May 23, 2018. Andre and I went to Balesin for a quick trip, together with friends Poch and Pam Zamora and their children, Katrina and Javier, and Leo and Michelline Suarez with their youngest son, Vito. It was our second visit, and we really wanted to try out the Italian Village, Toscana. Fortunately, Poch was able to change our reservation from the Philippine Village, Balesin to Toscana, and we were overjoyed. More so, when we found out that the room we got, Tavernelle, was the one I had painted the first time we were in Balesin.
With a wraparound balcony, Tavernelle is a spacious suite at the very end of Toscana, with one side facing the sea and the other the pool. It was truly a dream come true! From the wood-timbered rafters, white washed walls, red brick-lined arched windows and doors, cool tiled floors, dark wooden furniture, wrought iron detail, and comfortable armchairs and bed, Tavernelle is a destination in itself, reminding me of our visit to Tuscany, Italy. Its fiercely cold air-conditioning was an added bonus, given the heat outside.
After a delightful and filling lunch at Toscana, our group went separate ways to swim and laze in different villages. Andre rented a golf cart to ferry us around the island, and I gladly served as chauffeur. We visited the different villages, getting as far as the French St. Tropez and the Greek Mykonos Village. That night, we were so tired we decided to just stay in Toscana and have a light dinner of soup.
Breakfast the next day was at Sala, the Filipino-themed restaurant at Balesin Village. We were just about to go swimming when we received a call from reception that we needed to transfer to a beachfront villa in Balesin because they were going to close Toscana. Apparently, if they do not have at least seven rooms occupied in a village, they close it down. Everyone else staying at Toscana had checked out that morning, so we hurried back to pack our bags and move to Balesin.
Settled in Balesin, we joined the group for a late Thai lunch at Phuket Village. It was delicious but not as fiery as we would have wanted it to be. Poch prepared his own chili concoction that brought out the flavors of the curries to perfection and had us sniffling throughout the meal.
After this, Andre and I decided to laze in the Phuket pool, before transferring to Balesin where we took a dip in the beach. Unlike the rocky beach at Phuket, the sand at Balesin was very fine, almost Boracay-like, and the water absolutely clear and warm. I was delighted that Andre joined me as he normally stays away from the beach because of insect bites.
Dinner that night was at Han Gang, the Korean restaurant, where we sampled a variety of Korean appetizers (the kimchi was delicious!) and the meat was grilled in front of us, creating a smoky ambiance. As usual, conversation was interesting, revolving this time around the pluses and minuses of traveling as a group, river vs ocean cruises and gastronomic experiences. We agreed to travel as a group again.
Soon enough our trip to Balesin was over. On the way home, Andre and I were discussing which village we would like to sample next. We both agreed: Mykonos. Oompah!