The municipality of Alitagtag is located in Batangas, 110 kilometres from Manila. The province of Batangas is home to many tourist attractions including Taal Volcano, a handful of mountains, beautiful beaches, island hopping and diving. This is probably why it was such a curious decision to opt to stay in a farm in the little town of Alitagtag.
To be completely honest, I had no idea why we opted to stay in Alitagtag. In fact I didn’t even know it was in Batangas at all. It was a last minute decision being an ever-so-unprepared traveller, I didn’t have the slightest clue where to go. I had a weekend before a jewellery class in Metro Manila and I was up for pretty much anything.
So I did what any other regular human would do. I turned to Facebook.
And this is where I found NoLimits KBF Farm Resort.
NoLimits KBF Farm Resort
I just want to throw this out there and make it clear that this post is NOT in any way sponsored by the farm. I promise.
The NoLimits KBF Farm Resort is a family-owned farm that welcomes guests to stay and experience the simple farm life (without the actual hard work of tending to a farm). They have a few different accommodation options including tipis, a kubo (or hut) and a treehouse. If you have a larger group or perhaps on a budget, you also have the glamping (glamorous camping) option with a tent and foam mattress.
We stayed at NoLimits KBF Farm for 3 days and two nights. Our first night was spent in the hut, which they dubbed “the kubo of love”. Then on our second night, we moved to the treehouse. Unfortunately we didn’t experience the tipi or glamping because we’re princesses and really wanted a private bathroom and kitchen.
We enjoyed our stay at the farm and had a lot of fun, but we’re also pretty easy to please and weren’t expecting anything glamorous. Both the kubo and the treehouse were clean and well-kept but it’s also no frills and no nonsense. You do get a toilet with plumbing and bidet though. To me, that in itself spells glamour.
What You Get:
This farm stay provides a comfy, cozy place to stay at an affordable price starting at Php 300 per person with access to the 5 hectare farm. While it often hosts team building activities and large groups, there is no minimum number people to stay at the farm. Yes, solo travellers are welcome. In addition you also get:
- Free fresh eggs you can pick from the chicken coop
- Clean drinking water
- Common cooking equipment and utensils
- A common area where you can socialize with other guests or cook your meals
- Parking space at no additional cost
What to do:
- The farm hosts a number of fun activities within the property, all at no additional cost. This includes:
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- slack lining
- basketball
- volleyball
- karaoke
- bonfire at night
- farm games (like catching native pigs)
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- Explore Alitagtag town proper where you can eat and shop like a local. Yay for 1 to 5 peso pastries!
- Trek to Taal Lake. The farm offers a guided tour for a small fee.*
- Go on the bike trail
A view of the sunset on our way to town.
What’s good:
- No corkage fee for bringing your own food. You’re actually encouraged to bring your own food.
- Kitchen with comprehensive equipment for basic cooking (in kubo of love, treehouse and common area).
- Safe, friendly and relaxed environment.
- Only a bus ride away from manila (about 1.5 to 2 hours long).
- Flexible check-in and check-out times.
- Very friendly and attentive staff.
What to consider:
- There are no stores within the farm. So make sure to buy food, snacks and drinks in the town before heading to the farm.
- Tricycle to town costs 50php (significant if you’re on a budget, or just incredibly cheap like me).
- There is a short uphill walk to get to the farm, which might be difficult for the elderly or disabled.
- The bed and pillows could be softer, although this is probably all personal preference.
- It was a struggle finding a plug for the kettle in the treehouse. Lol.
How to get there:
This is Sam, wearing a salakot hat. Gotta protect your head from the heat!
- Take a bus heading to Lemery and get off at the Alitagtag town. If you’re anxious like me and not sure where to get off, just kindly ask the kunduktor (ticket guy) to let you know once it’s your stop. They’d be happy to help.
- From Alitagtag, take a tricycle to NoLimits KBF Farm. The tricycle costs 50 php.
- After the tricycle, someone from the farm should pick you up at the entrance and guide you into the farm. It will be a short walk into the farm.
*The farm also offers a guided trek from the farm to Taal Lake for an extra 300 php per person. Here you can take in the sights and try bamboo rafting. While I was set on doing this trek, I chickened out last minute. It’s supposedly a fairly easy trek, lead by an experienced guide. Unfortunately, I had let my anxiety talk me out of it.
The NoLimits KBF Farm also accommodates groups for team building activities and large gatherings.
Should you visit Alitagtag, Batangas?
What made our farm stay in Alitagtag enjoyable? Well, perhaps I’m just easy to please, but what I enjoyed the most about our experience staying in the farm was just that—being there and staying in a farm. Unlike many other destinations in Batangas, there weren’t any big tour groups and it was definitely not a popular tourist destination. But really, that is at the very heart of this place’s charm.
If you want to experience what it’s like to live a quiet rural life in the Philippines, this might be a good start. The slower and simple life away from the bustling city of Manila was a welcome change. We even enjoyed the 1.5 km walk from the farm to the town where we bought way too much food in preparation for the walk back. 🙂
