Time well spent is time well used, so goes the saying. We can add “depends on the venue.” However, if the place happens to be Club Balai Isabel, it is time well spent and enjoyed. In this era of people surviving the pandemic, we now appreciate time much more. At Club Balai Isabel, it is good to know that it places a premium in offering guests the venue to spend quality time, whether alone or in good company.
Nowhere is this point made than in Club Balai Isabel’s unmatched attractions and accommodations. Located in Talisay, Batangas, the resort is a nature-lover’s dream. It is situated along the shores of Taal Lake and with the best view of Taal Volcano, making the resort ideal for nature-trippers. There is much more in store, of course.
With 12 hectares in its area, it offers lush greenery and vegetation for the tired city dweller. This is the perfect spot for people looking for a place to relax and recharge.
“Club Balai Isabel developed 30 percent of the property [while] the rest remains for Mother Nature,” says Club Balai Isabel owner Nelson Terrible. “When we started transforming this property, we made sure that we kept the already existing vegetation here. We did not touch the trees that were already present. That is why you can find trees, such as bamboo and varieties of hard wood, which are hundreds of years old.”
“We even have many fruit-bearing trees, that we allow our guests to just casually pick the fruits as they please,” Terrible smiles. “There is so much fruit growing around here that it is best that guests enjoy them. It is good to see that we offer this unique experience for them.”
Terrible remarks that Club Balai Isabel has come a long way since its opening in 2007. “We originally planned this property to be a subdivision,” he shares. Because the place had a magnificent view of the lake and the volcano, plus it had a photogenic picnic ground and row of cabanas, it did not take long for tourists and excursionists to notice them and admire the amazing scenery.
“People were actually coming up asking if they could just take pictures of themselves by the lake or the grounds,” he laughs at the recollection. “We could not say no.”
Eventually, with the steady stream of people attracted to the property, Terrible decided it was high time to turn the village into a full-blown resort. And he did ensure that he had all bases covered to make Club Balai Isabel the perfect place for families, friends, and corporations.
The resort boasts of 253 rooms in various configurations, depending on the types and number of guests. They can be assured of fabulous views, absolute comfort, and amenities such as air-conditioning units, mini-refrigerator, cable television, among others.
Outside the guests’ rooms, Club Balai Isabel comes alive. Guests will have a field day indulging themselves with the various activities and attractions that the resort has to offer. The resort has three different pools: the Terraza Infinity Pool, the Talisay Pool, and the 500-sq.m. Kumintang Pool. Terrible says the Aquapark continues to evolve, with its inflatables as the main attractions. The pools are salt-filtered, making them friendly to both the human body and nature.
For guests in the mood for food-tripping, Club Balai Isabel is the right place for delicious (and Instagrammable) cuisine with Terraza Café and Restaurant and Kumintang Republik Restaurant. Terraza Café and Restaurant specializes in traditional Filipino cuisine while Kumintang Republik Restaurant is known for authentic Italian food.
Should guests opt for a more quiet quality time for body and soul, trust Club Balai Isabel to provide both. The resort’s spa is among the finest of its type, offering relaxing massages and treatments. For a more spiritual me-time, there is the Espousal of Mary & Joseph Chapel where couples have sealed their vows and renewed their commitments to each other. Beside it is the historic ruins of a 17th-century church, the first stone church of Tanauan.
“As much as we can, we provide the best for our guests. For example, come Christmas’ Simbang Gabi, the chapel is festive, complete with a choir and a stall for native delicacies,” Terrible states. “It is these little details that guests appreciate the most.”
Well, guests will love the fact that the resort is a true friend of the environment. Terrible has championed the Sagip Taal Lake, a program that aims to raise awareness of the importance of protecting Taal Lake through solid waste management education and environment-friendly livelihood to the people who live around the lake. The program has attracted both public and private entities, as well as various sectors and communities around the country, and has become a model project for environmental awareness.
With the unique experiences that Club Balai Isabel has to offer, Terrible notes brightly that since they reopened in April this year, guests have been enthusiastically coming non-stop for team-building exercises, conferences, reunions, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and other occasions.
“We are happy to provide a place for people to enjoy their happy moments. Club Balai Isabel is the place for them to spend that precious quality time,” he remarks. Quality time was never better-spent at this resort and nature sanctuary.
Club Balai Isabel is located at Talisay, Batangas. For more information, please call (+63) 927-7400162 | (+63) 927-7401093 | (+63) 927-7400184 or email [email protected]