A quiet repose at Lawiswis Kawayan Garden Resort

I was never much of a 'garden resort' person, me being a beach bunny and all. Too much land, I'd think. Why settle for a cottage in a secluded garden, if you can get a cottage by the wide open beach?

An overnight stay with some colleagues for our annual teambuilding seminar changed my mind somewhat, thanks to a charming garden resort in Bulacan. 

Lawiswis Kawayan Garden Resort (named after the rustling sound bamboos make in the wind - funnily enough I don't remember seeing any bamboos around) was tucked inside one of Bulacan's suburban areas, about an hour or two away from Makati City.

It's a fairly small resort, with one large cottage, several individual rooms, a mini-spa cottage, wide grassy areas dotted with trees, tables and couch swings, and a nice big pool. High walls surround the resort, isolating you completely from the outside world, and the area was thankfully quiet and peaceful.

What I loved about the place was that it wasn't such a big or commercialized resort; very few accommodations means having to share the resort with very few people. In other words = privacy. And the nearest groceries, fast food establishments or even sari-sari stores are about a 30-minute car ride away, so there's a real sense of being separated from the city.

We stayed at the largest cottage; the first floor was a multipurpose hall connected to a small kitchen and bathroom, while the second floor consisted of a lounge area and bedrooms.

main cottage

I loved their bedroom and lounge area set-up; small, but homey, and the slanting ceilings give it that 'attic room' feel. The main seating furniture are large cushions and pillows on the floor, inbetween which sat wooden coffee tables that had sunka sets built into them (very clever); shelves lined the walls where a variety of wooden decor are displayed and a few cushy armchairs are scattered in whatever remaining space left in the room. It wasn't what you'd call sophisticated or luxe, but there was that cute balance of mismatched-with-a-theme appeal. 

entrance to the upper floor

Left: sungka game, anyone?; Middle: a more intimate seating by the window; Right: no shortage of seats here

Several doors in the rear lead to the bedrooms. The beds are actually thick cushions on the sunken floor, complete with blankets and pillows, and windows with mini-balconies (you know, the kind where you can't actually step on) with a view of the garden below. The mattresses aren't that thick though, so if you have back problems you're better off on one of the actual beds in the other rooms.

sweet dreams are made of these...

In between the official seminar activities, we spent our time lounging around the resort. There was a playground set for the kids (or kids at heart, like us), a Red Tilapia Pond and open-air cabanas scattered all over. 

garden and eating areas

something for the kids

Left: path to the Tilapia Pond; Right: small bridge

I love their cabanas, with their white cushions, big pillows and even gauzy veils hanging from the ceiling - very romantic, especially in the evening.

Left: cabanas by the pool; Right: cabana interior

The pool was also fantastic, but then again, nearly any kind of pool is fantastic in my opinion, or any swim-able body of water, for that matter. They had an adult pool and a kiddie pool, which we gleefully took advantage of in the absence of actual kids; it was fun to wade in, at any rate.

poooooool!

They also have a mini-spa; not of the glamorous, city-spa caliber, true, but a very nice one nonetheless.

Again everything was on the wooden-modern decor; the wide porch also served as a lounge/waiting area with lazy boys and couches, and the front desk showcased the various spa services. They had the usual facials,  pedicures, and body treatments (ooh, Chocolate Body Scrub!), but we just had the basic massages, your choice of hard or moderate, a selection of aromatic oils, topped off with warmed lavender oil. Complimentary tea was served afterwards, taken in the lounge or the garden outside.

Left: the mini spa; Right: spa porch and lounge

my cup of tea

All in all, it was a pretty good retreat. Nice and quiet, the perfect place to be if you're not looking for any excitement for a change.