Shambala is a secret garden place in Silang, Cavite named after a mythical Himalayan Kingdom of tranquility and happiness. Amidst the lush garden is a Living Museum of modern Filipino art, Cordilleran culture and slow-food Filipino cuisine. It is a work in progress and it’s awesome to visit while most people have yet to discover this hidden paradise.
Here’s what to expect along with some tips for your awesome Shambala experience.
Shambala Garden
It’s an adventure finding this place and you have to pass through this “Jurassic Park” gate, the portal to the heavenly gardens of Shambala.
Shambala Silang
Shambala Road, Purok 5 Brgy. Pulong Bunga, Silang, Cavite, Philippines
Telephone: +63 908 6487532
Facebook: Shambala Silang
Instagram: @shambalasilang
Website: http://shambalasilang.com
Open Tuesday to Sunday 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Monday – by appointment (Minimum of 10 pax)
You can choose the part of the garden where you want to dine or hang out. There’s a lot of open space between guests.
You can explore the garden on your own. You’ll find yourself surrounded by different bamboo varieties, flowering plants, bushes, ferns, over hanging vines and various species of trees.
This is the main kitchen/cafe area of Mana Kitchen where the home-cooked food is prepared for the guests.
Explore the second floor to discover the personal collection of the owners and get intrigued by the stories behind the different artworks.
Riza Matibag Muyot, known as Ninang Riza on TV, is the creator and art curator of Shambala Silang. She is often in the garden grounds so make sure to say hi and ask her about the stories of Shambala.
The main Living Art Museum features Cordilleran art, modern artworks of Filipino masters, and up and coming artworks of young Filipino artists.
Mana Kitchen @ Shambala
Shambala is popular for al fresco garden events, prenup pictorials, marriage proposals and even weddings.
The Singkaban Bamboo Bar area is our favorite dining spot for breakfast or dinner time. Bring mosquito repellant when dining 5pm onwards.
(Note: Wifi connection is fast in Shambala so our kids were able to attend online classes, and we were able to work remotely without a problem.)
For lunch, there are garden dining areas with roof or thick foliage for protection from the heat of the sun.
(Tip: Make sure to pre-order food or allot time for service.)
Mana Kitchen features home-cooked Filipino heritage dishes.
✔️ Day Visit – ₱600/head
Inclusion: Access Fee, Gallery Viewing Fee, Tour Fee and Sight Seeing all over Shambala + Drink
✔️Day Visit with Set Menu
Inclusion: Access Fee, Gallery Viewing Fee, Tour Fee and Sight Seeing all over Shambala.
Option 1- ₱1,900 / head
Option 2- ₱1,400 / head
Option 3- ₱1,000 / head
Vegan Menu- ₱1,000 / head
Kid Set Menu- ₱750 / head
Salo Platter- ₱4,200 for 4 pax
La Familia Platter- ₱4,500 for 4pax
Mana Kitchen Ala carte Menu:
• Appetizers, Soup, Grilled, Chicken, Vegetables, Beef Seafood, Pork
• Salad, Pizza, Pasta/Noodle, All Day Again, Side Orders
• Signature Drinks, Fruit Shakes, Frappuccino, Other Drinks
• Cold Coffee, Hot Coffee/ Juice, Pot Tea, Dessert
The Tagaytay Bulalo is served a la hotpot on a burner to keep it hot with the beef bones and soup on one side and the vegetables and corn on the other. The bulalo soup and flavor are just what we are looking for when we go up to Tagaytay.
Adobo sa Dilaw was the favorite of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, and it was introduced by his wife Maria Agoncillo Aguinaldo in their Cavite household. It is chicken adobo cooked with turmeric and a very creamy sauce. Ang sarap!
This is our favorite from Quezon—burnt banana heart cooked with charcoal. It has a smoky flavor and creamy consistency that even the kids loved. Pair it with the roasted krill (alamang) to contrast with the salty crispy bits.
One of the dishes we loved was the good quality salmon cooked in annato sauce. So simple yet so delicious that we had to fight over the sauce to flavor our rice.
Make sure to order their salad of fresh vegetables with Caesar dressing to start your meal. Salads taste good in Tagaytay, and even our kids love them.
Order their Kale Pineapple fresh fruit shake and signature Maluca (malunggay, luya and calamansi) immune boosting drink.
Ifugao Huts
We stayed in the authentic Ifugao Hut #3, transported from Bontoc, where we got to experience life in the Cordilleras.
Equipped with an electric fan and naturally cooled by the Tagaytay breeze, it can adequately fit a family or barkada of 4-5 pax.
Bed and breakfast overnight, ₱2,500/person with Filipino breakfast
It has an awesome view of the landscaped gardens and the Silang sunset.
We loved the spacious clean restroom with hot showers and basic amenities.
The slopes are terraced on the hilly side of Shambala with foundations of rip-rapped tuffaceous stones made by real Cordilleran stone artisans.
Tip: Don’t miss taking awesome sunset shots on the terraced slopes.
One of the awesome features of the Shambala Terraces is the authentic Dap-ay where the tribal council meets with stone seats and bonfire in the middle.
In Shambala, the wedding ceremony is usually held here with the guest seats on the terraced slopes overlooking the Dap-ay in an amphitheater like setup.
The boys loved hanging out over the bonfire as long as there were roasted marshmallows and, hopefully next time, grilled sausages.
The place provides long bamboo sticks for the bonfire.
Breakfast was maaliwalas, as they say, with Filipino tapsilog and good brewed coffee.
I loved the garlicky longganisa with their homemade sweet vinegar.
Final Thoughts
Overall, we love the art- and culture-inspired landscape, the lush spacious gardens, and the Filipino heritage food. This is a good place to go safely with the entire family, the grand parents and the kids, to celebrate special milestones. It’s also a great place for retreats and munimuni or moments of self-reflection.
Plan to hang around here the whole day from lunch to sundown to enjoy the garden landscape, savor the food, explore the art, and experience the sunset in the terraces. Make sure to try the Bulalo, Adobo sa Dilaw, Kulawo, and Salmon Annato during your visit. Best to just pay the entrance fees and order a la carte so that you can customize the food to your preferences. Budget about ₱1,500/head.
Congratulations to Ninang Riza and team for an awesome experience at Shambala Silang!
Make sure to bring mosquito repellant if you are staying until sunset. The terraced area is not senior-friendly. Don’t attempt to play hide & seek with your kids here. Internet is fast so you can do a bit of work in between if necessary. Meet with Ninang Riza so she can tell you stories about Shambala.
Shambala Silang
Shambala Road, Purok 5 Brgy. Pulong Bunga, Silang, Cavite, Philippines
Telephone: +63 908 6487532
Facebook: Shambala Silang
Instagram: @shambalasilang
Website: http://shambalasilang.com
Open Tuesday to Sunday 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Monday – by appointment (Minimum of 10 pax)
Live an Awesome Life with Christ,
Founder & Digital Creator, Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: Thanks to Nikkei Team for the experience. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.
Disclosure: Thank you to Riza for our awesome Shambala Silang experience. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.
P.S. Thank you to Ige Ramos for introducing us to Shambala during the Slow Food Movement Meet.
