After five months of postponing it every week, we finally finally went to Sonya's Garden. And, man, oh, man it was AWESOME. Well...OK. Maybe awesome isn't the best word to use... It's quaint and pretty and relaxing and...very very very VERY nice place.

I shall elaborate.

I had mixed feedback about Sonya's Garden. Some people said it was nice. Some people said, 'puro damo naman ang kinakain dun!' Some people said it was OK (not exactly impressive, but not awful, either). So instead of basing my expectations on what I heard, I went there not expecting anything. And I found that it was the right thing to do: every single thing about the place surprised and delighted me.

If asked to describe the whole place in one word, I'd say "ART". From the simple simplicity of the garden, the placement of wooden stools, benches, and beds -- yes, BEDS -- within the garden was either well-thought of or just pleasingly accidental. The chimes and mobiles scattered around the garden was interesting: they were all old and most of them were broken, but that, in itself, was what makes them charming. Even the food was art.

Ah, yes. The food.

Man, oh, man. The food.

When you go to Sonya's garden, they have a set meal for the day. Always the salad and pasta (though I think the sauce changes everyday), plus tea and dessert. Oh, and the juice was refreshing and the tea, relaxing. Just a li'l tip for y'all: No matter how delicious the salad is, do NOT eat more than one plate. I have to admit, I never liked salad to the point of getting seconds, but MAN. Sonya changed my opinion about salad forever. I found it to be so good I ate too much of it; I didn't have space for the pasta. Nor the dessert.

I shall stop describing the food now, or else I'll probably just go around in circles. Bottom line: the food is good.

Aside from flowers, beds, and good food, you can get a massage, too (but I didn't try it due to time constraint). You can also buy interesting stuff there like CDs of relaxing music, bracelets and earrings, and art. You can get linen, too, like the ones they use in their hotel. It's charming, but I bet the price is charming, as well (cough cough), so I didn't bother to ask. I just gazed at the beauty of it all.

Oh, right. The hotel. It's not really a hotel, but rather a set of cottages. Just looking at them made me wish I lived there. The bed was comfy the surroundings were quiet... heck, even the bath is pretty. I think it's the perfect getaway.

Hm. So I guess this review isn't as nice as I had wanted (not to mention it has no organization whatsoever). But I hope you have at least an idea, or maybe an urge to go to check the place out. If you have easy access to Tagaytay, go there. Don't miss it, I'm tellin' ya.

****

Kuya Jabes: How to Eat Salad.


Look at 'em flowers!


Sit down and relax...or maybe even take a nap.