Happy Humpday, Hiver friends!
Join me today on our visit to Farm Plate, the newest tourist spot in the province of Albay.
FarmPlate is a farm-to-table ecotourism destination located in Daraga Albay. It is also the home of the smallest chapel in the Philippines. We had the opportunity to see the farm when we went to Albay the other week. According to my research, the best time to visit is during the night because only then are the beautiful decorations of the farm visible or highlighted.
I first became aware of this ecotourism destination when I saw the trailer for the film "I Love Lizzy" which was mostly filmed on this farm. I didn't get the chance to watch the full movie, but we felt like we were part of the film just by being there. It's understandable why they opted to film the movie there—the location is really cinematic.
In the film poster, the majestic Mayon Volcano is very much visible from where the farm is, but we were not that fortunate to see it during our visit. Likely because it was going to rain and the sky was full of rain clouds, and under the clouds hides the perfect cone volcano.
The farm is just a few minutes away from Daraga town proper. Aside from the chapel, they also have a playground for the kids to enjoy and a lot of food shops that offer a variety of food. They also have live bands on weekends. There was a crowd gathering near the barn when we arrived, enjoying the acoustic music of the live singer. We didn't proceed to join the crowd but instead explored the farm to see what more they offered.
We all loved their hot-air balloon lanterns that were scattered all over the farm. I look so real, and now we are convinced that the best time to go there is at night to appreciate its beauty. Aside from the hot air balloon, most of the attractions around the farm are adorned with beautiful lights.
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They also have a lovely bonfire where you can just sit around and have a great time. My kids immediately asked for some marsmallow after seeing this; too bad we didn't bring any, and I wasn't sure if they would allow grilling in the bonfire too. lol
The children made sure they saw all of the farm animals, including sheep and cows, as they explored every inch of the area. Since those sheep are not native to the Philippines, the kids are very curious about getting close to them.
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We also had fun snapping pictures in the "love tunnel," which is made of vine plants filled with hearts and light decor. My mom poses for more photos here than in any other part of the farm. We were also able to take our time and admire the tunnel without being interrupted by photo bombers because it is a little further from the main crowd.
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And the main attraction on the farm is this little chapel built on top of the hill. This chapel can fit only 10–20 people. After spending some time taking photos and enjoying the ambience of the place, we finally had a glimpse of the volcano; you can see it in the background of the photo above, though it was not that clear. It was only a brief moment before the sky was covered again and the rain started to pour.
After all the exploration of the place, we finally joined the crowd and enjoyed the acoustic music near the farm barn house, where they set up a makeshift little stage for the performer. It was a lovely evening, and the guests didn't mind the rain shower.
We had a small dinner before heading to the venue, so we bought the kids some pizza and some drinks. We watched them from a distance since the kids were getting thirsty from their constant running and we couldn't catch up.
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After finishing up our pizza, the kids finally felt the exhaustion of playing and running around. We head our way to the place where we will be staying the night. We have another packed day tomorrow, so we are now resting early.
And that, my friend, is how our visit to the smallest chapel in the Philippines went. What a wonderful experience, and we will definitely visit again if there's a chance.
Thank you for reading and have a great day!
❤️❤️❤️
All photos were taken by me, unless stated otherwise.
The lead image was edited using Canva.
