(Weekend Getaway) Sonya's Garden

I remember how I planned a surprise cruise dinner for Love on our 5th monthsary.  Seemed like a good idea to try the Manila Bay Cruise (Manila Bay! What was I thinking?).  Actually, the cruise was not that bad, the food was so-so, the yacht was nice, the city lights were quite the sight and we couldn't see the dirty waters since it was a night cruise.  It was turning out to be a not-so-bad romantic dinner but then it was the fellow passengers that ruined our night.  They were foreigners, I won't mention the nationality and what they did but it was irritating.  Good thing we also booked an overnight stay at Sonya's Garden in Tagaytay for the weekend to save the monthly celebration.

These days Love and I are really fascinated with gardens.  She has a small one in her condo (alive but barely :-)) and I'm growing my own flowers and plants in our own garden in Cavite.  This hobby all started after our Sonya's Garden visit. I just want to replicate it someday.

The rooms have a rustic design.  They cater to varying number of guests per room.  They have no air conditioners and TVs but the cold breeze in Tagaytay took care of that and as for activities there are lots to do for an overnight stay, we didn't even need to leave the compound.

Here are the activities we did:

Tour the compound and gardens
I'm really bad at describing places using words (so much for writing a novel).  It's so much better when you're there than the pictures.

Proposal Garden

The proposal garden is the first garden that Sonya allowed public access.  The first one was for a proposal.

Eat organic food

They have, I believe, three restaurants inside the compound.  One is open for walk-ins and the other one is near the rooms for checked-in guests only.  We didn't see the third one but I believe they hold wedding receptions there also. 

For checked-in guests

They grow their own veggies, fruits and herbs.  The salad was delicious and we drank different herbal teas (Tarragon and Mint as far as I remember) and juices. They also serve pasta and dessert.  The live entertainment was also unique, Lolo with his guitar singing kundimans (infinitely better than those in the yacht).

Their salad ingredients

Make your own salad

Tarragon Tea

They also have a Panaderia but we didn't get to visit it since there're so many people buying all the time (must be tasty).

Couples massage at Sonya's Garden Spa

This was the highlight of the trip.  We like to get massages from time to time and for this one, we chose the Sonya's signature massage.  How would I describe it?  It was soft and hard, and there were new techniques I haven't felt before. It's really worth trying out.  They also offer facials and the like.

Jog around outside the compound
We took advantage of the fresh air from Tagaytay and went jogging early the next morning.  It was also in preparation for our Milo 5K race (Love needed some training).  Beats jogging in Ayala Tringle or BGC.  We also saw the plantation for Island Rose but it was closed off and covered.

Shop for souvenirs, plants and organic products

They have it all, from herbal plants, organic household sprays, scented candles to organic food.  A haven for green advocates and environmentalists.

Just relaxed
Whether it's in our room, the restaurant or the benches in the garden, the relaxing mood of the place just calms us down.  We took pictures of the flowers we liked in the hope of replicating it in our own garden.

Here are some of the flowers that caught our attention.  I can't name them though.

  

  

  

  

  

If you're looking for a peaceful place to soul search or reflect and see lots of different flowers, crops and plants, this is the place to do it.   That or climb a mountain (no spa).