Sunday, February 26, 2017

Allied Botanical Corp. Sunflower Maze



We first visited Allied Botanical Corporation in 2010 or 2011. They only had vegetable farm then and I am not sure if the place was really open for the public or they only allowed us to have a tour because one of their staff is a friend of my cousin. When I heard about the Sunflower Farm, I thought they totally transformed it into a flower farm but learned today that it is just an added attraction. It is located in Tayug, Pangasinan. Its registration/entrance fee is PhP100 (PhP80 for persons with disability) and is open from 7:00am to 5:00pm.
The scenery going to Sunflower Farm surely won't bored you.
It was an spontaneous trip the reason why we travelled late. We arrived at 1:30pm. It's freakin' hot and we were greeted by a lot of people. The first thing I did was look for the registration booth. The booth is located inside the Allied's office. It's just across the farm. Once you have the ticket, syempre pwede ka na pumasok. 
You have to get your arm stamped before entering. It's their way of monitoring I think kung sino yung mga registered.
They have a lot of stamp designs :)
What to expect? (1) It is really scorching hot. Given that it's noon time, I still think the heat is insane.  As in masakit sa balat, bes. (2) There were a lot of people since it was already featured in Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho and we've seen a lot of blogs about it in social media. I honestly wish they would consider limiting the "tourists"(per day) because there were over 200 hundred people during our visit and so they could strictly conduct orientation. It's nice to know at least a lil background so that we would be going home with not just pretty photos but with additional knowledge as well. Two factors (1&2) contributed to why I did not enjoy the place that much. (3) But the flowers were really instagram-worthy. It's so hard to have a photo without photobomber though.

Should have taken a photo of the entrance so you'll have an idea of how many people were there.
(4)For the goers who would bring cars, expect a bit of hassle in going in and out of the place also in looking for a parking space. There are locals naman to guide you. (5)My apologies for I have said in my fb and ig post that there's nothing much to see. We didn't attempt to go to the maze because we can't stand the heat plus we have our mom (PWD) and a baby with us and because we've seen the vegetable farm before. (6) There are food stalls available in the place.
My nephew enjoyed playing with Upo







Is it worth it? I would say, sakto lang. Giving it a 3 out of 5. If you're the type who would travel 3hrs and up to visit the place I suggest, wag na, bes. We stayed for 30 mins lang. But if you would really do anything for your ig and the heat never bothered you anyway, go bes. And if you're like us na 1 hr and 30 mins lang ang travel time, pwede. The best time to visit should have been January to mid February I guess para full bloom ang flowers and malamig lamig ang panahon. (Tip for next year. Hehe)



Things you might want to consider:
1. As much as you want to take your babies, relatives with disabilities, elderly and the like with you, you might want to consider the weather and the situation. Kakayanin ba nila?
2. The clothes and make-up you wear. I saw a lot of people in full make-ups and in long sleeves and jackets. Those might add to your discomfort during your tour. Choose  breathable clothes and wear light make-up instead. You can still be trendy with those. 
3. You might want to apply sunscreen/sunblock :)
3. The flowers will start to wither on March 1. 

Will I come back? If there are new attractions to see, yes!




*Photos were hundred percent no filter. Taken using fujifiln X-A2