Club Balai Isabel

Only 52 miles south of Metro Manila, Club Balai Isabel is a convenient, affordable escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. You can take a ride on a banana boat or "UFO" (their term for tubing), rent a kayak or jet ski, try your hand at an obstacle course, explore the tiny volcano in the center of Taal Lake or just recline by one of the many pools with a tropical cocktail. This family-friendly resort is geared toward Filipinos; therefore, communication may be difficult at times if you don't speak Tagalog. It also means that it's the perfect place to escape typically obnoxious American tourists.

A week is hardly enough time to enjoy all of the recreational activities at Club Balia Isabel. Bring a swim suit and a thirst for adventure.

• Banana Boat Rides cost 350 PHP (about $6.50), last 15 minutes and are for 5 to 10 passengers
• Kayak Rental costs 150 PHP (about $2.85) for a single, 300 PHP (about $5.70) for a double per hour of use
• Jet Ski Rental costs 1,500 PHP (about $28.50) for 15 min., 2,500 PHP (about $47.50) for 30 min, and 5,000 PHP (about $95) for an hour
• UFO (Tubing) Ride costs 500 PHP (about $9.50) for a 15 minute rid for up to 3 people
• Fly Fishing (not what you think: it's another ride similar to the banana boat) costs 500 PHP (about $9.50) per person with a maximum of four passengers
• Swimming (free) at one of three pools, or in the lake for the more adventurous
• KTV Rooms (free) where you can croon along with a karaoke machine
• Bike Rentals cost fom 200 to 300 PHP (about $3.80 to $5.70) per hour, or bring your own bicycle
• Basketball and Volleyball Courts (free), but you have to provide the players
• Billiards and Darts (free)
• The Balikatan Obstacle Course (free) where you can prove your metal and impress your friends and family... or have fun making a fool of yourself
• Aqua Park: this new facility is for both guests and day visitors and includes a variety of water slides and other water-related activities. For day visitors the rates are 1,850 PHP (about $35.15) per person and includes 1 hour of park time, lunch, snacks and the use of other recreation facilities; or 990 PHP (about $18.80) for 1 hour in the park and use of other facilities. For guests of Balai Isabel the rates are 1,250 PHP (about $23.75) for 1 hour of park time for 4 guests, or 450 PHP (about $8.50) per person for 1 hour in the park. Here is a YouTube video showing exactly what is available at the Aqua Park: #mce_temp_url#

My wife and I stayed in a "Superior Room with View" in one of the apartment complexes along the beach and included not one but two patios (we had special treatment as my wife was there to promote the resort in the newspaper in which she worked at that time). All rooms include the following amenities:

• Air Conditioning
• Mini Fridge
• Flat Screen TV with Satellite/Cable TV
• Bottled Water and Coffee
• Complimentary Breakfast

Note: Cooking in rooms is forbidden, even if there is a kitchenette. Don't ask me why; I haven't a clue!

The full list of accommodations is as follows:

• Standard Room: 3,880 PHP (about $74) per night; 2 queen beds, sleeps up to 4
• Standard Room with Loft: 4,140 PHP (about $78.60) per night; 3 queen beds, sleeps up to 6
• Superior Room: 4,312 PHP (about $82) per night; 2 queen beds, sleeps up to 4 and includes either a small private balcony or patio, depending on the floor on which you're staying
• Superior Room with View: 9,558.80 PHP (about $181.80) per night; 2 queen beds, sleeps up to 4 and in addition to the small balcony/patio also includes a large, lake-facing balcony providing fantastic views of Taal Lake and its volcanic island
• Deluxe Room: 5,605.60 (about $106.50) per night; 3 queen beds, sleeps up to 6 and includes a private balcony with views of the landscaped grounds
• Deluxe Room with View: 6,252.40 PHP (about $119) per night; 3 queen beds, sleeps up to 6 and includes private veranda with a view of the lake and island
• Suite: 6,870 PHP (about $130.50) per night; 1 queen and 2 single beds and a pull-out, sleeps up to 5 and is located mere meters from the shore of Taal
• Premium Room: 8,277.50 PHP (about $157) per night; 3 queen beds, sleeps up to 6 and includes a "special" living room with a splendid view of the lake and island
• Suite with Attic: 15,280 PHP (about $290) per night; 3 double and 3 single beds with pull-outs, perfect for large families and sleeps up to 12, located a short walk from the beach

Note: All room prices include complimentary breakfast. You can save a considerable amount (from hundreds to thousands of Philippine Pesos) booking a room without the breakfast, but then you have to fend for yourself or go hungry.

