A "Glimpse of Heaven" (Garin Farm - San Joaquin, Iloilo)

Garin Farm in San Joaquin, Iloilo Philippines is both a farm and a pilgrimage area in one. It's also a resort that integrates agriculture, leisure and pilgrimage, so expect it to be a place where lots of activities can be done; - from feeding the animals, doing leisure activities to Spiritual reflections.

Since I have already talked about the farm in my previous posts, I would only want to share my experience about the additional feature added at the pilgrimage area; - the meditation tunnel and stairway to heaven! It actually went famous in several social media and in the local news, so it caught my attention. With so much interest, I and my husband thought of visiting the place when we went to the Philippines for a vacation.

the path

meditation area

If you want to see the stairway to heaven, you can either do it in two options. Either climb up the 480-step stairways up to the Divine Mercy Cross, or hop on a cart going up with a minimal fee. The most efficient way to do it would be through the stairs; - you get free exercise, and at no cost! ;).

Take note that you have to go through the dark meditation tunnel to reach the stairway to heaven when you are coming from the stairs passing by the Divine Mercy cross.

Once you reached the top, facing the cross, you will be led to a stairs on your right going through the tunnel. It is actually dark because of black walls, and only lit by small LED lights at both sides of the main path. As you walk towards inside, you will then see a meditation area with the image of Christ where you can actually meditate and pray.

At the end of the tunnel is a bright light that actually is breathtaking when you see it...it feels like you are now few steps away to enter Heaven...God's Kingdom!

Once you've passed that bright light out of the tunnel, you will be amazed to see a "stairway to heaven"; a scene that is described mostly in the Bible (a simulation of some sort). The stairs are all pure white, lined by angels blowing trumpets on both sides, until up the main door as you go further inside where you can see more angels all dressed in white facing the Great White Throne, worshipping the Holy Trinity; - God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit on it.

Me and my family

The place has a different photo effects during the night and during daytime. We went there at night and we had the camera flash so it looked brighter. But if you know how to play your camera lights in a darker mode, you might be able to get unique kind of shots during the night. It's just amazing that during night time, the white color appears so distinctively bright.

The experience of seeing a simulated heaven is surely heavenly! You can basically meditate and pray there, plus you get an amazing feeling of how glorious it is to at least get the experience to see a "glimpse of heaven"!

Wonderfully blessed!!!

Bearland Paradise Resort

This resort is one of the newest destination in Iloilo, 20 minute drive from the city of Iloilo. It is exactly located at barangay Tanpael, Tigbauan, Iloilo.

One of the attractive featured amenities of the resort is the cerulean infinity pool that has a good overlooking view of the sea. They also have a jacuzzi pool if you want to relax, and a kiddie pool for smaller kids.

Kiddie pool

Jacuzzi pool

The sunken bar is also an attraction which is fronting the infinity pool. It is placed between the kiddie and infinity pool. The sunken bar is equipped with bar lounge chairs in the inside fronting the pool, and permanent  bar stools in the pool. The stools are under the water and swimmers can sit there and order their drinks without needing to get out of the pool. Customers can order alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks whichever they prefer.

By the way, in our case, we ordered our mango shake drinks and two plates of french fries...the wait was like forever! I asked what is taking them so long, and one worker told me they are short of staff workers that day.

For those that don't want to stay overnight, sun loungers with umbrellas are provided (with a minimal fee), some of them just fronting the kiddie pool, and some along and around the infinity pool. 

There are bathrooms provided for changing but they don't have showers inside if you prefer to rinse in a more private location. I noticed there are faucets on the sinks, but they were not working. There are 2 public showers located near the bathrooms but since they are public, you can't take a good rinse well, not unless you want to go nude in public...lol!

On the sides are sun loungers(white tents) fronting the kiddie pool.

Along the seaside (you have to go down shorter steps from the pool area), are cottages made of bamboo and woods. These are ideal for larger groups such as group picnics, excursions or any other big activities.

As of the last time that we were in the area, the Pavilion was still under construction. It will be a 2-storey building that would include a function room, a restaurant and a gym.

Rates of rooms, if you want to reserve for overnight purposes are just a bit pricey, so check your budget upfront before getting rooms. I haven't tried their rooms, nor saw what are the amenities inside, so I can't share about them.

One side of the jacuzzi pool are also couches, chairs and tables made of rattan/bamboos that serve as lounge area for those who want to relax or hang out with their friends. The area seems to be like an eating place, but didn't see one eating there. The resort has a free wi-fi as well but you can't get through it unless you know the password, and you won't get the password until you ask them. 

Garin Farm & Inland Resort - The Visit

The farm is no ordinary farm. As you would enter the place, you will be amazed it is beyond being a farm. It was built in such a way that you can enjoy and witness the power of nature at its best, have peace of mind, and at the same time enjoy leisure and adventure activities...all rolled into one! :) I can say it's a mini-theme park in an agricultural setting.

