Antipolo is a city in Rizal Province, just 45 minutes away from Metro Manila. It’s so near you don’t need a long weekend to visit. So what can you do if you have a day to explore Antipolo? I spent a laid-back Sunday there and I want to share it with you!

My friends and I spent a long night from a party and a karaoke session when we realized the sun’s about to rise and it’ll be officially ‘tomorrow’ soon. This was a very fun night, I’m actually sad we didn’t have enough photos. Anyway, around 5am, we decided to leave town for Antipolo.

One advice, don’t leave too early, especially if you’re leaving on a Sunday. There’s no traffic at all, and you’d be in Antipolo sooo early. When you’re up partying since the night before and didn’t catch some sleep, I tell you by this time, you’re starving! Good thing we found this pretty place Eggs for Breakfast, which opens at 7:00am so we drove there and slept in the car waiting for them to open.

You might be a little worried when you get to the place because it’s just a big green gate with their logo on it. But don’t be fooled by how it looks from the outside because the inside is amazing, especially if you’re like me, who’s a sucker for gardens.

 

We headed to The Pinto Museum after breakfast because everyone who’s been to Antipolo suggests it, and for a reason! The museum is very different, in a good way. It’s an alfresco museum, very laid-back, and you’d appreciate not just the art on exhibit, but the museum’s architecture as well.

There are six galleries, from what I remember, and some exhibits are interesting and even thought-provoking, making you realize some things about our society. I’m not an art expert and I honestly find it difficult to understand and appreciate some art.

There’s an installation, however, in one of the museum’s rooms that really got me awestruck. It’s called The Forest because it immerses you into a forest. The artist turned the space into a bamboo forest and if you look up, it’s so dark, it feels like the bamboos go waaay up, you can’t see their top ends. Dried bamboo leaves are on the floor, you’d hear crickets, and the droplets of water from the water feature of the installation, and it even smells like the forest! I didn’t know there’s such a thing as ‘forest scent’ but when you’re there, you’d really think the scent is appropriate! I’m just so amazed! The artist created this environment and you can really feel it, and I’m so ashamed I didn’t take note of his/her name.

You can continue with the laid-back feel over lunch at their restaurant, Cafe Tan-aw. They serve Filipino and Asian dishes and you can lay around while waiting for your order, and maybe practice how to flatlay people. 😂

 

After a sumptuous, relaxing lunch, we drove to Luljetta’s Hanging Gardens and Spa to well, relax some more. We did their 7-hour package, which includes a robe, towels, slippers, and use of their sauna, jacuzzi, hydropool, infinity pool, two fish spas, and snacks.

The resort is a good mix of fun and relaxation, and the view of the sunset over Metro Manila from their pool is not to be missed!

 

We drove back to Manila and arrived around 10pm, just in time for bed, ready for another week ahead. It’s the middle of the week, start planning your trip! 😘