The private balconies are rather small but adequate. However, if you'r expecting real privacy you better stay indoors and draw your drapes, because each garden-view balcony looks right into those in the building across from you. This can be hell if you're an introvert, but the gregarious will definitely make new friends, and Filipinos are some of the most gregarious people you will ever meet. If you identify yourself as an American, expect to be blasted with a thousand questions. Not only are Americans actually liked and appreciated in the Philippines (a rarity virtually everywhere else on earth), but many Filipinos are curious about America and plan to visit the USA someday, if not relocate there.

The complimentary breakfast is delicious—as are all meals—but expect a limited selection. The lunches and dinners we ate in the main dining area were all delicious, but there were only three entrees from which to choose. If none of those options float your boat, relax: there’s a pizzeria beside the main swimming pool. What impressed me the most was the coffee: Batangas (the region surrounding Taal Lake) is famous for its coffee. You will hear horror stories of how coffee beans are fed to civets (cat-like mammals), then removed from their dung, rinsed and brewed, but that coffee is extremely expensive and not served at Club Balai Isabel (at least that’s what they told me!). Still, all of the coffee we had at Balai Isabel was better than the coffee I had on Kauai and nearly as good as the Blue Mountain coffee I had while on Jamaica. Make sure you buy a few pounds to bring home, because you'll be hard pressed to find coffee this good anywhere in North America for less than $30/lb.

If you are planning a big, splashy wedding and really want to impress your friends and family, book it here.

While having a wedding ceremony outdoors in nature is often preferred, this is the Philippines and it rains a lot, even in the dry season. For this reason, Balai Isabel has its own church that can accommodate a couple hundred guests. They can even provide the priest/minister if you don't already have one in mind. If you prefer a more secular setting, one of the many multi-function rooms in the resort can fulfill your needs.

The covered reception area pictured above can keep the rain off of a couple hundred people with ease, though I don't recommend it in typhoon weather. However, if you prefer a climate-controlled reception, one of the resort's many multi-function rooms will suit your needs perfectly.

Maybe you're already betrothed to the perfect spouse and want to renew your vows: Balai Isabel has you covered, both figuratively and literally. Or if you've been waiting for the perfect romantic setting to pop the BIG question, this is the place: by the shore, in one of the many mostly secluded gardens or if you're a loon like me, pop the question while riding the UFO!

There is no airport in Batangas, so you will be forced to either drive or take mass transit to get to Club Balai Isabel, and it's one hell of a drive.

From Manila, there are two fairly direct routes you can take:

1. The Direct Route: Take R-2 from Ninoy Aquino Airport in Manila south to the city of Tagaytay (pronounced "tuh-guy-tie") and turn left onto Tagaytay-Calamba Rd. After driving about a mile while tortoises pass you on the side of the road, turn right onto Ligaya Dr. (if you reach the Tagaytay Picnic Grove, you missed your turn, so go back a little less than half a mile). This excessively windy road will eventually lead to the shore of Taal Lake, where—after having asked half a dozen people for directions—you will turn left onto Talisay-Tanauan Rd (Rte. 421). In less than 1/4 mile you will see Club Balai Isabel to your right.
2. The Less Direct Route: This is a bit longer but there’s usually a little less traffic. From Ninoy Aquino Airport, go south on the Metro Manila Skyway (Rte. AH26). Then it gets very confusing and you’re liable to get lost and have to ask directions, because AH26 divides into two separate highways. You want to stay on R-2 (insert Star Wars joke here) with an initial destination of Muntinlupa and then San Pedro. Once you reach the city of Calamba, go straight (AH26 will have an off ramp heading west—don’t take it) and you will be on Rte. E-2. Stay on E-2 until you near the town of Tanauan, then turn right onto Talisay-Tanauan Rd (Rte. 421). Club Balai Isabel will appear on your left after about 7 miles.

Either way you go, expect a long, slow trip. The most comfortable way to get there is by bus; most have air conditioning and you won’t have to worry about where the next turn is constantly. Still, this drive of under 60 miles is apt to take 4 or more hours. If you drive it, I strongly advise making a quick stop once you reach the ridge overlooking Taal Lake for a beer to calm your frazzled nerves, keeping in mind that Red Horse Beer comes in big bottles and is over 7% alcohol. Also, be prepared for the quick shift in climate: once on the ridge, the temperature drops from the high 80s to the mid 60s and is breezy, so expect to get cool.