Garin Farm is located in San Joaquin, province of Iloilo on its southernmost part. From the city of Iloilo going to the place is a little more than an hour ride. I consider it also one place worth visiting while vacationing in the Philippines. If you're a tourist, it can be easily accessible through a map and by the help of the locals.

A little of an adventure can be done in the farm through the 300 meter zip-line that passes through over the lagoon and some trees. Other options would be to go up and down the hill. If you prefer more vigorous fun, go hiking through the route embraced by the beauty of nature. Lots of other leisure activities can also be done such as horseback riding, boating, fishing or even renting an all-terrain vehicle. You have to note though, that every activity has a charge, except for hiking...and hike at your own risk! :0

Then after a busy day's activities, you can treat yourself to a dip on the pool. All tariff rates are provided at the entrance area upon payment of your entrance fee.

Blurry, but the reality view when you are in the actual place is truly spectacular!

One of the highlight of your activity would be to experience going up the 456 steps towards the 101 ft. Divine Mercy Cross at the pilgrimage area. I recommend staying overnight to see the awesome view of the Divine Mercy Cross at night.

Rooms are available at various rates according to accommodations. Be sure to get a room that rpovides a view of the stunning scenery! All rooms are situated on the hillside area in order to get the amazing view of the town of San Joaquin and its surroundings.

There is a restaurant fronting the pilgrimage area equipped with a canteen on the adjacent side corner. At least you'll never go hungry nor thirsty after a tedious activity ;). The restaurant has a free wi-fi internet access if you want to check your emails or surf the net.

By the way, inside the restaurant is also a billiard area if you want to play pool indoors.

Don't forget to take lots of photos. There will belots of stunning views and interesting subjects to focus on. Just to be sure you complete your visit, be sure you check all the main sites - mainly, the Pilgrimage area, the Divine Mercy Cross, the agricultural area, and the Lagoon.

Add to that the picturesque views from your room windows or the private garden beside your room.

Get all the fun! It's gonna be worth it. Visit our Garin Farm Adventures for more photos!

A Valuable Feedback For Damires Hills Resort - (Reposted)

A few days ago, I shared a post regarding the place in my facebook account (Notes). But since it was only limited for some viewers, I thought of reposting it here again on my blog.
So here it goes:

It has been 5 months since my last trip going to the place with my family. I could say it was still more fun than a disaster, but who wants a fun with some disasters in between??...right? But providing a valuable feedback particularly for the employees and the management of the place would certainly be a challenge to accept and do something about it, both for the positive and negative feedback.

We hope that by now, there will be more improvements on the place including the management service, and facilities that need more attention for the security of the visitors.

I and my husband travel a lot, and we come to Philippines every year (my home birth) for a vacation for a much needed R &R (rest and relaxation). In the course of our travel to various places both Philippines and the US, plus some other countries we've been to, we are quite vocal about sharing our trip experiences to places we visit, whether for pleasure or business.

Okay, so here was our ordeal.

On the early morning of November 1, 2011, I tried calling Damires Hills Resort to ask if they were open on that day. I got the contact nos. from their Facebook page. As I dialled the first number, (it was a cellphone number) and after a few rings, I heard somebody was on the line, but she didn't say anything. So, I then proceeded to ask; - "Hello, good morning. Is this Damires Hills Resort?" ... it was a long pause then suddenly she hanged up the phone on me! I didn't mind about it, but actually if I dialled the wrong number, she should just simply answered back "wrong number"! So, I dialled the other number, (it was still a cellphone number) and I was answered by a guy this time. So I asked the same question to confirm if they were open and he confirmed they were open. I asked if the zip line was open that day and he said yes, zip line was open for business that day.

So, I and the group (there were 10 of us who went to the place), proceeded to the place and arrived there at around close to noon time. We got a family room that was on the second floor of the building close to the bar area and the pool. I couldn't recall the name of the room. I then asked the receptionists there (there were 2 ladies and 2 guys) if we can do the zip line but they quickly answered the zip line was NOT available because the one in charge was on a day off!!! So, who the heck did I call on the phone who confirmed me that zip line was open?? I felt so disgusted! Why? Because it was the main reason why I wanted to visit Damires Hills Resort in the firs place...to try the zip line! So I was thinking, does the word "collaboration" exist in the management? A good business continues to thrive when all people that work in it carry good rapport in working together to achieve goals of the business. But it was not the time for me to be so upset! I thought there are still some things to enjoy about...the pool!

Here is the good part, talking about positive feedbacks! ;)...The food was superb! We love the food, and the waiter who served us did a good job! We should have gotten his name! I think we gave him a good tip though ;). The pool was clean, the ambience was awesome! The view surrounding the pool was lush and green...very nostalgic! But the "not so good ones"...those stone slabs patch beside the pool are slippery when they get wet. I slipped couple of times and I saw some did too! These are obviously dangerous for smaller kids who would become out balance and might bang their heads on the stones! Now, that would be worst if it happens and the resort would end up answering someone's dear life.

