Enjoy An Afternoon Of Solitude And Sweets At Bakers Hill

Enjoy An Afternoon Of Solitude And Sweets At Bakers Hill 

The aroma of freshly baked bread and pastries hit my senses immediately as I enter Bakers Hill. Local bread, brownies, sweet sponge cake, hopiang (traditional filipino pastries with fillings), chocolate droplets cost between 14 PHP and 100 PHP ($0.29- $2.08 US). Pastry boxes can be beautifully wrapped for gift purposes as well. A few minutes of picking up bakery goods can easily turn out to be a couple hours of wandering the mini wonderland park that is adjacent to the property free of charge.
The major attraction on sight is the zen garden that exhibit various designs from tropical plants and stone formations. Food vendors and a restaurant called Bakers Kitchen are also on sight for visitors to enjoy. A simple trip to this bakery makes for the perfect outing for families and for local school field trips. In fact, Bakers Hill is part of the Puerto Princesa city tour and is located at Mitra’s Road, Brgy.Sta. Monica.

Past the bakery building towards the garden are statues of disney character cartoons such as Snow White, Bugs Bunny and Donald Duck. These presentations are great for picture taking and are attractive to children. Visitors then walk on stone pathways leading into the Japanese-style garden with carefully designed earth elements displaying circle patterns made of dark grey and white stones. Trimmed exotic plants align walkways, some in the shape of circles, others shaped as a winding, twisted cylinder. Pink, purple and white flowers hang from tree leaves and sprout from plants. Various types of plants sit atop dark brown clay pots, while others are held by rock boulders adding to their zen presentation. In one area of the garden, hand-picked flat rocks in shades of grey compose the ground foundation. Talking blue and yellow parrots perch on their wooden swing in a cage for visitors to view. Black and purple peacocks also strut confidently in their cages.

For entertainment, a cartoon-themed playground is within the park for children to enjoy. There are also wooden tables used for gaming. For those who want to feast on food, tables are also set up in the eating area. Throughout the garden are smooth carved benches, perfect for sitting and enjoying a conversation with someone or just sitting alone in tranquility. Towards the end of the garden is a small man-made pond made of cement with rocks embedded in it. Near the edge sits a golden statue of a Buddha cross legged on a rock with coins at his feet. Throwing coins in this pond is considered lucky.

Not too far from the pond is a bamboo circular walkway winding upwards, a perfect spot to catch a view of the distant landscape and horizon. A wooden bridge composed of small but sturdy intertwining cylinder tree trunks give an authentic feel to the garden. The small dinosaur area boast mini rolling hills completely covered with thick grass. A miniature Tyrannosaurus Rex are amongst the statues. To expand on the garden, landscapers are harvesting the ground to lay more flat stones before adding more animated statues.
Upon entering the grounds or before leaving, the owners house catches the attention of many onlookers. As part of the park’s presentation, the owner sure gives as much attention and maintenance. Four stories tall, the exterior show modern square beige finishings. Brick in light brown line the side of the house with large windows overlooking the entire park. A dark wooden ganaba sit on the front, a much larger double decker gabana in the back as well as another back porch as part of the second level. If that isn't enough of outdoor space, this house also has a rooftop! A visit to Bakers Hill is worth the trip even if its just for the brownies!