Sitio De Amor caught my eye because of the Balinese inspired grounds, lovely swimming pool and a tree house! Those things were fabulous but what was actually the best were the owners, Lola Mor and Lolo Jorge. Salt of the earth folks and I wish I could adopt them as my kids' grandparents. Sitio De Amor is named after Lola Mor and started as a weekend getaway for the family and evolved into the farm resort it is today. I have never been to Bali but the pictures I have seen looked so much like Sitio De Amor. Lola Mor and Lolo Jorge stay at the farm during their long weekends. The key to the best visit is to go when they are there, I promise. You will see why.

Sitio De Amor first started out as a lagoon they would fill in the summer and then one cottage at a time it has progressively grown into what it is today. Lola Mor and Lolo Jorge never started out thinking they would own a resort with a pool and restaurant. Together with Tony of Cafe Lago they created the tour belt, Viaje Del Sol to bring visitors to the wonderful province of Laguna. It is spectacular and I am slowly crossing off all the places I can. You can see why in this post.

The grounds are undeniably heavenly. Avocado trees, herbs, rambutan, etc., etc., etc. The list goes on. Perhaps this is what Adam and Eve got used to seeing every day. There is no shortage of lush green tropics embracing you. Scattered through the property are cabanas for sitting and ultimate relaxation. Take a good look. What you see is the owner, Lola Mar herself weeding for hours. Yes, she is doing the hard labor along with her gardeners. Guys, how cool is this!?! I love seeing this hands on down to earth attitude. This type of leadership is not super common in The Philippines because it is very affordable to hire others so you don't have to. I have a deep amount of respect for someone who runs a business with a mindset like Lola Mar. The farm resort itself was a giant secret garden we had all to ourselves. Since we went during rainy season there was only two others our first afternoon. With the owners being so warm and welcoming we really treated it like it was our personal getaway. We roamed and wondered and swam a lot.

The details are everything at Sitio De Amor. There isn't a nook or cranny that hasn't been kissed by mother nature or a Balinese touch.

The pool was everything! We spent most of our time here. I lounged in the lovely cabana while the boys swam right beside me. Lets be real here, we all know that family getaways are usually more tiresome. I could not believe how relaxing this getaway actually was.

The main attraction in Sitio De Amor's early days was the lagoon. It brought a lot of visitors but in the rainy season they leave it empty and that would dry up business. That is when they decided to make the infinity pool. 

*The pool deck is wooden planks built together with screws and some are exposed, so do be careful of uneven screws.

This is the empty lagoon. Obviously, it whispering to me and taunting me for my return. Can you imagine how refreshing and magical it would be to swim in here? The star of the show (who actually has her own entire post), The Treehouse. Yes, that is right. You can stay in a beautiful treehouse and live out all your childhood dreams. It is just as beautiful in real life. Do remember you are indeed staying in a tree house so it will feel full of nature and a bit rustic. This may mean just a few bugs (ants), birds or the like sharing the living space. The great al fresco dining hall was refreshing to dine in and perfect for playing boardgames. They have boardgames on site. Again, it is indeed a family centered resort! 

If you search Sitio De Amor on Instagram you are most likely going to find photos of food. They are popular for their delicious foods. Lola Mar's head of dining is actually just her family cook who was originally her mother's care-taker. Lola Mar taught her the family recipes and that is what you get to feast on during your stay. Our papaya's were from her brothers farm. They were the perfect balance of sweet with a firm yet tender texture. Topped with a perfect squeeze of calamansi. The merienda of lumpiang with heart of coconut and halo halo turon was my personal favorite. I loved that we could tailor our dining experience. If you want something, ask nicely and they can try and arrange depending on what they have on hand.

What you are looking at is Lola Mar and Lolo Jorge's house! This is their actual house that has another dining hall under it, like an open air lanai under the raised house.

The beautiful residence was purchased from a town two hours south and was taken piece by piece to its new and current location. Just remarkable and so fitting for Lola Mar's love of antiques. She really is a treasure herself, you must chat with her about how they purchased and moved the home. Very reminiscent of Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar. 

Lola Mar welcomed us up to her private home and gave us a little tour and history lesson about the home and it's belongings. Truly, each piece has a story from her mothers furniture to the restored antique black and white checkered kitchen floor.

Here we are pictured after a delicious dinner of fresh fern salad, clam soup and tuna steaks. This lower lanai is where the couple dines regularly, it is after all part of their home. My heart swells looking at this photo. We don't live near family so my children miss out on the family contact but this warm culture makes up for it. Everyone becomes a kuya or an ate. Here is Lola Mar teaching the boys how to make four season juice. She even referred to them the whole time as "anak"(child/son/daughter). It was just the best. I loved it and so did they. Lola Mar knows how to make each individual feel so loved. What a gift. 

We stayed overnight and it was not long enough. I left feeling uplifted, recharged and loved. I don't often have a longing to return to the same place but walking through these memories has created a nagging for me to get back to Sitio De Amor.

Things To Know:

• Sitio de Amor Farm Resort KM 88.8 Maharlika Highway, Purok Paraiso, San Antonio I San Pablo City, Laguna

• Email: amor@sitiodeamor.com / sitiodeamor@yahoo.com Website: www.sitiodeamor.com Telephone: (632) 401-7344/(632) 552-7340 Cellphone: 0908-884-2730/ 0917-533-0209/ 0918-927-4346

• Sitio De Amor is located just 2.5 hours south of Manila and is very easy to get to.

• Take the South Superhighway all the way up to the second new Sto. Tomas exit. Pass 2 toll plazas. Turn right at Maharlika Hwy after to the Sto. Tomas exit, follow the SM, San Pablo signage. After SM, take the right side of the highway when it forks. Continue on this road for 7 kilometers. Watch for Laguna Plastic signage on your right. When you see this, your are about 400 meters from our private road to your left. The road is adjacent to Jardin de San Vicente. It will be another 600 meters to our gate.

• We went during rainy season but had perfect weather the entire time. It was beautiful however the lagoon isn't open. I am planning to return when we can swim in the lagoon.

• If you can, attempt to hit some of the places on the Viaje De Sol belt. You can read about our experiences for Lake Pandin, Cafe Lago, Bangkong Kahoy, Casa San Pablo and Ugu Bigyan.