If we were impressed with lunch, dinner was doubly impressive. We had mushroom soup — not the commercial kind — topped with croutons (I asked for seconds), fresh garden salad, Chinese style fried rice, tender and super moist baby back ribs, the most tender steak I have ever eaten, cabbage omelet and a stir-fried shrimp dish.
We played scrabble after dinner. At 9 p.m., the girls didn’t object to settling in for the night. In a place where there are no TVs or the Internet, early bedtime did sound logical. But owl that I am, I went down again–and outdoors–to take more photos.
We had breakfast at around 7:15 the following morning. By 7:45, we were out in the gardens again.
There is no concierge or reception desk at Balay Indang. Our bill was handed to us when we had our morning snack. PhP 1850.00 per head for an overnight stay might not sound inexpensive. In fact, my husband was not too keen on going to Balay Indang when I told him the rates a week earlier. But after experiencing what Balay Indang had to offer, even he had to concede that it was worth every centavo. The ambience, the cleanliness not just of the bedrooms but of the entire place, the friendly and very efficient staff, the food (effectively eat all you can)…
Balay Indang prefers that its guests make prior reservations. Day trips may also be arranged. You may reach them at 09178374261.
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rolly 05.17.07 at 2:39 pm
Now I can breathe a sigh of relief. After I have recommmended to you the place, I was thinking “what if they didn’t like it?” I believe it was one of your posts complaining about the heat that you were planning to go to Baguio when I mentioned that the it was cool in Balay! E kung biglang uminit nung pumunta kayo, e di minura mo ko. hahaha. O kaya maraming tao! Baka hindi kayo mag-enjoy although the place can accomodate many guests naman.
I was sure about the food, though. Masarap sila talagang magluto at bastante.
Connie 05.17.07 at 2:53 pm
Tito Rolly, babalik pa nga kami eh.
Super enjoy talaga dun. After paying the bill, I asked permission to publish an article in the newspaper because I felt that the world should know about Balay Indang.
julie 05.17.07 at 6:22 pm
Ang ganda nga dun, Connie. I just hope we would be able to go there before school starts, kahit day trip lang. Thanks for sharing.
Connie 05.17.07 at 6:51 pm
hay super ganda, julie. super!!! and the food… oh, the food deserves 12 exclamation points.
auee 05.17.07 at 8:54 pm
Ha finally the blow-by-blow account with pictures! I’ve been regularly checking your photography site hoping for glimpses of the place hehehe
It looks really superb & it’s pretty good timing the place is not crowded. Okay so I have another place I can put on my wish list of “to visit” & to be honest almost 80% of that list came from you! Restaurants, zoo, hols.
Connie 05.17.07 at 9:56 pm
haaaayyy, auee, “paradise” is a term i usually reserve for beautiful beaches but in the case of Balay Indang, I draw an exception.
Toni 05.18.07 at 8:52 am
Wow that is an excellent recommendation. I fell in love with the place as you described it in more and more detail. It seems like a great escape for family outings. Do you think it’s sulit for a couple lang? Was thinking of me and my husband!
KK 05.18.07 at 9:52 am
How come I have not heard of this beautiful place when I was living 20 minutes from it for 3 years???!!!
Connie 05.18.07 at 11:29 am
Toni, yes, perfect for a honeymoon.
You can get a massage together and just relax.
KK, I think the place has been operating for a couple of years only…
franco 05.18.07 at 7:15 pm
I am bringing my wife with me to the Philippines for her first visit on Feb 2008. You just convinced me to include Balay Indang in our itinerary of places to visit. Was the PhP 1850.00 you paid /head include the meals? My wife is american and will eat most filipino food - would you have any suggestions where I could take her for some good supping? I remember you write about Pallili Bulawan and I am considering the place as well as Villa Escudero. Any recommendations? Thanks.
jop 05.19.07 at 7:55 am
wow! parang nagbakasyon din ako doon! i’ll definitely keep this place in mind for a weekend getaway for my mom and brother. ang gaganda ng pictures!
Connie 05.19.07 at 2:41 pm
franco, check out Pinoy Food Talk.
Jop, and it’s not that far from Laguna ha.
Mila 05.21.07 at 12:52 pm
Oh no Connie! Let’s keep Balay Indang (also known as Red Ginger Farm) a secret a while longer. I went there 3 years ago right before it opened and stayed again with friends around November of 2005. I enjoyed the fact that it was quiet, didn’t have a lot of kids running amok, and that the food was simple and serviceable. Was there on the saturday before elections for lunch.
