Luljetta’s hanging gardens and spa – inside this getaway, 1 hour from Manila

Rhea Claire Madarang

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Luljetta’s hanging gardens and spa – inside this getaway, 1 hour from Manila
With its mountainside pools, decades-old balete trees, and stunning views of Antipolo, Laguna de Bay, and Metro Manila, Luljetta's Hanging Gardens and Spa lives up to its name.

Less than an hour away from Metro Manila is a scenic, relaxing, almost-secret spa that is perfect for relaxation and pampering after a long week at the office.

POOLSIDE. Gorgeous views at Luljetta's infinity pool. Photo by Rhea Claire Madarang

Beautifully and meticulously carved along one of Antipolo’s ridges, Luljetta’s Hanging Gardens and Spa, with its mountainside pools, decades-old balete trees, and stunning views of Antipolo, Laguna de Bay, and Metro Manila, lives up to its name. 

MOUNTAINSIDE SPA. Take a dip and relax in one of Luljetta's Hanging Gardens and Spa'€™s pools and enjoy the view that comes with it. Luljetta's is beautifully built along one of Antipolo'€™s ridges. All photos by or courtesy of Rhea Claire Madarang

BREATHTAKING GREENS, GRAYS, AND BLUES. From almost every vantage point at Luljetta'€™s you can see the greens of Rizal's€™ hills, the grays of Metro Manila'€™s buildings, and the blues of Laguna de Bay blending into the sky.

What makes it a kind of secret is that you can only access it by passing through Loreland, one of Antipolo’s oldest resorts. Passing by the road, you can easily miss it if you don’t know of it beforehand.

Here’s what you can do to make the most of your visit at Luljetta’s:

Choose pampering experiences with a view. 

Luljetta’s main attractions are its hydrotherapy pools. Take a dip in one or all of these pools while basking in the lush landscapes. The pool with the best view is the infinity pool, which is also a great place to watch the sunset.

TRANQUILITY. Enjoy the landscapes while taking a dip in Luljetta'€™s infinity pool.

The view is also beautiful from Luljetta’s hydromassage pool. Sit or lie on your stomach to get a massage from one of the pool’s rainshowers. Or simply lie down on the pool to feel the water’s massage. 

FOR YOUR BACK. On this massage pool, let the water fall on your back to wash away the stress. Or simply enjoy a rainshower on your body.

Get your feet soft and smooth with a fish spa as you look up the leafy balete trees and straight at the landscapes.

FISH SPA. Let the fish tickle your feet while you take in the beauty around you.

On evenings or chilly afternoons especially, detoxing at the sauna is perfect. The steam room even has a window where you can take in the beauty of your surroundings.  While the heated jacuzzi offers hardly any view of the landscapes, it is relaxing especially on evenings.

STEAM ROOM WITH A VIEW. Detox while enjoying the view.

HOT BATH. The jacuzzi is perfect for chilly evenings.

After thoroughly relaxing in Luljetta’s pools, you can also get a full-body massage with a view; the spa has bamboo huts exactly for this purpose. Couple it with other pamperings like a body scrub and foot spa for you to feel relaxed all over.

MASSAGE WITH A VIEW. You can enjoy views of the landscapes while getting a massage€“, if you don'€™t fall asleep first from the pampering.

Soak in the beauty and quiet in every spot.

Luljetta’s has so many beautiful spots for you to simply sit and soak in the beauty around you – there are lounges, huts, and outdoor reclining seats. You can also just simply walk around, occasionally looking up the trees and stopping to see the brightly-colored flowers. And as the hanging gardens and spa has many tiers, you can find yourself happily “discovering” a room or a corner where you can simply sit and enjoy the beauty of doing nothing.

A word of caution, though: going up and down Luljetta’s occasionally steep stairs which follow the curve of the mountainside can be taxing for physically challenged people or pregnant women.

TIERED GARDENS. The many levels of Luljetta'€™s make exploring around the area more enjoyable, but it can also be tiring for the physically challenged.

WEARING BEAUTY. Visiting Luljetta'€™s is all about experiencing beauty and relaxation, down to the clothes you wear. Guests are presented with an abaca basket with a batik robe and towel. Both the basket and the fabric of the robes were painstakingly chosen by the owners during their travels.

BUDDHA LOUNGE. With wooden Filipino and Asian furniture handpicked by the owners, the Buddha Lounge is one of the beautiful rooms to relax in.

SUNSET HUT. This hut is the best place to sit back and watch the sunset.

SIT AND CHAT. There are also airy places like this white tent where couples or groups can sit, relax, and talk.

ARCHITECTURE IN NATURE. Walking around, you might stumble upon places where Luljetta’s structures marry beautifully with nature.

BURSTS OF COLOR. Stop from time to time to enjoy the gardens'€™ flowers.

Nourish your body and soul.

Enjoy Luljetta’s delicious, healthy food, from a simple snack of Antipolo suman and their best-selling lemongrass iced tea, to a full-course meal prepared by their resident chef. The menu for the full-course meal changes seasonally. Food is fresh and healthy, and the greens from their salads come from their small organic farm.STAPLE SNACK. A snack of Antipolo suman and lemongrass iced tea is served to all Luljetta's guests.

FRESH AND ORGANIC. Greens from Luljettaâ€'s salads, like the lettuce and alfalfa here, come from their farm.

MENU VARIETY. Luljetta'€™s menu for their full-course meal changes occasionally. This pan-seared sole fish was recently served as a main course.

 

Even dining in Luljetta’s is a relaxing experience, as their cafe also has a sweeping view of Antipolo’s landscapes and beyond.

MOUNTAINSIDE DINING. Enjoy your food while taking in the view.

While Luljetta’s feeds your body with wholesome food, its surroundings can also feed your soul. Almost every place you turn to has inspiring quotes and reminders. Simply walking around and reading the quotes is already relaxing.

INSPIRING WORDS. Almost everywhere you walk at Luljetta's, there is a quote to make you reflect or feel good.

TIMELY REMINDER. This reminder is strategically placed in an area where you have already considerably walked around the grounds.    

To also keep the good vibes and energy, Luljetta’s also has a movie house where it only runs feel-good – usually comedy or romantic comedy – movies.

FEEL-GOOD MOVIE LOUNGE. Luljetta'€™s '€œHanging Movie Lounge'€ only plays feel-good movies.

With Luljetta’s beautiful surroundings and pamperings, your body, mind, and soul can take a full and much-deserved rest.

How to get there: Take an Antipolo-bound jeep or van from Edsa-Shaw or Cubao. Get off at Antipolo Church and take a tricycle to Luljetta’s. Tell the driver to take you to Loreland Resort. Travel time is usually less than an hour.

Budget: Spa experience starts at P1,100 for five hours inclusive of snack and drinks. You can check out the different spa offerings here. For overnight stays, you can check in at the neighboring Luljetta’s Bed and Breakfast. 

FOR OVERNIGHT STAYS. Luljetta€'s Bed and Breakfast has rooms like this for overnight spa guests.

Reservations: While they accept walk-ins, they prioritize guests with reservations. So reserve ahead of time.

– Rappler.com 

Claire Madarang is a writer, traveler and seeker. Her wanderlust takes her on adventures like backpacking for 7 weeks straight. Her seeking leads her to different wellness practices like meditation and healthy (mostly vegetarian) eating. Follow her adventures, tips and epiphanies at her blog, Traveling Light.

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Rhea Claire Madarang

Claire Madarang is a traveler, writer, biodiversity communications practitioner, and facilitator of nature play activities. Follow her adventures, travel tips, and reflections on her blog Traveling Light and on her Instagram