The gorgeous hideaway that is Casa de Pedro
Some getaways will toss you headfirst into exciting yet unfamiliar streets, the crowded and bustling markets, and rich bursts of local culture. Others will coax you to kick back under clear blue skies, toes tingling in the warm sand, with nothing but gorgeous scenery around you.
But there are also those rare vacations that hand you the ultimate license to slack off guilt free. There’s no pressure to “make the most” out of your trip, no need to race against time to visit all the cafés you’ve seen on TikTok, and no long bucket lists to tick off. Some places simply let you be—no schedules, no expectations, and no obligations.
Casa de Pedro in Porac, Pampanga is that kind of escape.
Gorgeous hideaway
We spotted this gorgeous private luxury villa on Airbnb.
Even before setting foot inside this modern, five-bedroom hideaway in the midst of a lush mango orchard, the promise of having a pool all to ourselves, a verdant garden with a play area, a fire pit, and a sauna (this was a total game-changer for me!) already had us sold.
Throw in the two kitchens and a spacious communal living and dining space, and you’ve got room for 23 guests. You can even squeeze in as many as 30 if your crew rolls deep.
Smooth drive
I took my trusty new Hyundai Creta, which handled the two-hour drive like a champ.
Out on the open road, its 1.5-liter turbo engine delivered just the right amount of pep—smooth yet eager off the line, with enough mid-range punch to overtake in the expressways without breaking a sweat. The Creta’s suspension soaked up the bumps and uneven patches in the metro, provincial highways and even on rougher backroads.
What’s even better is that it’s also fuel efficient, making this ride all the more easy on the pocket.
Inside, the elevated seating gave me a clear view of the scenery—a refreshing change from my usual sedan. Add to that the Creta’s roomy cabin, which easily swallowed my bags, shoes, and suitcases, which was a huge relief for this chronic over-packer.
A personal retreat
As I turned to the narrow side street leading to Casa de Pedro, the world outside slipped away.
The villa—which is modern and minimalist, dressed in soothing palettes of beiges, creams, and neutrals—comes alive with Filipino flair, with its solihiya-woven accents, warm timber finishes, billowy linens, as well as rattan fixtures and furnishings.
On its 2,000-sqm grounds, you’ll find an open-plan living and dining space, with a sofa, an extended communal table, low-slung loungers, and two fully equipped kitchens—ideal for entertaining groups of any size. Floor-to-ceiling windows on one side of the room frame verdant garden vistas and flood the spaces with soft daylight.
Casa de Pedro’s five bedrooms are all designed for a quiet retreat. Two rooms feature king-size beds, one combines a queen bed and a single daybed, while the remaining two are built around queen-size bunk beds. Every room is dressed in plush linens and fluffy pillows, with recessed ambient lighting bathing each room in a gentle glow to create a more restful haven.
For four days, we soaked up Casa de Pedro’s laidback vibe—cooling off with a refreshing plunge in the pool, playing friendly rounds of billiards, grilling some mouthwatering inihaw na liempo rubbed generously in salt and pepper, goofing off in the garden, swapping stories over smores by the fire pit, and melting our worries away in the sauna.
And oh, there’s also a couple of microphones that you can connect to your phone or tablet if you want to do some videoke.
Greatest adventure of all
At Casa de Pedro, doing absolutely nothing feels like the greatest adventure of all. Every lazy swim, billiards match, and post-sauna stretch is a reminder that you also crave this kind of unhurried pause every once in a while.
Of course, globe-trotting thrills and cultural deep dives will always call our names, but moments of idleness like this one can really do wonders to our body and soul. So go ahead, slack off, breathe deep, and let Casa de Pedro restore you from the inside out.
