Holiday pleasures at Clark, Pampanga

IT was one of those weekends when we were just raring to get away for even just 24 hours of peace and quiet.

Leaving Manila on a rainy late Saturday morning, we arrived to a quieter Clark Field a little past noon. Entering the Mimosa leisure estate, towering, age-old Mimosa rain trees greeted us on that gray day, giving the former airbase a charm and splendor all its own. We parked ourselves at the Holiday Inn Resort on Clark Field which bustled with activity that afternoon.

Businessmen and women who attended conventions and seminars were already checking out as families availing of the weekend package began to arrive. Despite the long queues, checking in was a breeze and we were whisked off to our room which had a nice view of the pool.

Disappointed that the weather was all muggy and uncooperative - for golf or outdoor play, the father after a harried week at work, plopped himself on the easy chair and began to channel surf. The children, on the other hand, were getting antsy so after freshening up, we looked for alternative indoor activities that could keep them occupied for hours.

Driving around the block, we espied the Funhouse, which provided the boys with an hour in the video arcade and the girls a competitive round of indoor hockey. After expending energy for about an hour or so, they went to the Li'l Tikes playground.

After a while, it began to drizzle and so we went back to the car and headed back to the hotel. Famished after the round of activities, we had merienda at the hotel's Mequeni coffeeshop which serves delicious treats in addition to the sumptuous lunch and dinner buffet. The hotel currently has a child's play package voucher where children 12 years old and below eat for only a hundred pesos (plus tax) when dining with a paying adult and children three years old and below eat for free.

After merienda, we deposited the children at the fully-supervised Kid's Inn, the hotel's play center for children aged 1-10 years old. Inside the Kid's Inn is an array of toys both recreational and educational for children of various ages. Everyday, there are arts and crafts and storytelling activities for the kiddies. While the kids were at the play center we quickly grabbed a much-needed nap just before dinner.

For dinner, we savored Pampango cuisine. Our choices were either the seemingly endless selection of entrées from Café Mequeni's buffet or feasting on Mongolian buffet at the hotel’s roof deck where one can enjoy cool breeze. We opted for the Mongolian buffet and we were not disappointed. After a filling dinner, we decided to take a walk around the hotel property with the children before heading off to bed. To end the day, after the kids had drifted off to dreamland, we hied off to a bar for a nightcap. For tired muscles, or simply to de-stress, the hotel provides massage service either at the fitness center (400 pesos/hour) or in the comfort of one's room (450 pesos).

The following day found us having breakfast by the poolside after which the kids were finally able to take a dip in the huge pool while their father hied off to the golf course. Room rates for a family of four at Holiday Inn are reasonable and ideal for a family of four to six children. A junior suite is offered for P3,600 (plus 10% tax)/overnight stay where two children below 18 can stay free with their parents, or for bigger families, a villa can be rented for P5,600 (plus 10% tax) where four kids below 18 can stay free with their parents. Don't expect duty-free shopping galore at Clark because the outlets are, sad to say, in a pathetic state. To save on meals, there is a McDonald's and a Chowking within the former airbase.

Clark is ideal because it provides a different scenery yet is close in proximity to Manila. If you leave early, you save yourself from the hassles of traffic. In spite of the gentle rain throughout our stay, it was a well-spent 24 hours of quality family time. Back in Manila, it was back to reality.