It was Holyweek in 2017 and we wanted to look for a place near us. It’s unplanned and unexpected, we just went online to look for a beach resort in Quezon since we were all there. There were plenty of beach resorts near the area and since it’s peak season, most of them were fully booked except for the more expensive ones. Finally, we’re able to find one that’s just okay to our taste. We really wanted to go to a white beach resort but since they don’t have much of it in Quezon, we went to the one with a nicer look according to the photos we saw online. We then went to Monte Vista Beach Resort in Sariaya, Quezon.
It was around 45 minutes to go there from Gibanga and approximately 2-3 hours from Manila without traffic. The road was rough and it was a bit rocky as stones are blocking the way but we still enjoyed the trip. It was my first time to go there. I think that was around 11 in the morning when we got there and it’s already difficult to find a parking space. We even waited for a vacancy for a couple of minutes. Before we even got there, we also tried other resorts nearby but they were all booked and we needed to wait for hours before a parking space would be available to use.
One thing I really love about this resort is that they have these giant figures which kids really like. Some of these figures also show Philippines beliefs and traditions. Great, right? The surrounding is also refreshing especially during summer season as you can see a lot of trees around, green grass and it’s also very windy there. It’s like living in a farm. It’s so nice and the weather was so good.
ACCOMMODATION:
The resort is quite big making it a really nice venue for company outings, team buildings and barkada getaways. For the accommodation, they have 19 nipa huts, 23 bungalow houses and 4 family homes. They also have club houses if you don’t want to stay overnight. This was what we got since we just stayed for a couple of hours. An entire club house could accommodate several groups of visitors. Each group was given a long table where they can put their things and their food. It was a bit crowded during that time but we still managed to get a space for our family to eat lunch and have a rest from swimming. This place could accommodate around 10 tables (equivalent to 10 groups), I think.
Aside from the nipa huts and houses, they also offer camping inside the area. According to the people I asked, they brought their own tents and I don’t think they have tents for rent at that time but I’m not very sure now. When we were there, you should bring your own and then you’d pay for around 200php for the space where you can set it up. And then you’re all set. The houses are just so so. I haven’t been inside one of those but looking them from the outside, I think they’re clean and well-maintained but there’s nothing so special about them. Just plain rooms to rest.
AMENITIES:
One of the things they claim to offer is a place for team buildings. When we toured around, I noticed that they have these facilities that a team can enjoy if you plan to play or want some physical activities with your group. They have a quite big playground for these activities or for the kids to play around. It’s cool and you can really imagine a number of activities to do with your team, like a game or anything fun.
You see, the place is really kid-friendly and is a good place for team activities and family or friends getaways. Aside from those, I also took some pictures around the resort. They have a pond or a river (?) that’s not very clean but it still somehow gives the place a balance and a feel of being in a province enjoying the nature.
The Beach:
I’m a fan of beach resorts with white sand. As you can see in the previous pictures, Monte Vista resort does not have white sand so it looks a little dull (at least for me) but the water is clean and clear and shallow so I think it’s okay. There were also a lot of people swimming when we got there. I didn’t go into the water, though. I just took some pictures and just enjoyed walking along the seashore.
The water looks like it’s black because of the color of the sand but if you’ll look at it closer, it’s really clean and kids can enjoy swimming here since the deeper part of it is a bit far from the shore. However, it becomes deeper and deeper as night time approaches just like any other beach. So parents need to warn their children if they plan to swim at 3pm onwards. That’s when it really starts to go deeper.
ATTRACTION:
I think the best attraction that this resort has to offer is its giant ark replica. It’s really as big as the real one and it really looks realistic. Monte Vista Resort has actually an institutionl inside. It’s called Newsim or New Simulator Center of the Philippines for maritime students and seafarers. It’s really cool to see the ark this big. You can also take photos of it and get closed to it for free.
I don’t know much of this school but it is Philippines pride to own this institution as the owners are said to be Filipinos. You can visit their website to know more about them (http://newsim.ph/). I also attached below the rates of the resorts as of the moment but it’s also available in their website (http://montevistabeachresort.com.ph/index.php/packages).
So there, it was a nice trip because I was with my family and we really enjoyed the stay. It was a good resort but nothing is really special about it aside from that big ship replica. I’ll still recommend it to others especially the ones that are near Quezon because I think it’s one of the best beach resorts around the area. But if it’s to compare with other resorts near Manila, I’d rather choose the ones in Batangas, I guess they’re more unique and there’s so much surprises that await you. Have you been to Monte Vista Resort? How was your experience? Do you know other resorts nearby? Tell me about it. 🙂 Thanks for reading ~
Leave a Reply