Thursday, July 24, 2008 For the bees By Kristin Aldana-Lerin
“BELIEVE in your dreams,” these final words fluttered by fast and furious during our last few moments at the Bohol Bee Farm, as we made a quick and first-time acquaintance with Vicky Wallace, the property’s veritable queen.
A few seconds earlier and we would’ve missed the animated but genuine Wallace, who, though busy as a bee that weekend, in 20 minutes, was able to effortlessly impress her passions. Her work: “from four workers six years ago, and now we have 128,” she says of her staff that has grown as she pursued her dream and transformed her family resthouse into the 21-room affair it is now.
Femme empowerment: “mostly women,” she beams with pride as she describes the make-up of her workforce. The environment: “for the day when the world will never use plastic,” as she sends us off with banig carry-alls to stuff with gift shop splurges. Anya Hindmarch, in this neck of the Dauis woods, you’ve been eco-chicly one-upped. Kaadjo jud.
Tucked away in the quiet municipality of Dauis on Panglao Island, there are no stretches of white sand here, though down a few steps there is plenty of sea water for a cool, tangy dip. In this patch of land off the main road, there are crickets to greet you through a curtain of hanging roots, trees that snake in and out of rustic cottages, butterflies that alight on your veranda, bay-window views of the sea framed by a branch or a leaf there, charming staff and food…glorious, glorious food.
Both farm and resort, you’re hard put to say if it’s more one or the other as together they make up the whole unique experience: the farm grows the organic goodies served at the resort while the resort provides the backdrop to enjoy the delightful food. To understand the symbiosis better, for P60, both walk-in and stay-in guests can go on the farm tour where knowledgeable guides like Rosario will have you sniffing homegrown sprigs of tarragon, dill, fennel and mint; peering into colonies of European honeybees; disturbing a sack-full of African earthworms grown for vermiculture; and watching locals weave raffia into meters of fabric. After the quick lesson dawns the deeper appreciation for the herb bread you had for breakfast, the organic garden/flower salad you munched for lunch, the lemongrass tea you sipped at 3 and the raffia curtains you drew before you turned in at night. And of course, one cannot forget the newfound awe for the lowly worker bee, who has to flap her wings 11,400 times a minute to separate water from nectar, from which she can only make 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in her entire lifetime.
The accommodations, a pleasantly surprising marriage of rustic chic, would make a happy hobbit of anyone. If Bilbo Baggins had a bit of Martha Stewart in him, the cottages here would definitely have his stamp of approval. Creatively christened with names like “The Barn,” “Banana Room,” and “Honeycomb Suites”, each room has a homespun feel with antique touches that Bohol is known for—vintage chandeliers, hardwood wall hangings, heirloom-variety headboards.
Bunking is encouraged as most of the rooms are designed to accommodate three to four occupants, with some rooms having two floors and two bathrooms.
A two-person room goes for P2,000, a three-person room ranges between P2,500-3,500 while a four-person room can cost between P4,000-P7,000. Packages can also be arranged that include countryside tours to Bohol as well as whale and dolphin watching.
If after your last supper, a sudden wave of panic grips you as you burp yourself into the realization that you will never know healthy food this good in a long time, not to worry, the souvenir shop will let you to take a little bit of the Bee Farm home with you, be it in the form of mango/honey/pesto spread, camote bread, carrot muffins, ginger tea, honey mustard salad dressing or tableya. But tread cautiously, credit cards are accepted here, and you would do other guests a disservice if you taint the herb-scented air with the smell of burning plastic.
So for a rustic and restful weekend, you won’t have to go far to find this shire with shabby chic accommodations, go-organic sensibilities, National Geographic learning, Martha Stewart inventiveness and Barefoot Contessa dining.
