Weekend at The Lily in Lian, Batangas

A couple of weekends ago, my family and I were very lucky to have been invited by my dear friend Ian to his beach house in Lian, Batangas. It was a welcome break from weeks of non-stop work. I couldn’t wait to spend a couple of days at the beach without television or the Internet! Needless to say, the weekend was a blast. And somehow, we overcame what seemed to be the impossible; that is, we survived without Facebook or Instagram! 🙂

So here’s a photo diary of our wonderful back-to-nature weekend at The Lily.  And in case you’re interested to book a weekend there (you should be!), here are 5 things you need to know about this wonderful resthouse.

 

5 Things You Need to Know About The Lily

 

 

1.  The Lily is not a resort or hotel.  It’s a home to stay and cocoon in, away from the bustling noise of the metro.   It was built as a weekend resthouse for family and friends, and is now open to the public.

 

 

2. The Lily is named after the homeowner’s mother, Lilia.  She was a picture of both prayerful calm and endless energy, qualities that have inspired the entire feel and look of the house.

 

 

 

3.  Guests from Manila would most appreciate the route to The Lily.   It actually hits two birds with one stone:  Tagaytay’s cool and breezy ridge, and Lian’s beaches.  You wouldn’t notice the three-hour drive.

 

 4. The house is no-tech.   It has, decidedly, no TVs, no Wi-Fi, and no cosmopolitan conveniences (if you find this to be a horrific situation, sorry to disappoint you!   If you feel the urge to Tweet or surf the net, connection is strongest along the beach, so it’s not so bad after all).

And may I add that the beach is wonderful, too?!

 

 

It has pocket corners where conversations may be had, ideas exchanged, sweet nothings said, freshly-cooked food shared, and space—lots of it.

 

 

It’s a space to heal, to pray, to escape, and to think.

 

 

5.  The Lily isn’t for everybody.   It’s for artists who wish to recharge their creative energies.   For couples who wish for nothing but time for each other.  For someone who doesn’t need much in order to be completely happy.

 

 

And lastly, it’s for those who want to just stop what they’re doing, drop everything for a few days, and immerse in the art of doing absolutely nothing—and then, you come back to the city, renewed and ready for the world.

 

 

My father-in-law Ting,  in a thank you note to Ian, sums up our experience best:

 

As a memorial to the cheerful and gentle Mom Lilia, The Lily is indeed a home– a hideaway conducive to a slow, peaceful, easy, cool and away-from-it-all stay.

I believe it is providential that Mom Li-lia has been fittingly honored by an I-an in laid-back Lian.

We had more than fun. We had Lilia and son.

 

 

Ready to make that trip?  Visit The Lily’s website here and like them on Facebook.