On a normal day, I was displeased dragging my body out of bed at four in the morning, especially after sleeping soundly in the Manor at Camp John Hay. Not that particular morning, though. The reason being the destination we were going to would give me an opportunity to literally and figuratively pause and smell the flowers. Being able to travel for the first time since the March 2020 lockdown, the trip to Northern Blossom Farm in Atok, Benguet opened a door to rekindling my love affair with traveling—with precious moments of introspection to boot—in the company of the great outdoors.

Home to a magnificent set of picturesque highland countryside, the region of the Cordillera featured an abundance of wonders. From its cool weather all year long to its majestic set of nature, fascinating culture, and mouth-watering local cuisine, an all too familiar feature of the region was gaining much-needed attention. These were the fruit and vegetable farms of Benguet and Mountain Province.

Fresh from binge-watching “The Haunting of Bly Manor” a week prior, it was understandable why I initially likened the feel of The Manor Hotel to the haunted series’ mansion. Take out the strange ghostly apparitions, and you would see a charming property laden with fancy landscaping and fascinating architectural patterns.

Waking up to a rainy and foggy morning had me entertaining the idea of staying in until lunch, curled up on my bed. Appealing though the thought was, the opportunity to see another UNESCO World Heritage site prevailed, proving to be motivation enough to make me stand up, stretch my arms, and face the window to announce to myself, “Good morning, Vietnam!”