but as a quiet companion. Its durability gave peace of mind when walking on steep sidewalks or placing it on rough surfaces. Its display stayed readable under the shifting mountain light. The camera documented moments that felt both spontaneous and meaningful.

By the time I boarded the bus back home, I realized that Baguio is not just a quick weekend destination. It is a place you return to, discovering new corners each time.

For a first-timer, it offered enough to fill two days and still leave something to look forward to for the next visit. And for a DIY traveler with a reliable phone in hand, it proved that sometimes, all you really need is curiosity, good timing, and a device that keeps up with wherever your feet decide to go next.