The View Deck – Exclusive: An Ideal Escape Where Privacy And Natural Beauty Intertwine

After an exhausting month-end work, my mom requested for another vacay outside the province to alleviate stress. Of course, I always do the searching. As I look for our next destination, I came up with one constraint. Avoid A-frame houses.

I agree that there is something charming about tiny cabins and sloping roofs and I admit that I fancied this kind of vacation rentals before. But not anymore! A-frame houses are now overhyped in the country and they just popped out everywhere looking similarly. Can’t they think of something original?

I’m glad I found The View Deck – Exclusive, a fresh take on today’s image of vacation rentals. When I saw it on Facebook, I immediately felt a connection because of the Bali vibes the casita gives. Just a side note, Balinese architecture has a special place in my heart. I noticed its similarities to the villa we stayed in Ubud. Even the small hut beside the pool has resemblance to the bamboo houses in Bali.

The main attraction of the lodging is this bamboo hut with an extended balcony that hangs over a small cliff. It serves as a view deck overlooking the river and foliage nearby, hence, it was named The View Deck – Exclusive. I love that they retained the natural atmosphere of the hut from its materials up to the ornaments. With a peak of vibrant greenery at the back, it was just so refreshing to look at. It was definitely our favorite part in the vicinity.

And this is what you’ll see from the view deck. This is an untouched portion of Balintawak River, which starts from Lipa City and stretches up to San Juan, Batangas. Lovely and relaxing, right? The host is lucky to have this treasure in her villa. Plus, we don’t have to turn on our speakers because the place produces good music already. The sound of flowing water from the stream and chirping birds was peaceful.

Understanding both the facade and interior, I observed that the villa also has an allure on its own. From inside, it has sliding doors facing the pool and, on the other side, it has glass doors with the scenery of the creek. Imagine waking up in the morning with a view like this. However, while the beddings were comfy, I felt some grains of dirt as I slept. There’s an A/C unit but there’s no television and WiFi connection to encourage guests to fully bask in nature.

The comfort room is equally beautiful. With white walls and wood embellishments, it is simple yet chic. Basic essentials such as toothbrush, body wash, shampoo and conditioner are provided. The shower area has this plastic surface though that gets slippery when filled with soap. It doesn’t end here because there’s also an outdoor bath in a form of bath tub. I appreciate the creativity.

We just had a quick dip in the ledge pool because the water was extremely cold during our stay, may it be day or night. But the short swim was totally worth it because of the serene surrounding. I even shared the pool with some chicken having a drink and doves flying above. And since we’re one with the fauna here, the presence of insects are inevitable. But the host is kind enough to supply OFF lotion, citronella oil spray and mosquito coils.

My heart leaped when I saw the kitchen equipped with basic appliances. There’s a mini fridge, a sink, an induction cooker, a microwave, a set of cookware and a set of dinnerware, which is enough to store and cook our prepared meals. The dining area screams sophistication. I see that they chose to position the kitchen outdoors, which is a good idea in this kind of setup.

Complementary breakfast aren’t usually included for non-hotel rentals. But to reward visitors a complete holistay experience, we were given a simple yet remarkable one. Instead of the common plated silog meals or American breakfast, we were served with homegrown rice cakes, mangoes and coffee. I love that it complemented the theme of the place and, at the same time, promoted local delicacies of Batangas.

When there’s a fire pit, there’s a bonfire that guests can avail. While the campfire appears aesthetic and fun to do in photos, it is honestly not advisable if you simply want to chill because it isn’t even cold here in Padre Garcia. Perhaps, it would be different during wet season. But since we were after the experience, we still lit it up and toasted some marshmallows. It was one of our tiis-ganda moments.

A large portion of the property is garden lawn. It looked like a typical backyard in province with trees, birds and chicken so it felt like home. There are lounge areas and picnic table to cater bigger groups. I love that they retained the dry leaves to give it a fall vibe. If they prefer to give this part a touch of Bali, too, they can take this opportunity to put Bali swings and bird’s nest as photo spots.

I could definitely say that staying at The View Deck – Exclusive is one of my recommended ways to spend your weekend or your sweet escape. It isn’t just a lodging. It’s a sanctuary with well-thought concept that stimulated all five senses. However, the casita may be exclusive to one group of guests but it isn’t entirely private. The rental is just a few steps behind the host’s house. We could see some of their helpers passing by since there’s no concrete divider between them. But that was just my only concern. After all, they were accommodating and they happily complied to our requests.