Our room has also some lights where switches are nowhere to be found! It looked a li'l bit funny, but when we asked one of the guys there to switch on the lights of our room for us, he couldn't find it too! {sigh!}

Our room has stairs that got so wet after our bath in the pool because there were no dry stair mats provided and they are so slippery to walk on to it going up and down. My husband was so unlucky to experience stepping on one slicky step on the stairs, so that he slipped on his left leg and landed on his back couple of stairs going down! He was able to grab the stair rails to protect himself from falling down to the bottom of the stairs. However, he got some scratches on his left ankle, and red streak marks on his behind (butt area). He was fine after he regained his balance but had back pains after that.

How could you imagine if someday, one person will fall down that stairs with head down and hitting it on the pavement? Those are just BIG liabilities you could NEVER ignore!

After the incident, I demanded to speak with the manager or supervisor to report about what happened but one lady told me they are not around because they are on day offs due to the holiday! I find that unreasonable because whether it is a holiday or not there should always be one on duty!

A resort business always needs to be equipped with functional, complete and secure facilities as well as a manager or a supervisor that monitors everything else under his care...that's what you call efficiency in service! It's one of the key you need if you want your business to thrive longer.

In America, all resort businesses and public attractions are highly efficient. As a frequent traveler, I've experienced being checked by a manager or a supervisor asking if I find everything okay, and would always take time to come see me every 15-30 minutes and ask what else do I need and if I am okay. Every room is provided with feedback brochures and suggestion boxes too.

I am from Janiuay and I am always proud of promoting anything that Janiuay has something to be proud of! Don't feel bad about the negative feedbacks! I know that would be helpful for your management. I and my family are still looking forward to visit you one of these days again, hopefully with better facilities and services.

Thanks for letting us visit! We are looking forward to tell you "Job well done"! in the near future :).

Back Home From The Philippines!

It's been a week after we arrived from our long, exhausting trip from the Philippines. Of course, it's always been a long trip, but visiting a family is all worth it after all, don't you think?

This was one of the most memorable trip I had so far with my husband, seeing all my siblings complete.

It was an all summer out activity in the beach, plus big lunch and dinners. I am looking forward to share all these once I get settled. Besides, I have to dig more of our photos, as there are so many lol!

Racso's Woodland and Inland Resort (Family Trip)

September 3-4, 2005

An overnight to Racso's Woodland was an ideal treat for my family.

Racso's Woodland is located in Guimbal, and 35 minutes away from the city proper. It is considered to be the number one inland resort in Iloilo with its recreational and educational themes. They say it is a place where nature and leisure blends , fun and work combined in the magnificent splendor of mother nature.

The Various Facets:

Mini Olympic Pool - this is actually one of the main reasons why the trip was planned. A deep plunge in the pool is worth refreshing in the midst of heat.

The Kiddie Pool - we had a lot of fun swimming in here, both kids and adults alike :) well, for the adults, it's always the safest for their kids...adults too (who don't know how to swim) lol!

me and my family.

Other places worth visiting is the Rose garden and the mini zoo. Although I didn't get the chance to visit the garden, we spent most of our time in the zoo for my nephew. I know I got a bunch of photos in the zoo, but (again) I had a hard time recalling where did I file those photos. hehe..

I must find them and post them here soon.

Bantayan Beach Resort

May 30, 2005

The rest of our day was spent going to Bantayan Beach Resort, still in Guimbal, Iloilo, few miles away from Garin's farm. The resort is just along the highway. The name "bantayan" means watchtower. A watchtower is located beside the resort. I haven't seen the actual watchtower yet, but I am looking forward to it as our next itinerary.

Lunch time at Balikbayan beach, Guimbal, Iloilo

Garin Farm Visit

May 30, 2005 -

My husband had been enjoying my family's company since the first visit he made. So, this was another one of the few outings we made within Iloilo, - my hometown.

Garin Farm is at least 40 minutes away from Iloilo city by vehicle, located in Guimbal, one of the provinces in Iloilo. This was just a short visit (about 30 minutes) so, I can't discuss and share much about the farm, except from the observations I had during the first 30 minutes :)
Actually, this was my first visit to this place. I admit, being an Iloilo resident for 20 years, I am still a "foreigner" in my own native land. LOL!

Anyway, Garin farm is also classified as a resort, they say, probably because it has been considered as the first modern farm dubbed as the farmer's paradise, where it is an ideal sanctuary for family retreats. It is a 10-hectare area.

One memorable thing in there was when we tasted their farm-processed dairy, ice cream made from buffalo's milk. It was tasty!

We missed boarding the "caromata", a cattle-pulled sled that could carry 20 people. They can't find the carabao I guess :))

Me, hubby and family

Me and hubby @ Garin farm