Down on The Farm

By Scott & Therese Garceau Updated July 05, 2009 12:00 AM

 

 

 

MANILA, Philippines – Forget any preconceptions you might have about The Farm, the health resort set amid San Benito’s lush forests in Batangas. It’s not what you think.

 

“We’ve heard it all,” says Mary-Anne Elgar, The Farm’s general manager for operations, shaking her head. “That it’s The Fat Farm, or The Veggie Farm, or The Enema Farm, or even The Expensive Farm.” For the record: “It’s a health farm.”

 

“We want to break down the perception that it’s fanatical or extremist,” adds her husband, The Farm’s general manager David Elgar. “We’re not. We’re just presenting life in a different way.”

 

For years, clients from the upper brackets have taken the 80-kilometer drive from Manila to this lush getaway. They’ve come here to cleanse themselves, to seek medical guidance on a variety of conditions — from obesity and stress to serious addictions.

 

But now that’s about to change — or the “upper brackets” part is, anyway. “We want to recreate The Farm as a health resort destination, a getaway place near the city for rest and relaxation,” explains David. “It’s not limited to a detox place, it’s not expensive or elitist.”

 

Toward that end, The Farm is doing something completely different: it’s promoting short-term getaway packages aimed at couples, corporate groups and day visitors; and it’s reaching out to the local market — which has long perceived The Farm to be staffed by white-robed gurus promoting rigid treatments — with a price structure favorable to Filipinos. Foreigners will still pay the regular rates, something they can well afford to do. “It’s really a spa paradise,” David notes. “In the entire world, The Farm is one of only a handful of resorts like this.”

 

It’s the kind of place rock stars might come to chill — or dry — out. In fact, we are told that Guy Berryman, bass player from Coldplay, was a weeklong visitor last year. He had read about The Farm while leafing through a magazine in Sydney; he apparently told his family and mates, “You can stay and keep partying; I’m going to The Farm to detox.”

 

“He came here for a week, slept most of the time,” according to David. “Said it changed his life. He was so stressed and exhausted from touring and the rock-star lifestyle. Now he says, ‘I know when to stop.’”

 

Of course, plenty of celebrities pop in to The Farm; understandably, for the most part, the Elgars keep mum about their identities.

 

 

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=483710&publicationSubCategoryId=87

Who wouldnt be detoxed in a place like this??? :D

Wow, Coldplaying works fast - this has already been tweeted!

 

Nice find, Pris... conjured up lots of lovely images in my head :wink3:

:laugh3:

 

"you can stay and keep partying" :dance: *imagines Guy at a rave party and then suddenly passed out on a couch for the rest of the week*

thanks for posting this, Pris!

 

he goes to the Philippines :dance: my family's from there lol well it's nice and comforting to know that he can find solace and relax when needed :nice:

didnt someone find this same thing in the Guy thread last week? :thinking:

 

but that place looks awesome, Guy tries to be healthier now a days :rolleyes:

"You can stay and keep partying; I’m going to The Farm to detox."

 

If Guy actually said this, may I be hit by a flying ice cream truck.

That does not sound like something he would say. :laugh3:

 

Now I'm not saying that he didn't go or anything, but...that quote seems off.

Wow, Coldplaying works fast - this has already been tweeted!

 

Nice find, Pris... conjured up lots of lovely images in my head :wink3:

 

yes!!:wink3:

its exactly what I had in mind:wink3:

 

 

:lol:

"You can stay and keep partying; I’m going to The Farm to detox."

 

If Guy actually said this, may I be hit by a flying ice cream truck.

That does not sound like something he would say. :laugh3:

 

Now I'm not saying that he didn't go or anything, but...that quote seems off.

 

:thinking:yeah it does sound quite er un Guy-like

ok maybe a little:shrug:

Umm, why do people think it's not a Guy thing to say?

It's not like he said he's gonna go all veggie or something!

Get toxic all year, then detox during that one little week, that's what I call the "Guy philosophy"! :P

:lol:nicely said Ab

Play hard 51 weeks in a year.

 

Detox 1 week :P

:lol:

[:guy:]Play hard 51 weeks in a year.

 

Detox 1 week :P[/:guy:]

:P

Abs in my sig:P

Abs in my sig:P

Crap! :laugh3:

Thanx Amy. :kiss:

:P

:kiss:your welcome:lol:

:P

 

Abby you're so silly and i love you :wacko:

and yah, that sounds right like Guy's state of mind to me :smug:

YEs....he makes wicked Irish Car Bombs throughout the year and gulps his beers and then for that lovely week in the Philippines he does a lil yogini and puts cucumbers over his eyes and gets massages :wink3:

 

(:thinking: wonder if they need anymore massage girls over at that Farm....:sneaky:)

:lol::lol:

if they do im up for flying to the Philippines:sneaky:

It's so easy for me to fly there :lol:

:lol:yeah it is:lol:

ill just say im visiting Min:whistle:

:D

Abby you're so silly and i love you :wacko:

and yah, that sounds right like Guy's state of mind to me :smug:

See next :disappointed: :

YEs....he makes wicked Irish Car Bombs throughout the year and gulps his beers and then for that lovely week in the Philippines he does a lil yogini and puts cucumbers over his eyes and gets massages :wink3:

 

(:thinking: wonder if they need anymore massage girls over at that Farm....:sneaky:)

Yes yes Lizzy, you can go all Sydney Bristow & go to that farm, drug one of the masuesses over there, steal her uniform & then go to Guy & say:

 

"Sir, we have a new treatment, would you like to try it?"

"What kind of treatment?"

"Scrubbing your body with Nutella, it helps you to...detox"

"Oooh, that should be...interesting! *laughs*"

"Indeed! :devilish:"

:stunned:Ab you are a genius:lol:

i love nutella!!!!