Rediscovering Balesin

CRUISING with Butch and Cris Albert and family

ItÕs always a pleasure to visit a property that I haven’t been to in awhile and discover all the new things that have been done. When the developers execute their plans perfectly, properties are very much like works of art. But unlike artwork, which is “finished” once done, a property is a living masterpiece that needs constant updating to remain fresh and exciting.

And so a pleasure it was to find myself on Balesin Island once again and see all the new things that have happened. My hubby Dennis, daughter Athena and I opted to stay in Phuket Village this time, and it is the farthest village from the rest, situated at the southern tip of the island. This makes it appealing when one wants a tad more privacy than usual.

Near Phuket is Balesin Royal Villa, a virtual village in itself and a perfect solution to families that want to rent a few rooms and stay completely private. This magnificent structure was completed in December and is currently the preferred wedding reception place on the island.

Good friends Butch and Cris Albert stayed in Balesin Royal Villa with their family. We had a sumptuous dinner in the main hall in a long table—and since we were the only guests there, the kids could make as much noise as they wanted without bothering a soul.

RESTAURANT Fish Fun at twilight

8 villages to choose from

With Balesin Royal Villa there are now eight villages to choose from on the island and that is a lot of choices for all the members. The members have been doubly blessed as the club has been raffling off a Gold Membership worth P2.2 million every Saturday since July. There have been nine winners so far and another four are due to be picked as part of the club’s September Surprise promotion. Guests have an equal chance to win the membership, so this month will be a perfect time to wrangle that Balesin invitation from your member friend.

Eating options have multiplied on the island. At the main Clubhouse, there is a new Korean restaurant, Han Gang. My daughter is an avid Korean food fan, and she loved the Kalbi.

Beside the Bali Village is Rico’s Hideaway, a two-story restaurant and bar that specializes in seafood, especially gigantic crabs that are now locally grown in the island’s Seafood Center. Rico’s also has seaside cabanas from where the sunset view cannot be beaten. It’s the perfect place for a sundown cocktail.

HAN GANG Korean Restaurant is the latest addition to Balesin’s cuisine.

The island’s new Aviary

Another attraction that is amazing is the island’s new Aviary, located across the main Chapel. The aviary’s birds were donated by member Pinky Tobiano and the cages are beautifully arranged around a freeform koi pond housing the giant fish. I also noticed that a new Archery area has been built, again beside the Chapel. My guess is that this “Main Street” will be the future center of the island’s activities, at least those activities that are not water-based.

On the water side of things, there are now boats available to rent for members. There is a small speedboat for those wanting to wakeboard or ski, a larger cruiser for the group that wants to cruise around the island, and a full-blown Aqua One that can practically house a small rave complete with cocktails. The cruiser fits a small group of 10 and is perfect for snorkeling in the hard-to-get to spots or for cruising for the occasional whale sharks that pop up offshore.

With all the new improvements, it was a pleasure to rediscover Balesin. The one thing I know for sure though: developer Bobby Ongpin won’t stop tweaking his masterpiece, so all the members are sure to get more and more as he keeps improving the island.

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