Connie 05.21.07 at 3:41 pm
LOL Mila. Don’t wanna share? hehehehe
ynatots 05.25.07 at 10:14 pm
i’m thinking of bringing my hubby here for his bday. he’s having his vacation here this june. is this near tagaytay city? near the commercial area where starbucks is? are the meals included in the PhP1850? do they accept credit card? thanks!
Connie 05.25.07 at 10:16 pm
ynatots, the exact location is detailed in the second paragraph of the article. PhP1850 includes all the food. You will have to ask them about credit cards.
ynatots 05.25.07 at 10:31 pm
ooppss…sorry i thought there’s more to the location. i just read from another blod that this is really secluded and there are no signs or anything that will lead to this place. i’m scared to get lost, my hubby and i might end up fighting if we couldn’t find the place. but thanks anyway. i already texted them and hope they will reply.
Connie 05.26.07 at 1:02 am
No, it’s not secluded LOL. It’s right on the main road.
cel 05.26.07 at 3:26 pm
hi connie,
ang ganda naman nito. i love the pictures. i just showed this to hubby and he’s quite impressed as well. the price seems to be very reasonable, too. sabi nya we should keep track of this place para daw puntahan namin pag nagbakasyon kami… kung kelan man yun. haaay. we’re hoping to visit next year, in time for the up centennial. but that could still change. for the meantime, we’ll just have to drool over the pictures. hahaha! cheers!
pete 05.26.07 at 9:00 pm
hi ma’am!i’ve never seen such a place so nice even just on pictures!the pictures speaks well of the place much more with how you really described everything.naaatat na tuloy ako umuwi at gusto ko na hilahin ang araw!thanks for sharing to your patrons such wonderful places.eye opener kumbaga.instead of going out Luzon,meron pala panalong lugar around the corner.
Connie 05.26.07 at 9:42 pm
cel, am sure Balay Indang will still be there when you come home for a vacation.
pete, nag-enjoy talaga kami dun nang sobra hehehe gusto nga bumalik soon ng mga anak ko. we’re trying to find a good weekend. at ang masaya nga eh malapit lang naman sya.
jhay 05.27.07 at 1:39 pm
ms. connie, i am from cavite also, but far from indang (like an hour drive from my place). there really are nice places in cavite(some still not developed well). been living in cavite all my life but never been to Balay Indang….yet.
i am now living (& working:
jhay 05.27.07 at 1:43 pm
i am now living(&working:
ynatots 05.28.07 at 9:25 am
hi connie!
i just want to confirm if they really ask for a downpayment for us to make reservations because in all of the blogs that i have read, no one wrote about paying DP first through allied bank before they can reserve. anyway, i just want to confirm this because i don’t want to be depositing in a hoax bank account–i’m kinda paranoid you know. So when i called up the cellphone number and asked for reservations, they told me to pay at Allied Bank with account number 0081026936 under the Red Ginger Farm and Garden name. So did you do the same for reservations? thanks!
Verna 10.22.07 at 4:56 pm
I was born and raised in Indang, but pardon me… I cannot really locate the Balay Indang. You said from Mendez straight ahead until you reach the end of the road. Is this end of the road the Church of Indang? Iif i turn right that will be towards CSU and Brgy. Kaytapos… Is Balay Indang in Brgy. Kaytapos or Brgy. ALulod?
Thanks for the reply. Though i’m from Indang I also want to bring my family there.
Connie Veneracion 10.22.07 at 7:12 pm
ynatots, I wasn’t asked for a deposit and it was our first time there.
Verna, am not familiar with the names of the barangays but you can text them (cell phone number is at the end of the article, page 5) for more specific directions.
Verna 10.23.07 at 2:16 pm
thanks
Verna 10.23.07 at 2:27 pm
hi connie,
I just got a reply. Their exact location is San Juan St., Bo. Mahabang Kahoy Cerca, Indang, Cavite….. Please share this to those others who cannot find it…
Thanks
norma lao 11.20.07 at 7:22 pm
good day,
please send me your contact number, if you have manila or cavite number?
thank you,
norma
AMY TUMALIUAN 11.22.07 at 10:59 am
Hi, having heard great reviews about Balay-Indang I sure want to bring our group for our annual outing. May I know your contact number so we could do the inquiry?
Thanks. My tel numbers are 893-1597. 8931594.
Connie Veneracion 11.22.07 at 2:01 pm
norma and amy, balay indang’s contact number is right there at the end of the entry. why do you have to ask?
