The heavy rains may have quieted your urge to get away from the city, but it will not disappear. It’s time to look around—on the internet, perhaps—for the next place where you can slow down.

The Great Outdoors continues to be the place to go when things get rough in the city. Nature in its many forms—the rustling of leaves, the sound of trees bending in the wind—quiets the mind and prepares it for sleep.

There are dozens of places outside Metro Manila offering nature as their main attraction, and I could go on with a list of innovative ways an outdoor experience is presented to attract the tired soul.

Sometimes, you get lucky and walk into an extraordinary weekend. At other times, it can be a big disappointment to find yourself in surroundings much like those you left at home—a comfortable bed, a cool room, a clean bathroom, and even a kitchen equipped like yours. The forest is part of the landscape on the horizon, available only for viewing.

I found a place where time slows down. Even the drive from the metro, over scenic, twisting mountain roads, begins to strip away the urban lifestyle.

The name may already be familiar—Balai Tanay. It has become popular through word of mouth and social media posts by those who have spent a day or two there. It is often fully booked for the same reasons I liked the place: its comfort, convenience, and cleanliness.

Mike Go, the owner, is an interior designer by profession, with the heart and lungs of a mountain-bike enthusiast. At Balai Tanay, he has woven the extraordinary into the outdoors. The rooms evoke the spirit of mobility—of friends and families driving off together on holiday.

There is a jeepney, a bus, and, more recently, a coaster, all outfitted not merely as sleeping quarters but as bedrooms that guests might have left behind in the metro.

The Toyota Coaster has an unbelievable amount of space for two beds—a king-size bed and a double—to accommodate at least four people. There is still room for an extra guest who would not mind sleeping on a floor mattress or in a sleeping bag. There is little chance it will become warm inside the coaster, even if the whole family comes along. The 2.5-horsepower split-type air-conditioning unit has more than enough power to change the mood of a hot day.

Balai Tanay’s most popular accommodation is the Re-Bus, an old school bus given a new purpose with eight single beds that can accommodate friends out for another taste of youthful fun. The layout brings back the feeling of sharing a ride to school—except that every passenger now has a bed. Naturally, the air-conditioning unit has enough horsepower to cool the entire space.

The jeepney, the Philippines’ iconic King of the Road, has a special place at Balai Tanay. It has been designed to accommodate four people—two in the passenger area, where there is also a small refrigerator, and two more on an upper deck created by a raised roof that makes room for a loft. Everything is accessible through the jeepney’s rear entrance.

Another extraordinary feature of Mike’s out-of-town retreat for friends and strangers is the layout of each accommodation.

Each unit is designed like a hotel suite, with all the facilities of a complete living space. At Balai Tanay, however, that hotel-suite concept has been translated into a country house—without walls!

A fully equipped kitchen—with an induction stove, microwave oven, electric kettle, dinnerware, and cookware—stands apart from the living and dining areas. The bathroom, also separate, carries subtle elements of sophistication. Having each part of the house stand on its own creates the outdoor experience that becomes yours for a few days.

The grand amenity of the River Coaster and Bahay Kubo accommodations is the river running along the property’s perimeter. Where else can you enjoy a view like that while sipping coffee in the living area or preparing breakfast in the kitchen?

The Bahay Kubo is another design innovation that transforms this iconic Filipino structure into a three-story house. The kitchen occupies the ground floor, while a long dining table stands beneath an awning extending from the kitchen window. At the back is a bathroom with the same refined elements of style and function.

A steep flight of steps, in traditional bahay kubo style, leads to the second and third floors, where mattresses are laid on the floor to preserve the character of the simple farmer’s home.

Two structures on the property were designed for larger groups and company team-building activities: the Alitaptap Cottage, which accommodates 12 people, and the Main House, which can accommodate 20. Both are fully furnished and equipped with kitchen facilities.

A swimming pool with a jacuzzi lies somewhere between the Alitaptap Cottage and the Re-Bus—where guests discover that there are other people in the vicinity, too.

The bonfire areas built near the clusters of accommodations offer a taste of camping. Ask the staff; they can provide the firewood. But you must bring the hotdogs, marshmallows, and barbecue sticks.

Bring whatever you want to cook, drink, and listen to. This is the time to slow down. Listen. Talk. Cook. Eat.

If you have a 4x4 vehicle and want some driving fun, the Daraitan River is about a 30-minute drive away. Bring a floater and your barbecue grill. Sometimes, an island forms in the middle of the river—a good place for hotdogs and beer.

Balai Tanay is about 50 kilometers from Quezon City and about 20 kilometers from the Quezon Province border. A well-paved, twisting road winds through the Sierra Madre mountains to take you there.

Use Waze or watch for the signs along the road. Find its exact location and photographs through an online search—or ask your AI. (Photos by Pinky Concha Colmenares)