The Holy Land definitely ranks high up there on my lengthening list of “places to see before I die”. But, until then, I have to make do with what’s within reach.
And what’s within reach is the Holy Land in the Baguio Eco-Park.
A~nd I’m at it again, playing tag-along and having a blast. This is another one of those “how could you not have gone there when it’s right on your doorstep?!” kind of things. The opportunity to finally be able to check it out arose, and you know what they say about opportunities: grab it with both hands… and do NOT forget to bring your camera.
The Baguio Eco-Park is a 3.2 hectare expanse of land hugging the mountainous terrain of Tuba, Benguet. It’s right beside the lengthy Badiwan Bridge. Visitors frequenting Baguio from Manila through this route may be familiar with the large SILVER SWAN marquee on the side of the mountain over the bridge. Baguio Eco-Park is right beside it.
The Eco-Park is comprised of two theme parks, with another attraction currently under construction. First is the Holy Land (featured in this post), second is the Dinosaur’s Island (coming up in a future post), and the Tuba Science Museum (the one still currently in the works).
Upon arrival at the Eco-Park, visitors must check into their Passes Counter (which is a small building, really). Here they will purchase their tickets. Bookings or prior reservations are welcome, but walk-in visitors are also very much allowed.
The ticket prices, I found initially, were a bit steep. But that’s just the bean counter in me talking.
The two theme parks are actually side by side, or overlooking one another. Look up, and you’ll see the dinos. Look down, and you’ll see the Holy Land.
Before entering, you can take photos with the Holy Land sign right beside the gate.
Open the gates, and let the timeless story unfold.
And it all began… in the Garden of Eden. Of course, who else would you see there but…. (no, it ain’t Adam and Eve. Not this time.)
In a way, it felt like walking through a different time and place.
You’ll meet know characters, such as Samson, standing between two pillars, and, of course, David and Goliath.
Behind my friend, Ave, you will see the Pyramid….
….and Colossal Guards. Yep, the Pyramid and Colossal Guards. How colossal?
According to our guide, these were created on site, instead of being crafted elsewhere and transported to Tuba afterwards.
Walk inside the Pyramid, and you’ll find yourself in a mini-labyrinth. When you walk out the other side, you’ll find the story continues with the Exodus. Titles of the different tableaus are written below the photos. Apologies for the image-heavy post.
This is where the Passion begins.
And so we’ve come to the Calvary.
This walkthrough ends in this resting area, a chapel of sorts. After the heat outside, the coolness was very much welcome.
Before stepping out of Holy Land, you will also pass through the Garden of Angels.
This was quite an experience. I can totally see lots of kids coming here and having a blast walking through the whole place.
The Holy Land opened during the latter part of the first quarter of 2014, in time for the Holy Week. The guides were pretty excited talking about how this December will be the first Christmas for the place. The Nativity scene is bound to be all Christmasy. It’s definitely something I wanna check out when the time comes.
Personally, I think the Php350 (~USD8.00) price tag of the Holy Land Pass is worth it. 🙂
As a teaser, this is where we bounced off to after leaving the gates of Holy Land: a glimpse of Dinosaur Island.