Old Grove Farmstead in Batangas was a picturesque and idyllic farm and play experience for us.
We went one Sunday with the families in our discipleship group, and it was a great day of running, exploring and just enjoying nature for children and adults alike.
Here are our five tips if you want to explore this year (revenge pasyal!!):
Tip 1: Reservations are highly recommended
As soon as you arrive at Old Grove Farmstead, you’ll see a green windmill which serves as the sales and ticket office.
Old Grove Farmstead only allows a limited number of people each day, and it’s best to book early since they sometimes have events such weddings or other celebrations. The rates differ for weekday and weekends, with meals already included. Children under 3 years old can enter for free.
Tip #2 Ask for a map and purchase duck and horse feed at the entrance
Since the farm is a huge, expansive property, it’s best to request for a map (they don’t have it on display so you have to ask for it.)
This proved very handy for the kids, as we explained which areas we would be going to in order, and we could make sure we wouldn’t miss out on any of the activities or attractions.
The farmstead is home to a variety of animals, including ducks, sheep, and horses. Your kids will love watching them roam around freely and can feed them to their hearts’ content. You can easily purchase duck or sheep feed at the reception area (like the bag Paul is holding is for duck feed) and watch as the animals go to you, their favorite human hehe.
A funny anecdote that happened to us was that Mati was busy feeding the sheep and the sheep suddenly grabbed the almost-empty paper bag and ate it! Mati was really worried that the paper bag would kill the sheep and we explained that though it probably wasn’t yummy, it wouldn’t hurt the sheep (to his relief!)
Tip 3: Go in the mid to late afternoon
We arrived at Old Grove at around 2:30 pm on a Sunday, and there were about 20 people there, and some were already leaving to go back to Manila. By dinner time, it was just us enjoying the buffet along with two families! We also took our time taking pictures with still enough sun.
Since the place was huge, you feel that you have the whole place to yourself and don’t see a lot of other people (the breakfast and lunch services are more crowded), and the weather is cooler (bring a light jacket if you get chilly easily) by sunset.
Tip #4 The Water Tower Has The Best View
Not for those who have fear of heights, but going up the water tower was a great experience for all the kids!
There are only a maximum of five people allowed at a time, so we all took turns going up the creaky metal steps! Sa totoo lang, I felt nervous when I was climbing up with Paul, since the rails were a bit wide and he could stick his feet easily in between. But the view and mini-adventure was worth it!
Tip # 5 Put Your Phone Down, Run and Let Loose
Sounds counter-intuitive as this is a blog post with photos, but one of the kids’ favorite memories weren’t the Instagrammable photos with the red barn, but racing and playing with their friends! They ran so many relays and only stopped when we said that the parents would also have a race and they cheered excitedly!
It’s a great way to feel free after years of living with COVID around, and just a simple way to appreciate God’s blessings of health and beauty.
