Taking a break has a different meaning for each person. Some would be content with stopping their routine, while others would like to discover something new. A few would prefer going into the mountains for a breather while others would like a different scenery that’s far from what they’re used to. Those who prefer a visual escape often opt to leave the country – a different view can trigger new inspiration or completely make you forget of the stress in your usual environment.Taking a break has a different meaning for each person. Some would be content with stopping their routine, while others would like to discover something new. A few would prefer going into the mountains for a breather while others would like a different scenery that’s far from what they’re used to. Those who prefer a visual escape often opt to leave the country – a different view can trigger new inspiration or completely make you forget of the stress in your usual environment.
My girlfriend and I were starting to have more work outdoors and oftentimes, even our weekends are fully booked. This is why we decided to have a break and Cintai Corito was the perfect place to forget the hustle and bustle of the city. My car for this day trip was the Ford Territory Titanium. It’s a segment breaker in the crossover category simply because it’s too big for its price range. In fact, it’s 100mm wider than the Ford Everest. No wonder it felt very spacious inside even for a wide man like me.
The Ford Territory proved to be a great companion in this day trip. Aside from space, it has all the amenities needed to make long drives easy. This Titanium variant has adaptive cruise control which makes highway driving a breeze, blind spot monitoring, and the very useful auto-brake hold which is my best friend during traffic in the city. These are complemented by the 10-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, the cold aircon, and very good riding comfort.
We were pleasantly surprised once we arrived in Cintai Corito’s Garden. It’s like a portal to traditional Indonesia, only this one is 4km away from a STAR tollway exit. Get past the guard house, the short winding road, and you won’t see a touch of Filipino aesthetic again. Everything is Bali-inspired from the design of the open cottages, the walls, and flooring. Trees are also abundant in every corner that you really won’t hear any road noise once you’re inside this sanctuary.
Everything about the place is relaxing. The pool is surrounded by trees, some pathways are covered by leaves, and the open cabins are very cozy. Cool wind is so prominent in the garden that the massage cabins don’t have air conditioning. And speaking of massage, they offer full body massages which are very soothing thanks to good therapists. They even know of cupping therapy which I availed of.
If you have an IG-hungry partner like I do, there will be a lot of work here in Cintai Corito. Not that it’s a bad thing, it’s just that my girl asked for a lot of pictures taken. Photography isn’t hard though because even the simplest spots are picturesque so we maximized her tripod and our phones. The Ford Territory even had a few snaps because the design of the area is very unique and made the crossover stand out more.
What I like best about the place is the food served. Being unaware of the food customs in Indonesia, I find it great that they serve Filipino-fusion food. Our morning snacks consisted of coffee with suman and cacao tablea dip. Lunch had pork sinigang soup with tofu bits while the main consisted of roast chicken, pork, veggies and a slice of watermelon. Afternoon snacks were more modern in the guise of a ham and cheese sandwich with kropek.
Next time we’ll probably go for an overnight trip to try out the Bali-inspired villas. For now, the day trip was enough to freshen us up both in body and mind. I hope there are more places like this where you can really be at peace that’s also very accessible from major expressways since not everyone would like to drive too far. Lucky for me I had the Ford Territory that made sure my well rested body won’t be stressed on my way back to Manila.