Club Balai Isabel, Talisay’s emerging romantic destination

This is one of my favorite shots taken by hubby. My cousin was standing by the pool at dusk, with the Taal Volcano as backdrop.

Tagaytay City is not the only place where you can get a glimpse of the picturesque Taal Volcano. For a closer view of the Taal volcano and Taal lake, and for a relaxing stay with this view all day, come to Club Balai Isabel. This sprawling resort can be found at Talisay, Batangas, just an hour and a half drive from Manila.

Hotel rooms and excellent amenities

One afternoon, my family and relatives decided to drive up to Club Balai Isabel, coming from our hometown, Sto. Tomas, Batangas. We went there via the Tanauan-Talisay road, a very serene road trip I must say, as the road is not congested with public utility vehicles, as compared with the national highway.

Dock

There’s a wooden dock near the lake shore, with a magnificent view of the Taal volcano. Due to its proximity, Club Balai Isabel has become one of the famous jump-off to take a tour of the Taal volcano. There are also three pools inside the resort, there’s an infinity pool, and two other large pools, perfect for big groups. Of course, water activities are best experienced at the lake shore, where one can go kayaking or ride the jet ski.

Me and mommy, by the Kumintang Pool

Club Balai Isabel also offers e-cart for guests who want to take a free tour of the entire resort (with lots of photo ops).

E-cart

There’s also a chapel inside, the Spousal of Joseph and Mary chape;, as the resort is known as a popular venue for weddings, prenuptial photo shoots, and other romantic events. In fact, you can choose among the wedding themes offered by the resort, whether a garden wedding, traditional wedding at the chapel, or wedding at the lakefront with the Taal volcano as backdrop.. For those who prefer an indoor wedding, there’s an air-conditioned pavilion as venue for weddings and receptions.

Spousal of Joseph and Mary chapel

The resort also has restaurants and cafes. When we went there, we had their famous thin-crust pizzas and brewed coffee at Isabel’s Panaderia & Pizzeria. There’s also a coffee shop by the pool, Kafe Kumintang.

Kafe Kumintang

When we went there, it was just a day tour, as we did not check-in but merely had afternoon snacks and coffee at Isabel’s, then tour of the resort by riding the e-cart. It was just a few hours but my family and relatives had a great time. I was thinking, what more if we stayed there for several days? 🙂 Whether you want to go on a stay-cation or action-packed vacation, then Club Balai Isabel is the place for you. 🙂

Food Trip: Ilonggo Style

My one-day trip to Iloilo City was made much more unforgettable due to Ilonggo dishes that made me wanna go back again and again. 🙂

Our first stop: Deco’s

Batchoy. Namit!

Of course, a trip to Iloilo is not complete without tasting the famous “La Paz Batchoy”.  Having read so many articles about this famous soup, we decided to try the batchoy at Deco’s. I’ve also seen Ted’s Batchoy branches in Manila so we opted to have our brunch at Deco’s. This special bowl that we ordered is really “namit” (Ilonggo word for delicious). Perfect after a morning flight. 🙂 Finally, I now understand when they say that a bowl of batchoy is different in Iloilo.

We tried the Deco’s branch located at Robinson’s Iloilo. However, there are other Deco’s branches scattered all over Iloilo City.

Second stop: Jo’s Chicken Inato

Another distinctly Ilonggo dish that we tried is the chicken inato. It’s grilled chicken but with a twist, which makes it different from the usual chicken inasal. What I like about the chicken, aside from the huge chunk served, is the marinade. Rice is unlimited, with chicken oil. You’re allowed to eat using your hands, there are faucets or what we call “tapayan”, where you can wash your hands before and after eating.

Jo’s Chicken Inato is located near Ong Bun, the hotel where we stayed. There are also other branches scattered in Dumaguete and Cebu City. 🙂

Third stop: JD’s Bakeshop

I got to try the clubhouse sandwich of JD’s Bakeshop as recommended by my client. I like it better than the baked macaroni we ordered, which is such a huge disappointment. If you’re wondering about the chips in the middle of the clubhouse sandwich, it’s called chicken chips. I like it so much that I bought it as pasalubong for hubby.

chicken chips

The JD Bakeshop branch where we ate is the one located at Iloilo International Airport. It’s a good place to stop and buy additional Ilonggo products before departure. 🙂 Damn, I miss Ilonggo foods already! 🙂