It’s typhoon season in the Philippines and honestly I was never a fan of stormy weather. Every now and then I have to remind myself to look into the positive side of rainy days. And I always end up having this “trying to love – but more likely to hate”kind of relationship with the rain especially if I have a planned trip or outing.

Two days before our planned trip to Batangas, the weather has been very gloomy and the forecast says a typhoon is about to enter the country. But for the first time in a very long while, I told myself not to be bothered. The day of our Batangas trip came and the weather just became much worse. Instead of feeling sad and bad about it, I tried to look at the better side of everything . I came to realize that stormy weather could teach us a thing or two about slowing down.

Everything was soaking wet, and the environ is dark and gloomy. It was my first time at The Farm in San Benito and I won’t deny the fact that I was really excited. I didn’t allow my excitement to dwindle down just because if the weather. The situation reminded that there are really things in life we don’t have control over and that we should just make the most of the experience.

Located in Lipa, Batangas, The Farm at San Benito is a not-so-hidden oasis known for its luxury and holistic approach when it comes to medical wellness. The past years, The Farm has become a favorite from among people seeking respite and relaxation.

There are several villas to choose from but we chose to stat at The Farm’s Mahogany Luxury Villa. This is the newest (and I supposed the biggest) villa of The Farm at San Benito.

The Mahogany Luxury Villa is huge. This 2-story villa has a verdant scenery outside. It has 3 bedrooms (2 huge and 1 small one) with its own bathroom, a really spacious living and dining area, kitchen and bar area, swimming pool, a walled-in garden, and more.

Just like the other suites and villas at The Farm, the room package includes the following: a refreshing welcome drink at rhe reception area, a daily vegan breakfast courtesy of Alive restaurant (1 of the 3 in-house restos at The Farm), a (strong) complimentary WiFi access throughout the resort. Staying at The Farm also means one could outright participate in the various daily movement and fitness activities like yoga, meditation, core training, power walks, and more. We also had a free 30-minute relaxology massage and one could also use of swimming pools, meditation pavilions, and The Farm’s Pure energy gym.

It’s noteworthy to mention that bringing in of food and drinks inside the resort is strictly a no-no. And so make sure you have allotted some extra moolah to eat at their restaurants. The Farm at San Benito is a big supporter of farm-to-table philosophy so expect that majority of rheir ingredients are grown from their own organic farm or locally sourced.

There are three restaurant options within The Farm – Alive, Pesce, and Prana.

Alive Restaurant is said to be one of Asia’s first and best vegan restaurants offering whole food plant-based cuisine. Rge complimentary breakfasts given to us aee from Alive.

Pesce Restaurant, on the other hand, is a pescetarian restaurant wherein the menu consists of organic living fruits and sustainable seafood. We gad our lunch/dunner from Pesce and my goodness, most food we had are really really good! The “Spaghetti Con Gamberetti” – a pan-seared prawns pasta in deglazed garlic with white wine and cream, diced tomato, and parsley garnish — is a BOMB!

Prana Restaurant is their newest restaurant that offers Ayurvedic Vegetarian dishes so it isn’t surprising to see Indian dishes with lots of herbs and spices, in their menu. This we weren’t able to try.

Spent the entire stay at The Farm mostly just inside my room, and at times go to the pool area and take a short dip. The experience made me appreciate the rain a little more. It made me realize that there’s something about the stormy weather that makes us feel downright lazy — and that’s okay. We live our lives at such a hectic pace, and the rain can serve as a periodic reminder to stop overthinking and too busy. Spending time with our thoughts for a few days whilst raining is a great way to slow down and take notice of the many beautiful things about life.