For the longest time now, my younger son has been telling me about this beautiful resort up in the mountains of San Mateo, Rizal. I never really paid too much attention to what he said because, to me, the only mountain resort that I find interesting is about four hours away, and that’s in Baguio City.
The other day, I finally had a reason to explore and enjoy what my son had told me about. Our Pacific Asia Travel Association Board Meeting was held at, you guessed it, the Timberland Highlands Resort…and was I sorry I didn’t pay attention much earlier to my son’s accolades for this mountain property.
This beautiful highlands property is San Mateo, Rizal’s first tourism estate and it offers breathtaking vistas of Metro Manila, the Sierra Madre Mountains, and Laguna de Bay. It is located within Timberland Heights, which is an exclusive suburban townscape 450 meters above sea level. What is commendable about the developers of this mountain estate is their having gone through delicate and extensive planning to ensure that the area’s ecosystem is preserved towards ensuring the protection of nature and sustainability.
The resort’s newly refurbished 70 rooms are all well-designed for functionality and they speak of comfort and elegance towards offering guests their much-needed relaxation moments. Because it is a resort, it also has facilities that make guests enjoy enthralling adventures and memorable experiences.
There is a beautifully designed infinity pool, basketball, volleyball, and badminton courts, a rock climbing wall, a well-equipped fitness center, and a mountain bike park. Team building events would go perfectly well in this mountain escape. For corporate events, this highland property has a ballroom that can accommodate as many as 300 persons, plus three other function rooms for smaller breakout sessions.
We had our meeting at the private room inside the Ridge Café and we could hardly focus on our discussion as the panoramic windows on one side of the room gave us a spectacular view of the mountains of San Mateo and the other window showed us an awesome vista of the Metro Manila landscape.
Lunch was served during our meeting and it was another welcome diversion from the matters being discussed. All the delectable culinary specialties that were served to us must have been prepared in a magical kitchen. They were all tops in flavor and taste. No wonder, I found out later, that the Ridge Café, which serves Filipino, Asian, and Western cuisine, has become a household name among those who reside in the Timberland Heights township.
It also helps that the resort’s Director of Operations, Ranuka Hettiarachchi, is also the Executive Chef. He can easily ensure that high standards are maintained in his kitchen’s output. He is still single, a very amiable and good-looking expat from Sri Lanka, and has embraced our Filipino culture having lived in our country for the past 8 years.
After our meeting, I had the opportunity to go around the property and marvel at all its facilities. But, the next time I visit Timberland Highlands Resort, I will make sure it is for an overnight stay and will have the time to experience all its facilities, and fully enjoy this “jewel” beautifully perched on the mountains above Metro Manila.
This resort’s advantage over Baguio is its proximity to the metropolis. My friends from Quezon City said it took them less than an hour’s drive to get there. Those from Manila took a little over an hour. This new discovery excites me because I now have an alternative to Tagaytay whenever I want some peace and quiet, and to be away from the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle we’re in.
More information on Timberland Highlands Resort is available at +632 8891 8288 or at [email protected]
YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE
When I was a child, I thought “nap time” was a punishment. Now that I’m old, it feels like a small vacation!
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