Ka Enchong 11.22.07 at 7:48 pm
Just like Verna, I’m from Indang myself, though, I get to visit Indang only once a year (I’m working in Kuwait). It’s wonderful to know, there’s such a place like this in my hometown, and a mere 5minute drive from my Tatay’s home. Next time I go home (probably in August 2008), I’ll take the entire family to Balay Indang. Sa Mahabang Kahoy lang pala may paraiso na. Who would need to go all the way to Tagaytay…
Thanks for the article, Connie.
Connie Veneracion 11.24.07 at 12:28 am
Hi Ka Enchong, naku, you will love it there… the atmosphere, the food, everything!!
MARCELLE 11.24.07 at 6:23 pm
RED GINGER FARM is a nice place, ts so peaceful and so homy.. I made an ocular inspection just last friday for our annual sales conference… Guess what Ms. Marge TAN prepared a food for me… sobrang sarap and its libre!!!… all the rooms are so unique .. Thats why I decided that we will have our company’s annual sales conference.. its a perfect place for our planning session
and im sure all of us will enjoy the food that MS. MARGE TAN will prepare for us.. Their live in package is sooooo affordable.
Ding 12.04.07 at 9:37 pm
Hi Ms. Connie
I live nearby (about 2 minutes away!) and I didnot know that beyond that simple concrete fence is a paradise. Only that number 88 near the wooden gate and the yellow bell vine would catch your attention when you pass by…nothing more. Thanks for the informative write up, I could not wait to be there and enjoy the ambiance and the food as you have described them.
Ding Guevarra 12.04.07 at 9:43 pm
Hi Ms. Connie
I live in the next Barangay about 2 minutes away (Mahabang Kahoy Lejos) and I didnot know that beyond that simple concrete fence is a paradise. Only that number 88 near the wooden gate and the yellow bell vine would catch your attention when you pass by…nothing more. Thanks for the informative write up, I could not wait to be there and enjoy the ambiance and the food as you have described them.
Ka Enchong 12.16.07 at 9:41 pm
Nagsusulputan ang mga taga Indang…
Marami kaming kamag-anak diyan sa Balagbag, Ding! Sa kapihan ako natutong magyosi. It was also there where I learned downing bottles of beer (with either nangka straight from the tree or priter as pulutan) while waiting for the sun to set.
Familiar territory. I even think I personally know Ms Marge Tan.
Connie Veneracion 12.16.07 at 10:16 pm
We’re hoping we’ll have time to go back between Christmas and New Year.
allin 01.22.08 at 9:31 pm
hi connie! i enjoyed reading your story about balay indang. my family plans to have a weekend overnight in tagaytay, malayo ba itong balay indang sa tagaytay… ?
Connie Veneracion 01.22.08 at 10:55 pm
Less than 30 minutes by car.
clarisse 06.16.08 at 10:39 am
Please let me know the website of balai indang and the map.thanks
Imelda 11.16.08 at 7:06 am
Hi Ms. Connie,
I have been reading your blog off and on for several years now. Search for Filipino recipes first brought me to your site when you were still in Houseonahill. Your blog reminds me a lot of home. I am now in the US and has not seen home nor tasted “genuine” Filipino food for five years now.
Anyway, I was enjoying this blog about Balay Inday. I followed your link to Pinoy Food Talk, hoping to find more entries on home foods and places. But to my utter disappointment and constertation, the site is now a pornographic site. I suppose, things have changed since the link was first posted. My husband guesses that the original owners of the site may have let their license lapse and it was hijacked by some other group.
I do not know if I am being helpful telling you about this or not. I am sorry if I am causing you any inconvenience.
But thank you for keeping people like me informed about our country.
Best regards,
Imelda
Connie Veneracion 11.16.08 at 9:24 am
Imelda, I know about the porn site. I let the domain registration expire, and since the domain had a PR6, I guess people scrambled to get it.
Thing is, I have gone over each and every one of my blog entries to make sure that all thinks to that domain were updated. So, where exactly did you find that link? But, at any rate, I did a search-and-replace again so I hope it’s all fixed now, including what I may have missed in the past. Thanks for the alert.
Imelda 11.16.08 at 1:51 pm
hi Ms. Connie,
Well, I found the link in your response to Franco, post #10. You gave the link in post #12. Well, after I saw the link the first time, I decided to do a google search and I saw the correct page. I guess I will be visiting that a lot too.
Thanks.
Thanks for a great blog.