When we take time beautiful life, we are rewarded with memories to cherish. It’s that time of the year again when the sun shines its brightest and when out- of-town trips are essential. To welcome the season of sun, I venture to a familiar place, one of my favorites, a relaxing oasis found in Alfonso, Cavite. I’ve been to this lovely paradise a hundred times—that’s without exaggeration— and I never get tired of it. Every visit is a new adventure, a new memory, and a new story to share. This is the magic of Sonya’s Garden. Sonya’s Garden cottages are built amid lush gardens, some into the crevices in the hillsides. The cottages are named after the owner’s favorite herbs and flowers, which grow side by side in her greenhouse.

I’ve always enjoyed the scenery at Sonya’s Garden. This season early into the summer, the palosanto trees are in full bloom with their red-orange flowers lighting up the scenery with vibrancy. We had a hearty meal where Sonya Garcia, the “royal innkeeper” of Sonya’s Garden, served us langka with coconut milk and eggplant and coconut sherbet with ube jam for dessert. She also had us try tarragon tea, which really felt soothing. Another favorite destination is Sonya’s Spa with its treatment cubicles decorated with nostalgic capiz shell windows and sunlit shower rooms alongside. Sonya developed a unique series of treatments using natural ingredients with the same scenic aplomb as in her English gardens. Herbal body scrubs with cream baths cocoon you in comfort and fragrance. Have a dagdagay foot massage, which uses wooden pine sticks applied to the reflex points of the feet. 

We woke up to a glorious morning and headed to the al fresco breakfast patio. The landscape created an eclectic rainbow of flowering vines around us. For breakfast, we had freshly squeezed dalandan juice, creamy hot chocolate served in a fine bone china pot, freshly baked bread, kesong puti with pineapple and mango jam, and eggs cooked the way you wanted it—poached, scrambled, etc. We also had adobo fried rice, fried bangus belly, and pusit en su tinta cooked with lots of olive oil. After breakfast, Sonya came in to greet her guests, spreading her radiant energy. She invited us to celebrate this beautiful day. “It is time for you to visit my new addition at my secret haven,” she said.

Natural waterfalls allow one to swim amid giant boulders with dragonflies darting in between, glistening in the sunlight. Outdoor showers with Machuca tiles show how Sonya’s thoughtful touch is everywhere. Colorful Machuca tiles dotted the natural pool steps as well as the outdoor showers and gazebo above the natural pool. While we were there, we enjoyed some snacks: double chocolate cookies, chocolate chip cookies, ensaymada, buko juice, and adobinis—delicious adobo in freshly baked soft bread from Sonya’s Panaderia. A visit to Sonya’s Garden is not complete without taking home your stash of yummy breads from the panaderia and the fresh produce from Sonya’s stall that sells mixed salad greens, papayas, bananas, avocados, star apples, etc. After our swim, we headed back to Sonya’s Secret Garden’s restaurant to have lunch.