Balesin Island: A Palawan resort in Luzon

Thirty minutes from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport is the oft-ignored resort of the Balesin Beach in Luzon. Due southeast of Manila, the province of Quezon where Balesin Island lies is at some point just somewhere beneath the clouds when one takes a plane ride to the more popular destinations in Boracay Island. And yet the Balesin Beach Resort is less commercialized, less busy, and in most part less flustered: An idyllic getaway for a weekend break in the sand, sea, and sun. A Palawan in Luzon.

In the absence of the madding crowd, videoke, and tricycle noise, there is no way the Balesin Beach Resort shares the island of Luzon with Manila and is located near its tainted air and guttural noise. One has to see it to believe it, but just beyond the Sierra Madre lies a beach resort in Luzon where a pristine piece of beach haven is still possible.

The Balesin Island, about 424 hectares in all, is wholly owned by a single corporation, a setup that makes the beach resort free from a rowdy mix of commercial establishments that compete for one’s attention. But, coming into the resort on a light plane airstrip, one will know that the Luzon resort of Balesin Island is far from being avoided. Rather, the resort facilities of the Balesin Island Resort speak of exclusivity.

The Balesin Island Resort has a six-hole golf course by the sea, a canopied dirt road, fishing facilities, and manicured lawns that await everyone’s bare feet. And, of course, a completely tailored spa and massage services that the guests can order to the resort rooms, or under a tree, or in the scented facilities of the Balesin Beach Resort.

Any way that one looks at the Balesin Beach Resort, an air of exclusivity is easily palpable. But that is exclusivity at an inexpensive price. With room rates starting at US$85 a night, inclusive of breakfast, dinner, and lunch, and with each reservation allowable for up to six persons, the Balesin Island Resort is not overselling its beach resort when it said in their website that it is a “Paradise easily within your reach.”

Balesin Beach Resort, Quezon, Philippines
Manila Tel. No.: (+632) 812-0888
Email: balesin@gmail.com
Resort Web site: http://www.balesin.com/

Shut out the New Year blues at Evercrest Batangas

December is almost always a busy month, and also a good time to stretch out. The year, after all, is about to expire. And people, even for a week, now have the luxury of time. And they can now understandably take it slow or spend much of it on an unexplainably relaxing mad dash to the shopping centers of Metro Manila, as some sort of a reward for the generally frenzied year.

The holidays may find you with the kids and family, or with friends who suddenly get overwhelmed and bored by the amount of time they have in their hands. Either way, the period between Christmas and New Year is always a great time to take that proverbial deep breath before the plunge into the year ahead. The holidays are shorter than you think, and it could be 2008 already without yourself making the most of the holidays.

This week’s find bring us down. Down south to Batangas that is. Nestled in crisp country air and rolling greens south of Manila, the Evercrest Resort in Nasugbu, Batangas is every inch a haven, where the hustle and bustle of city living could not be heard yet it is only two hours away from Metro Manila.

The sprawling 76-room Batangas resort of Evercrest Philippines includes an 18-hole golf course, a tennis court, open-air whirlpool, and outdoor pool. If you’re idea of relaxation is lounging on a pool, or sipping a drink and having comfort food, all with the great Batangas outdoors in the backdrop, then you’ll find the Batangas resort of the Evercrest Philippines to be exactly what you need for relaxation.

Prized facility of the Evercrest Resort is their Batangas golf course. The Evercrest Golf Club is set in the middle of a lush expanse of grass, and backdropped to serene effect by the hills of Batangas and the mouth of the Taal Volcano. But you don’t need to be a golfer to enjoy Evercrest Golf Club and Resort. An afternoon saunter at the landscaped garden and greens of the Evercrest Resort is enough to relax you and shut out your worries.

Complementing a day outdoors at the Batangas resort of Evercrest Philippines are the steam rooms and spa facilities inside. Evercrest Batangas has one of the spa centers in the country that by world standards are considered top of the line. Batangas guests can comfortably surrender to the professional hands of the Evercrest Resort masseuse for a relaxing detox.

A reminder though: At a time when consumerism is at its peak, a weekend trip to Evercrest Batangas may probably come as added guilt. It is just that luxurious. But it’s going to be a brand new year anyway. And there is no grander way to greet the New Year with a new you.

The Evercrest Golf Club and Resort is located at Km 72 of Batulao in Nasugbu, Batangas. For inquiries and instant reservations, you can reach them at their official website http://www.evercrestgolfclubresort.com/