When in Manila and the chaos of urban living starts getting on our nerves, Luljetta’s Hanging Gardens and Spa in Antipolo city has been our current favorite day trip escape. We’ve been constantly finding more and more excuses to venture off to Antipolo to enjoy its breath-taking hillside views, lush gardens and overall peaceful ambiance. And if you haven’t experienced Luljetta’s magic for yourself, we highly recommend you plan a weekend getaway there STAT!
Being the strategic aces that we are, we’ve even plotted the perfect step-by-step plan to make the most out of your stay at this hidden sanctuary. This itinerary fits perfectly into Luljetta’s 7-hour spa packages. We availed of the Rejuvenate Package which included access to the Hanging Gardens facilites, snacks, body scrub, massage, and a four-course wellness menu.
Before anything else: Arrive early!
Antipolo is roughly a 1 to 2-hour commute from the city (depending on where you are, I suppose it’ll take longer coming from the south). To be able to maximize your spa time, we suggest heading there bright and early so you arrive as soon the spa opens, which is around 11:00AM. If you happen to get to Luljetta’s with an empty stomach, not to worry! Situated within Loreland’s resort is Verde Restaurant for a quick bite pre-spa time.
Now that you’re stuffed and settled, it’s time to let the rest and relaxation commence!
There are a number of chill spots like this Balinese-inspired den scattered around Luljetta’s, a great place to enjoy some quiet time
Explore/Photo-op (1 hour)
Trust us, you’ll need a good hour or so to cover all of Luljetta’s sprawling gardens! There are so many little nooks and secret spots to discover, so do take your time to wander and just drink everything up. And because we know it would be hard to resist a selfie or two as you begin to explore the area, we thought it would be a good idea to allot a part of your day to doing just that, then leaving your phone/camera after to fully enjoy your spa day sans the distractions.
Infinity Pool (1 hour)
We bet the stifling heat may have gotten to you on the way to Luljetta’s, so we thought a nice dip in their infinity pool is the perfect way to cool you down and get you into zen mode. The sweeping views of rolling hills with the metro’s skyline in the distance is absolutely stunning any time of the day, and is bound to relieve you of your stress in no time!
Dr. Fish Spa (1 hour)
Sinking my feet into the Dr. Fish Spa pond was a real experience! The sensation of fish latching on to your feet may feel quite odd and may take some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it the experience turns out to be really soothing. And since Dr. Fish Spa is located right above the infinity pool, it’s a fitting activity after a nice swim.
Take a side trip to Luljetta’s hydro-massage pools as well while you’re at it!
Snacks! (1 hour)
As part of their Spa package, Luljetta’s offers their native su-mang-ka (suman mango kasoy, a light and sweet native specialty) with iced tea as snacks. It’ll be around this time of the afternoon that you’ll be looking for something light to munch on as well after all that relaxing, so this would be a great time to do so before kicking your spa-mode into full gear.
Sauna/Jacuzzi (1 hour 30 mins)
Alternating between the sauna and Jacuzzi was hands-down my most favorite part of our spa day (next to the massage, that is.) This is the part of your day where you let the jacuzzi’s bubbling lull your mind into absolute calm, and allow the remainder of your worries to fizzle out along with sauna steam. After a good steaming and soaking, we were so blissed out and ready for the main event!
I had the Chocolate scrub treatment, while my friend had the Red Wine scrub. Both smelled soooo good!
Body Scrub and Massage! (1 hour 30 mins)
And now for the most awaited part of our day: the body scrub and massage session! My personal experience was nothing short of amazing, especially when our private massage room had an amazing view overlooking the Antipolo valley and the breath-taking sunset in the horizon. When you book your spa package, do request to have your body scrub and massage treatments at their private body scrub and massage rooms – it’s bound to make all the difference!
Four-Course Wellness Meal (1 hour)
One of the many things we love about Luljetta’s is that their spa package is super sulit! Aside from unlimited use of the pools, snacks, and massage treatments, their package also includes a four-course meal! We ended our spa day completely relaxed and rejuvenated, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
We had so much fun on our little out-of-town escape, and we hope you do too when you decide to drop by Luljetta’s Hanging Gardens and Spa! For more information, visit their website at https://www.bienvenidotours.com/luljettas-hanging-gardens-and-spa.html. You may also contact them at 0917 544 44 32, 0928 627 88 97, and 570 25 32.
