Spending our 10 at the Green Canyon Resort

2003 was the year we met.

We were both medical technologist interns back then at St. Luke’s Hospital in QC, and honestly, nothing romantic was expected to bloom between us at the time. Just two lost souls enjoying each other’s company. We’d go out with our co-interns and hospital staff after night duty, and that was it.

Then it just happened.

Cupid decided to shoot his arrows straight into our hearts at the same time, and all hell broke loose… NOT!

Can you imagine us being together for almost 12 years? For me, that’s practically half our lives. Crazy, I know!

(Look how bored he is after spending 12 glorious years with me, lol!)

I could write a thousand stories about our rollercoaster married life, but for now, I’d really love to share how we spent our 10th year at Green Canyon Resort.

Last year, we had prearranged to celebrate at another resort, without the kids. But later on, we decided to bring them along because life just isn’t as fun without them… really. Kids make our lives both miserable and exciting at the same time. Agree?

Anyway, I can say that getting there is a breeze. From NLEX, just drive straight north toward Mabalacat, Pampanga, then take the ramp to the SCTEX exit. After the tollgate, continue along the ramp and turn right to merge onto SCTEX. From there, take the DMIA/Clark exit and pass the Clark North Interchange.

Drive straight and turn right onto Sacobia River Bridge. Take a left, then continue driving straight toward San Vicente Road.

Go straight ahead and you’ll first see Zoocobia Fun Zoo on the left side before reaching Green Canyon Resort.

The happiness I felt was beyond overwhelming, made even better by the lovely October weather—thank God!

As you can see, the management is quite strict when it comes to guest policies, which is actually a good thing. You really need to call and plan your reservations ahead of time; otherwise, there’s no Green Canyon experience for you and your family.

The main entrance is a 24-hour manned gate that welcomes you into the enchanted world of Green Canyon.

Bringing outside food and beverages is prohibited in order to preserve the cleanliness of the place, or so they say, but we didn’t know that at the time. Still, we ended up bringing snacks and water with us.

If you need a breather from work and the hustle and bustle of the big city, or you’re looking for vast terrains of lush greenery or simply seeking peace and quiet, then Green Canyon is the perfect place for you.

You will be greeted by courteous staff upon entering. They strongly believe in providing excellent customer service for every guest.

Yep, we are a family of yawners, lol!

Here, you can witness the beauty of nature and appreciate the elegance of art. True enough, you feel right at home in this tranquil sanctuary where nature and art come together.

Wood accents, furniture, and portraits made by the talented Niccolo José can be seen throughout the lobby, and they are truly delightful to the eyes. I really love everything made of wood.

I’d love to recreate something like this in our home next year :)

By a wall stands a super giant chair, can you believe it’s made from 5,000 tiny pieces of recycled wood?

Pretty impressive, right?

More wood furniture can be found throughout the area, adding warmth and a natural, rustic charm to the space.

They said you can take home a 100% recycled, handcrafted, travel-size BERD, but we didn’t get one. Sad

Each corner features a Niccolo José piece. He truly knows how to keep people’s eyes engaged and wandering.

The star of the lobby is this large chandelier made entirely of recycled green bottles. Awesome, right?

The receptionist led us to a standard room, which was not the one we had requested, by the way. There was a misunderstanding at first.

But I still had the chance to take photos of this marvelous room, which I can share here with you.

As a family of five, we were certain that we needed two large beds to accommodate us comfortably.

Everything was brand spanking new, spotless, and clean and we even had the whole resort to ourselves. I was in love :)

In my previous hotel posts, my main focus has always been that the lodging should be family- and children-friendly, with squeaky-clean facilities.

I’m rather particular when it comes to the cleanliness of the room and bathroom. Forgive me, but I have a recurring OCD side that only got stronger when I became a mom.

Oh, and this was the view from our room.

See? We were completely alone, it felt as if there had been a zombie apocalypse… like a scene straight out of The Walking Dead!

