The buzz about Balesin

In colorful St. Tropez with my kids.
In colorful St. Tropez with my kids.

THE wedding of Heart and Chiz Escudero puts the spotlight on Balesin as an opulent destination for the rich and famous. Maggie Wilson’s (model/ Amazing Race Asia contender) subsequent Balesin Yaya/Nanny issue merely reinforced the island’s hoity-toity image, putting ordinary plebeians in their place! And you know what? It is kinda true.

Common-folk probably won’t have the means to reach the exclusive island resort in Pulilo Island, Quezon, Philippines. You need to be a member and buy a share amounting to millions...or you can be lucky enough to have a friend or a corporate affiliation that will open the doors for you. We belong to the latter, of course. No millions to blow and definitely not famous either!

A journey to Balesin starts at the Alphaland Hangar with a chartered flight. There were delays due to air-traffic, but it was bearable because they provided free snacks and coffee. Because of exclusivity, there weren’t many people. We took a tiny plane that sits 9 passengers, including the 2 pilots. I had to crouch low to get to my seat. I felt claustrophobia set in, but luckily my daughter was next to me and I clung onto her hands for dear life. Yeah, her mom is a wuss!

Upon landing, the club welcomes you with flowers and drinks. (As they should! Mucho-expensivo. Roll out the red carpet too). If it’s a guest’s first time, an orientation seminar is necessary. I kid you not! You get a short lecture to learn about the island, its parts, the amenities, and how to roam around.

We had to pay an arm and a leg for 4 nights and 5 days in Balesin. Be warned that the food is not included, and it is also expensive because they have to fly most things from Manila. No cash transactions allowed, only credit cards. Thankfully, this is the case wherein you get what you pay for.

We were able to visit all seven themed villages: Balesin, Bali, Phuket, Mykonos, Costa Del Sol, Toscana, and St. Tropez. Noteworthy, each theme has its own pool and beach. These places are far apart, so we got to explore through a customized pina-soshal jeepney or golf cart.

Balesin

Balesin is the main section where guests are dropped off to check-in. The clubhouse is in this area too. This village has the biggest pool in the island. It’s massive and long, with a bridge in the middle. I couldn’t capture its immensity with my camera. This theme also had the longest stretch of super fine, powdery, white sand beach. There were only a handful of people, and the staff outnumbered the guests (of course, mahalia mendez).

Bali

We stayed in the Bali Villa which had: an opulent indoor shower, an outdoor rain shower, an outdoor jacuzzi, an outdoor daybed, a king-sized bed, 2 single beds, a small divan, outside seating in the lanai, and other top of the line amenities. Each villa has its own Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf machine. They provide guests with pods along with bottled water, free of charge. Replenishment is unlimited because they always catered to us when we asked.

Warung is the restaurant where they serve traditional Indonesian cuisine like nasi-goreng, laksa, and sate ayam. There is no room service in the island so I hoarded rolls at the clubhouse for my kids’ late-night snacks.

We had the option to villa hop, spending the night in different villages, but I put my foot down and said we’re staying put in one place. Otherwise, mom would need to pack and unpack everything for 5 people. Uh, no thanks!

Mykonos

From the word alone, this is obviously Greek inspired. They do a good job in mimicking Santorini, with blue and white hues. The beach here is not that great, but they make up for it with the pool. If you’re afraid to get dark, this is the place to be at noon time because there’s a shaded portion. We enjoyed the food at the Taverna: Greek salad, platter of grilled assorted meat, soup, flaming cheese, and the pita with hummus and babaganoush. Op-pa!

Toscana

This takes you to Tuscany, a region in Italy with its spectacular hill towns and scenery. I’ve been to Florence and San Gimigiano and I sorta got the same medieval vibe from here. The architecture, sculptures, paintings, and even furniture are all on point. We enjoyed the food, especially the pizza with prosciutto de param, parmigniano, and arugula, which we had served by the poolside.

St. Tropez

This is a part of France I have yet to explore; a town along the French Riviera. Of all the themes in Balesin, I like this the most. The colors and vibe just make me super happy. And of course the food—my husband and I enjoyed the savory crepes and my children liked the dessert ones more.

Phuket

This is inspired by a popular beach destination in Thailand. Among all the 7, this seems the smallest with only one pool. They have the usual Thai food faves in the restaurant. Being that it was not as impressive as the others, and Thai food along with BKK are both accessible, we did not stay here long.

Costa Del Sol

This literally means the “Coast of the Sun” (thank you Spanish class), and it refers to the southernmost region of Spain near the coast. There are 2 pools here, one chlorinated and one saltwater. There’s also a pebbled-beach. The part we enjoyed here is the food: paella, churros, caninigo, and flan.

Overall, Balesin is a good experience that makes a lasting impression. I feel thankful we got to check it out because it’s been the buzz word for awhile. Every minute detail was designed to replicate each themed destination authentically. Service is superb, as it should be for the price you pay to get there and be there.

If you ask me to fork out moolah again to come, my answer will probably be no. I’d rather use my hard earned megabucks to actually go to the real places. With super sale airline tickets, it might be even cheaper to just go to Bali, Indonesia. But, hey, if someone is willing to sponsor me, sure I’ll go (hint: daddy)! Definitely, if you have the means, this is a destination worth visiting at least once in your life.

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