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There was plenty of space to park and move around, maybe because we got there when the rest of those who spent their Holy Week vacation are on their way back to Metro Manila. The place, with huge trees generously dotting the entire landscape, is a welcome breather from the suffocating pollution in Metro Manila. Brown leaves of Mahogany, occasionally punctuated by twirling seeds, fall to the ground, sometimes gently hitting the windshield as you drive by. This is summer in Montevista Villas (Mimosa Leisure Estate, Clarkfield, Pampanga).

Reasonably priced at under 5,000 per villa a day, with three bedroooms at the second floor and plenty of space at the ground floor (there are also bungalow type residences), the Montevista Villas is a good getaway for the entire family. If you’re on a budget mode, you could bring enough beverage and food to last for the vacation (they discourage cooking inside the villas, which has a refrigerator but no cooking equipment, but you could always bring a rice cooker of some portable cooking/heating device). If you prefer the full-serviced hotel setting, Holiday Inn is just a stone’s throw away.

We (and by “we,” I mean a group of 14) were at Montevista only for a day, so we really had no time, and I was not really interested, to go around. I was planning to try the spa, but decided to sleep and rest. Maybe next time I’ll check out the golf course or try my luck at the Casino Filipino.

There should be no problem going to Montevista, as the North Luzon Expressway is travel-friendly. Take the Angeles exit, which is near the end of the expressway, turn right after you pass the Angeless toll both, then just go straight (or ask around just to be sure). If this article brings up more questions than answers, you could contact Montevista Villas through these numbers: (045) 599-7000, 845-2495 and 299-5800. And if only this article is sponsored, I could also tell you who to look for when you call. Just kidding. =) Enjoy your vacation.