When I planned my trip to the Philippines, The Farm at San Benito was not in my itinerary. Just like some other people who haven’t come to this resort, the posts I am seeing in different social media sites and the reviews I’ve seen about it made me feel that it’s a place for A-listers and celebrities, it may not be a place for ordinary people like me. Most likely you have already stumbled upon The Farm at San Benito from your favorite Filipino celebrities and influencers, as for me, I learned about it from Instagram posts of Kathryn Bernardo, Liza Soberano, Aubrey Miles, Rhian Ramos, Bea Alonzo and more. From the luxurious and aesthetics views that you can see from the celebrity posts you would know that it will be costly. That’s why I knew that coming to The Farm is something that you should plan, I never really thought that I will get the chance to visit this place during this trip.
When I arrived to Manila after Christmas day, the National Capital Region (NCR) and some other provinces were put on Alert Level 2, though the purpose of my trip was not really to go places, I started to feel bored on my second week in the Philippines. Since I cannot even see friends or relatives aside from my immediate family, my sister and I thought of booking a short getaway to a not-so-far resort from Manila to relax. So, the next thing I knew – my sister and I are packing for our 3 days/2 nights stay to that 5-star, eco-luxury holistic wellness resort in Lipa, Batangas.
And here I am with this post sharing my sister and I’s experience at The Farm. This is not a paid or sponsored post, nor a review, this is more on putting it as my journal entry so I can always go back to my “farm experience.”
Based on how my sister drove, The Farm at San Benito is a 90-minute drive south of Manila. When we arrived, we have to park in front of an office container van where we are required to complete the Guest Health/Covid 19 and have our Antigen Nasal Swab Test done. We waited for about 15 minutes for the result and as soon as our negative test results were released, we proceeded to the resort reception which is a nicely decorated separate building where we were warmly welcomed by the resort friendly staff and I won’t forget how I loved the lemonade served to us while waiting for our room to be prepared.
My sister and I stayed in one of the Palmera suites with a mix of native and tropical modern style appointed with high interiors with our own spacious semi-private garden and lanais. I personally liked the indoor baths and open-air showers. The view from our room gives you a relaxing feeling with some lush trees around and peacocks freely wandering around (which my sister didn’t like, because she was so worried that that they will chase us.)
The Farm at San Benito is not your usual resort, as their website put it, they are an “eco-luxury holistic medical wellness resort.” It’s a 48-hectare greenery-filled resort that offers a view of majestic mountains. As it’s a wellness resort, I feel that everything was invigorating, refreshing, and rejuvenating, it’ll provide you inner peace brought by the uplifting ambiance. For me, it felt that this is one vacation that I truly deserved. It was the perfect place to reset and recharge. My sister and I relaxed, chilled and did not stop chitchatting about anything that we can think of discussing, we talked about work, family, love, business plans, life in Canada even retirement plans, basically anything under the sun. We went to soaked on the water falls on our first day, while we soaked on their infinity pool in the morning of our second and last day and spent a lot of time roaming around enjoying the serene environment and taking pictures to all insta-worthy spots in the resort.
As for the food, for someone who loves meat, I thought it would be difficult because their restaurants serve either gourmet vegan meals, seafood meals and Indian food, they don’t serve meat or dairy products. Breakfast at Alive! Restaurant was included in our package, the arroz caldo and the fruits and veggies they served were so filling. We had lunch and dinner at the PESCE Restaurant which offers pescatarian dishes, their menu is consist of organic living foods, like whole grains, fruits, vegetables and sustainable seafood. With the 3 occasions that we went to this resto, we only tried a few items in their menu – Penne and Crab Meat Pasta, Seafood Aglio Olio and Fettuccine Marinara (all pasta eh!). Food at the Farm is not cheap so I suggest that you choose your food orders wisely.
The Farm is a breath of fresh air away from the hustle and bustle of city life. This unplanned trip really paid off, yes, the stay comes with a price but it’s worth every cent. This was one of the most luxurious sweet escapes that I’ve experienced and will never regret doing. When I get the chance, I would love to visit The Farm at San Benito again.
