This Holistic Wellness Retreat in the Philippines is Pure Paradise
Within a few hours of checking in at renowned spa The Farm in San Benito, a 2.5-hour drive south of Manila, I’m assigned a butler and a personal physician and receive a tailored program to restore my health “from a cellular level”. A flurry of tests later – blood analysis, metabolic age, bone density – and I’m enjoying too-good-to-be-healthy eggplant lasagne on a terrace fringed by jungle as a pianist plays Moon River. Before bed, a traditional Filipino Hilot massage of kneading and stretching soothes my travel-weary muscles and sends me into a sound sleep.
While sunlounge-loving travellers may come here for the four outdoor pools, as many restaurants and multiple types of massage, most guests “want a critical health reset”, according to spa director Lem Senillo. The comprehensive range of medically supervised lifestyle and wellness programs available here appeal to stressed-out executives as much as regular desk warriors like me.
On 52 palm-filled hectares, the property’s 60 luxurious private villas and suites – all polished wood, green views and abundant light – are more tropical resort than clinical retreat. Peacocks wander freely among pretty ponds, banana trees and flowering plants, with the lush Malarayat Range in the distance.
My initial two-hour consultation reveals that my blood cell shape is edged like a bottle cap, instead of smooth, which indicates dehydration and stress. The treatment plan includes placing my feet on a TeraHertz “human cell charger” to awaken dormant cells and eliminate damaged ones, plus a flotation tank session and hydrating collagen bath. The hour-long Empress Facial, involving acupressure and an ice roller, is equivalent to a week’s sleep, I’m told, and proves deeply relaxing.
I start my days bathing under a waterfall hidden within the maze-like Secret Garden. I try sound healing and aqua therapy. I even find myself hugging The Farm’s famed 300-year-old mango tree – proof that wellbeing isn’t all science.
