WHEN the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) opened the Anduyan bridge at the Asin–Nangalisan–San Pascual Road, it complemented an alternate road leading to Baguio City.
Also known as the Baguio–Tubao Road, Tubao–Asin Road or Asin Road, it is a major road in La Union and Benguet, which has been opened to traffic as an alternate route going up to the country’s summer capital.
The new road has opened the town to more tourism which will show off the town’s destinations.
Aside from hot springs, accessible thru the more than 14 kilometer winding road is the Bencab Museum, home of National Artist for visual arts, Benedicto Cabrera.
BenCab opened his dream museum featuring his life works in 2009, with galleries showcasing works of different genres that represent his evolving output through decades.
The museum houses selected work, with a separate Erotica Gallery, a gallery for sculptures and carvings and collection of pieces by other renowned artists.
Bencab’s massive collection of the region’s wood carvings, basketry, earthen jars, and furniture is also featured.
The museum also has an in house café and eco trail.
Tuba also has hot spring resorts to relax visitors located 16 Kilometers northwest of Baguio City, one may be treated to a relaxing soak in natural thermal (or hot) springs of Asin.
To get there, one can take a jeepney down the winding Asin Road from the City which would take around 45 minutes passing through lush undergrowth and thick forests, with the scenery interspersed with the occasional waterfall and a hanging bridge, aside from passing through two tunnels which were supposed to be the route to be used by steam trains coming from the lowlands during the American period.
The Asin Hot Springs consist of a swimming pool and, separately, the hot spring which are pools of hot sulphuric water, some of them with the water temperature at almost boiling point.
The present resorts within the Asin hot springs consists of the Palm Grove hot springs and mountain resort, Pooten’s hot spring resort, and the River View hot spring resort and hotel.
Traversing the road leading to the museum and the hot springs is a woodcarvers village filled with crafts and works of carvers from the region.