A Piece of Balesin Island Club

I may be the type of girl who loves winter and cold weather dressing from time to time but that doesn't mean I'm not happy to be living in the Philippines-- where pristine beaches are abundant and summer practically lasts all year round. I'm currently reminiscing my last minute trip to one of my country's very own summer destinations, the Balesin Island Club, last May 21 2016.

Photo credits to owner

Just the day before our flight, my father, along with his friends, whisked me away to nearby Balesin where I got to pretend I was in Greece and six more other countries during summer time. It was a perfect escape, with just the sand and the sea as my partners in crime. To those who still haven't been to this luxurious island, allow me to uncover the best of Balesin Island Club for you.

The Balesin Spa

Balesin Island Club, located at Lamon Bay in Quezon Province, Philippines, is a members-only  leisure getaway developed by Alphaland Corporation. It also provides private chartered planes to ferry members back and forth Balesin on a regularly scheduled basis. It features seven different villages inspired by the best destinations around the globe, namely Mykonos, St. Tropez, Bali, Costa Del Sol, Toscana, Phuket, and Balesin, which we all got to visit and made us feel as if we were touring seven different countries in one enthralling utopia.

St. Tropez, France

Mykonos, Greece

Bali, Indonesia

Photo credits to owner

Costa Del Sol, Spain

Photo credits to owner

As I glanced out of the little cabin window, I couldn't help but fall in love with the idea of escaping from the chaos of everyday life and surrounding myself with absolute stillness. After the 25-minute plane ride from Manila to Balesin, we were greeted with warm smiles and a glass of coconut juice.

Uncle Brito, one of my father's friends, is actually well-known and very much respected in the island. The workers were all gushing about how Uncle Brito was an "important guest" for them and they were also giving us VIP treatment throughout our stay because the owner of the island, Roberto Ongpin, told them to do so.

Aside from basking under the sun and walking by the beach for more than an hour (since my dad told me to join them for morning exercise), the upscale experience I had was like no other. At Balesin Island Club, indulgence comes naturally. There are plenty of outdoor activities depending on one's interest, from archery, to golf, mountain biking, horseback riding, paintball, sailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, and boating-- everything is just unquestionably magical. The island likewise offers a complete array of dining options since each of the seven villages have an authentic restaurant serving Filipino, Indonesian, Thai, Greek, French, Spanish, and Italian cuisines.


For our first lunch in the island, we had seafood specialties in Balesin Fish Fun, a unique dining spot located in Balesin Village. As for our overnight accommodations, we were asked to stay in Roberto Ongpin's personal favorite suite in Toscana. The room we stayed at was basically bigger than any of the villas in Toscana.

The hut in the background is Balesin Fish Fun restaurant

Toscana, Italy

Our suite in Toscana
(Note: It was hard to take photos of the entire room since it was too big. A huge cockroach also appeared 😶)

This photo was taken after I took a shower. Sorry for the mess :(

Other than Toscana Village, we were also able to spend a night at the villas of Balesin Village and Phuket Village (both villas have a jacuzzi at the porch and an outdoor shower!). Indeed noteworthy, all the other villages have its own pool and beach. The places are far apart, so we got to explore all of them through a golf cart that we rented on our first day. PS: Your feet will hurt so bad if you decide to WALK from one village to another, just like how my feet ached when I walked from our Balesin Villa to Bali Village. (It was tiresome walking by the beach, the view was heavenly nonetheless) The only thing I did not like about our stay was the fact that flying insects would enter our villa in Balesin and Phuket at night, but other than that, everything, especially the restaurants found inside the vicinity, was worth the P3 million membership fee. 

Phuket, Thailand

Photo credits to owner

Balesin, Philippines


We were able to indulge in different cuisines during our stay, and we even had the chance to try Japanese cuisine in the main clubhouse's Sakura Japanese Restaurant. However, my favorite dining experience still goes to the VIP treatment we had in Costa Del Sol's private dining room, the Vista de la Playa. 



I was fortunate enough to have found heaven in the middle of the sea where stretches of water seem endless - the Balesin Island Club. This journey would not have been possible without Uncle Brito, and of course, my dad :)