to be superseded by the slightly more
audible purring power of the 2.5-liter
petrol engine once the speedo clocks 20.
Silent power returns when I stop the car
for red lights, and I quickly get used to
the absence of audible and tactile engine
vibrations normally experienced in all-
petrol autos (so old-fashioned, they are!).
I feel good about reducing my carbon
footprint, while at the same time driving in
such great style.
Our first stop on the journey, The Farm
at San Benito, is an eco-friendly, luxury
holistic health resort lovingly built into 48
hectares of lush forest, tranquil ponds,
swaying coco palms, and meandering
stone paths at the foot of Mount Malarayat.
Dining pavilions, meditation gardens,
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and guest villas make abundant use of
traditional Filipino architectural elements,
including leaf-thatch roofs and wood-
beam ceilings. Colorful peacocks roam the
grounds, including a rare white albino bird
called Nirvana. Fairy tale–like, yes.
On the other hand, getting here by
road was no fairy tale, involving an intense
negotiation of narrow, winding roads
through a maze of villages, farms and
forests. The NX300h performs beautifully,
especially after I flick the drive mode from
Normal to Sport, which adds punch from
the inline four-cylinder engine and brings
tighter response from the suspension.
Filipino celebrities like Iza Calzado and
Kathyrn Bernardo hole up in The Farm’s
plush tranquility for mind-body reboots,aided by a variety of detox programs
as well as free yoga, meditation, and
movement classes. Or maybe, like us, just
to escape Manila madness.
After leaving the car with a valet, I
deposit my luggage in one of the Palmera
Suites, nicely designed in modern tropical
style with an open-air shower, three-
meter ceiling, and semi-private garden.
Following a light lunch at the resort’s all-
vegan Alive! Restaurant, I retire to one of
The Farm’s three spas for hilot, an ancient
Filipino healing therapy that combines
soothing massage with cranial-skeletal
manipulation. It’s the perfect antidote to
Manila traffic stress. That evening my
traveling companion and I share a bottle
of wine and a fresh seafood dinner at
Pesce, an al-fresco, dinner-only poolside
restaurant and bar that The Farm had
opened less than two weeks earlier.
In the morning, we’re on the road again,
slinging the car through rural curves,
mango orchards, and meadows dotted
with white cows. Today’s drive becomes
even more challenging as we close in on
the Seven Lakes, but the Lexus makes
me proud. In some cases, the roads are
so narrow that moving forward requires
lots of re-maneuvering and backing up,
usually with the volunteered help of local
pedestrians. Filipinos are masters at this,
jumping out of the woodwork to help each
other manage the tight passages with
seasoned hand gestures and shouts of
encouragement.
In this part of Laguna Province,
jeepneys, the colorful road-hogging
jeep-trucks that provide most public