Looking to getaway from the city for a day?
Look no further than Hidden Valley Springs in Laguna, only 2 hours from Metro Manila – traffic permitting.
I remember when Luca was first born, every Saturday we would take a drive out to Tagaytay, Antipolo or Sierra Madre. These were our special times devoted to giving our son some fresh air, warm sunlight and new nature surroundings. When he was an infant, and even now, I would plant his little bare feet onto the grass so he could feel the earth and absorb some of its raw energy. We didn’t take our first airplane ride with Luca until he was 3 months old, so every weekend up until then this was our only getaway…
Anyone who knows us, knows that nature is #1 in this family. A priority and an absolute need to our existence and sanity.
Kids using the iPad? Watching too much tv? Not getting enough sunlight?? I can relate to all of these! I’m not the perfect hippie parent, nor do I want to be. But there is something so special and sacred about teaching my son how to disconnect from it all. Leaving the iPad at home, no tv for the day, and just straight up sunlight in his face all day, with massive amounts of sunscreen as well.
It’s important for Luca to see his parents disconnect as well too. No phones, only for pictures. And no calls, there’s no service at Hidden Valley anyways. My husband’s businesses require him to be at his phone’s every ring, but he’s even better than I during our earthling getaways as he won’t even bring his phone down from the car.
We try to take these moments to teach Luca about earth and where we come from, what we’re doing here, and that there is nothing more important than realizing how small you actually are in this world, but how big one’s impact can be.
Putting religion aside, teaching our son to be humble to nature is quite possibly his most important lesson in life and something I hope he takes with him everywhere he goes as he grows in adulthood.
More about Hidden Valley Springs after this photo break….
Hidden Valley Springs experience…
Coming from The Fort BGC, it took us about 2 hours to drive up to Hidden Valley Springs in Laguna. We left on a Friday morning and didn’t run into much traffic at all! We arrived at Hidden Valley around 11am and we were just in time for the lunch buffet. You may choose to do just the Day Tour, as we did, or you can stay in one of their overnight rooms.
The springs at Hidden Valley are all natural pools, thought to have been formed hundreds of centuries ago as a result of volcanic activity. The water is naturally very warm and carries with it natural minerals, making this water medicinal to your health. If you’re looking for a swim in water that isn’t filled with chlorine or other chemicals, Hidden Valley Springs is for you.
Aside from the many natural pools that Hidden Valley has to offer, the entire property is a beautifully maintained tropical forest. You can take a walk through their trails and do some light hiking with the family as Hidden Valley is extremely baby friendly.
I took many photos of the greenery but this blog post won’t actually capture the true feeling of being submerged in the nature at Hidden Valley Springs. Some trees were so colossal you would think they’ve been there for 1000 years! The bushes and plants grow so dense and with such a true earth green color, while the tropical flowers blossom in all sorts of colors that matched the orange and reds of the filtered sunlight. The entire park is canopied by enormous palm trees, and the like, that reach up all the way throughout the mountain slope. And just under those protective leaves, you’ll find all the wildlife, the birds and the insects getting along throughout the day.
To say that my husband and I were very pleased with our stay is an understatement. My husband said something along the lines of, “We can make this a monthly thing…” And I’ll hold him to his word!
Entrance Fee: P2,500 (per head) – This price is inclusive of the lunch buffet and the snack buffet later on at 3pm.. P.S you will have to pay this price for all entrants including your driver and yaya. Children 5-10 are P1,250, Children 4 and under are Free of charge!
The lunch consists of a wide range of Filipino food and drinks. And my favorite was the snack buffet that came later on in the day, around 3pm. A spread of Filipino dessert dishes like Maja Blanca, Puto, Biko Palitaw, macaroni soup (Luca’s favorite!) and fresh Barako coffee! You won’t go hungry here!
Hidden Valley Springs is such a beautiful display of Filipino nature and cuisine. I hope to visit again soon and maybe stay a night to really de-stress and unwind. If you’re looking for a weekend getaway, or even for just the day, I highly recommend Hidden Valley Springs 100 times over. Connecting with nature is incredibly crucial to humans and most especially, I believe, for our children too.
Nice photos of Hidden Valley. I love that place.