The reception building
This summer I headed back to MonTeray Farms Mountain Resort in Pineamungajan, Philippines and was greeted like family by Teray Pono who owns the resort along with her husband. Their son-in-law Wilson runs the place. As Wilson showed me, the plans for MonTeray’s expansion have gone on as planned. Over the past two years, more buildings have been added and team-building activities have earned the resort kudos as a place for meetings and retreats. The features that made the resort so unique are still in place and the surrounding area as lovely as ever.
If you expect glitz and glamour, you may be disappointed since the lodging is simple fare. This is clean and comfortable in a setting you will be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
For someone looking for an experience with an up close look at a working farm where pigs and chickens are organically raised, prize roosters are coddled and trained for cock fighting competitions (a national past time in the Philippines) you can eat the fruit off the trees, and being around nature helps you relax, this is it. Life slows down to a simpler pace.
A tour of the farm includes meeting up with ducks on a walk
Grab a book to hang out by the pool or in a gazebo, take a tour of the farm, or test your speed and strength at the obstacle course. The obstacle course, an addition since my last stay, was designed with groups and team building in mind, but any guest can use it. Try your mettle running through tires or climbing up a wall using a rope for leverage.
The karaoke machine, my favorite MonTeray offering, is still operating. The playlist is extensive and “California Dreamin'” is as good as ever.
The “Lemon House”
As for lodging, the Lemon House is still the most elaborate. Its two bedrooms, living room, kitchen, bathroom and sleeping loft offer enough space for 8 people. If you want to hang out inside, this is the place to rent.
The two cottages, both one rooms with queen size beds have a private bath. One cottage has a sleeping loft for two more people. Both cottages are air-conditioned.
One of the air-conditioned cottages.
For groups, there is a dormitory style building that was under construction when I visited this past June, but is now complete. Other additions include a reception building where you can also get cold beverages including beer, and a shower building.
There are plans to put in another swimming pool.
Just like the last time I visited, I arrived for the mango harvest and jack fruit was plentiful. Banana, cashew, and papaya trees are part of the seasonal bounty.
Jack fruit
The staff here are incredibly helpful and interested in tailoring your stay to fit your needs. Arrangements can be made for an in-room massage or a trip to the nearby beach where one can snorkel.
For reservations, go to MonTeray Farm Mountain Resort’s Facebook page or call +63 927 808 2061.
The town of Pineamungajan has a market, a few bakeries and a historic church that is worth a visit.
Post and photos courtesy of Jamie Rhein