Our room at last, the deluxe, I think, which was originally priced at ₱6,000, went down to ₱5,000 because a kind soul sent us a discount card as an anniversary gift :) Thank you! You know who you are!

The room was fully equipped with a cable television, a mini fridge, and an air-conditioner (it was October, so we hardly used it), along with a desk and lamp, two large beds, and a private toilet and bath.

The only downside? Slow internet connection and zero mobile signal.

I think they may have intentionally limited access to the outside world to let guests fully enjoy the serenity of the place, a kind of detox from the fast-paced modern world, I guess.

Just what everybody needs.

Ah! Say hello to the Guardians of the Green Canyon!

The front lobby entrance exuded a “welcome to paradise” vibe, truly high-class.

This is the main parking area for the guests. Large enough to accommodate everyone.

They highly recommend enjoying fresh, healthy beverages straight from their organic farm as you take in the panoramic views of the resort from their large, luxuriously designed plunge pool.

I needed to take the selfie but obviously it was #epicfail

Yet another one while trekking the steps towards another world of Green Canyon.

Ah, the wave pool!

The giant ball in the middle of the pool creates those supersized waves.

This suspension bridge leads you directly to the wave pool. It can be quite scary for first-timers, especially for kids, and taking photos can be tricky because of the bouncing but you’ll get the hang of it eventually.

So patience is not a virtue for my water babies and they were too excited to try out all the pools at the resort especially this wave pool and the sprinklers!

We are definitely not star-crossed lovers.
We are destined to be together for all eternity.

I'm the queen of the wooorld.. or the Green Canyon for that matter. Lol!

Enjoying the sunset while basking in gentle waves and the cool clear water with my lovies.

We were planning to have dinner at the Palette Restaurant, but unfortunate things happen sometimes. Suddenly, a crack of lightning flashed, and the downpour began.

But of course, I planned ahead. I turned the night into fun, games, and adventure instead.

We played spelling with a twist.

It was sort of a kiddie charade, but instead of acting out the word, they had to spell it using their tushies.

Silly me, but believe me, it was a lot of fun!

I brought UNO STACKo and a DIY twist board for some added games.
And voila! Dinner was served :)

Next time you’re traveling with children, you can use these ideas or simply make use of items you’ll find readily available in your hotel room, little tricks that can save everyone from a full-on meltdown.

The next morning, we went out early to get breakfast and our daily dose of vitamin D.

We love Mr. Sun and baring our skin to sunlight, minus the pollution.

Green Canyon can also prepare a special picnic breakfast, lunch, or dinner for guests after trekking through its scenic landscape with a local tour guide.

They offer guided tours daily, one in the morning to start your day and another in the early evening so you can witness the sunset.

They also offer body and massage treatments conducted in open-air areas of the resort, allowing you to pamper yourself under the sun while listening to the soothing flow of the Sacobia River, the chirping of birds, and your own relaxed breathing.

They also offer weekend buffets priced at ₱650.

“Decisions, decisions…”

This is a supersized “Sungka,” also made by Niccolo José.

Sungka (pronounced SOONG-kah) is a traditional game played on a solid wooden board with two rows of seven circular holes and two larger holes at both ends called the “heads.”

The servers at Palette attended to us and took care of our needs above and beyond expectations.

The food was great, and as I mentioned, the staff were very much in tune with our needs.

Experience locally-sourced ingredient come to life through their carefully-prepared Asian-fusion dishes.
After all the experience and recreational activities in the resort, reward yourself with their delicious take on slow-cook dishes, which you can enjoy while dining next to our beautiful canyon view.

This was their peanut butter masterpiece.

A lot more selfies from us.

While enjoying a walk through their organic farm, you can learn more about sustainable agriculture.

A qualified resort guide will explain points of interest along the way and offer recommendations on how to use the organic plants and fruits you encounter for healthy meals and a balanced diet.

You can bring a trolley or rent a bike here, to take from your room to the pool complex or anywhere else around the resort.
As for me, they let me borrow the bike for free.