The Farm at San Benito was our last out-of-town trip before the Community Quarantine happened. It is one of our unforgettable staycations and I did not imagine that we were able to revisit this place. We were on a tight budget last year because of the hospital bills that my husband needs to pay so I already accepted the fact that we won’t have any travel in the near future.
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good portion-packed down, firmly shaken, and overflowing will fall into your lap. The portion you give will determine the portion you received in return” Luke 6:38
We gave away a big part of our savings but God is indeed so good. It is so true that when you give something, God will bless you in return. We may not have an extra budget for leisure but God provided for that. My husband has been working for so long and last year was the very first time that his company allowed them to bring their family on their company outing; provided that anything extra he/she will shoulder that.
Each employee has his/her own budget so as much as possible, wala dapat extra expense para tipid kami. We stayed at Palmera Suites before but it is only good for two people. Time flies and my son is already a teenager so we need accommodation that is good for 3 adults. Good thing that their company got a Corporate Rate so my husband chose “The Narra Pool Villa” + PHP3,050 for an extra person.
Staycation at The Narra Villa of The Farm at San Benito
Check-in time is 2PM but we left early because my son has morning online classes so male-late kami ng dating sa The Farm at San Benito kung hihintayin pa namin yung end of class niya. Mahirap maging late kasi for sure, maraming makakasabay sa “Swab Testing”.
COVID-19 Testing Protocols
Guest Health Questionaire and COVID-19 Questionaire
COVID-19 Test Done at The Farm: FDA approved Antigen Nasal Swab Test upon entry PHP3050 per person (13 years old above)
COVID-19 Test Done Outside The Farm: RT-PCR Nasopharyngeal Test done at any accredited DOH testing center within 48 hours from the time of collection will be honored.
Since mahal din naman ang RT-PCR so we chose the Antigen Nasal Swab Test at The Farm. The healing resort has a booth near the parking lot so swab test muna bago makapunta sa reception. I felt nervous because it was our first swab test so I felt relieved when all our tests are negative.
We proceeded to Front Office for check-in and as expected, the room is not available so we just stayed in the lobby. The staff gave us welcome drinks. While waiting, I was checking their “Weekly Activity Sheet” and during our stay, we can join the following:
Morning Walk to Helifarm
Rocket Yoga for Beginners
Zumba
Mandala Flower Healing Sanctuary
Restorative Hip Openers
Afternoon Tea & Wellness Talk
Guided Walk Tour
Functional Fitness
Sound Healing
Beginner Astanga
Functional Fitness for the Elderly
Restorative Vinyasa
LUNCH at PESCE
We stayed at Lagoon Lounge while waiting for our check-in but it was almost 2PM pero wala pa rin advise so we went to the lobby. I was a little bit disappointed because we arrived early but we were one of the guests na late nakapunta sa room. Naunahan pa kami ng ibang guests (even my husband’s colleagues), 2:40PM na kami nakarating sa villa namin. The resort has so many guests, so puno na talaga ang lobby, waiting for check-in.
If I remember it right, we downloaded HANDIGO app, tapos nagscan kami before entering our room. This app will keep you updated on exclusive deals, in-house promotions, resort activities, and events during your stay.
The Narra Villa
The Narra Villa is a 200 sqm villa which offers a bedroom, day bed, palatial bathroom with double sinks, a bathtub, two toilets, outdoor and covered terraces, private gardens, and an infinity swimming pool. Maximum occupancy is 4 persons.
The villa is nice and big even the bathroom but what I don’t like is, the bathroom wall is glass. As in, wala man lang blinds or curtains. I am not a fan of this bathroom, wala kasi privacy. The bathroom has a wide range of natural amenities made of Coconut oil such as shampoo, conditioner, body oil, soap, and hand sanitizer.
My husband chose this villa because of the heated pool but it was not heated. He called customer service and it will take hours pa daw bago uminit. My husband and his two colleagues booked the same villa but only one is lucky na heated ang pool nila so nakapagnight swimming talaga sila.
As of this writing may note na sa website nila na “As a truly green, eco-friendly, and sustainable property, The Farm encourages guests to be part of our campaign to reduce consumption and waste in the global hospitality industry. One of the best ways to help reduce our impact is to keep high-energy-consuming amenities such as pool heaters off”
Hmm, I hope adjusted din ang rate nila kung hindi na heated pool. My husband went back at The Farm at San Benito last July and hindi na talaga heated ang pool. Anyway, I don’t want to dwell on my disappointments because we were still blessed to have a quick break from being stuck at home for a very long time.
Ionization Foot Treatment
And because of the late check-in, hindi pa kami nakakapahinga, we went out na rin agad because we have Complimentary Treatment which is part of the room package. All I knew is we had three options, I can’t recall the other options but we chose the “Ionization Foot Treatment”
Bonfire + Music
I’ve read their “Weekly Activity Sheet” so I was surprised when I saw the bonfire near the ALIVE! Restaurant and there is complimentary food and drink pa. May event pala.
Sound Healing by LJ
Among the activities, we only booked Sound Healing by LJ, we haven’t experienced this so we want to try it since it is free. If you want to book a Private Sound Healing Class, it is PHP6,000++ hour/session (max of 5 pax). After this session, gusto na agad namin matulog but we need to eat dinner.
Breakfast at ALIVE!
We had a sound sleep so late na rin kami nakapagbreakfast. The restaurant is almost full, good thing we found an available table. The room package includes breakfast, this was a different experience compared to our first visit.
Breakfast Menu
Fruit Salad with Coconut Yoghurt
Mixed Green Salad with Orange Balsamic Dressing
Healthy Cereal with Banana and Prunes
Vegan Omelet
Live Cooking Station of Pancake
The Farm’s Arrozcaldo with Vegetable
Bread Station
Seasonal Fruit Juice
Herbal Tea or Coffee
After breakfast, we just enjoyed the pool even though it is cold. We left the room at 11:30AM pero almost 1 hour din bago naprocess yung check-out namin. As expected, ang haba din ng pila for check-out.
Watch the video here (to follow)
