A few of our more memorable family staycations were in the middle of a natural forest, with a short walk to a body of water like a beach or a lake, and just less than 90 minutes away from Manila.
LAKE FOREST MANSION is one such place–the luxurious sanctuary of Club Balai Isabel resort in Talisay, Batangas, just beside Lake Taal. It’s the perfect spot for a high-end staycation, with butler and maid service, and the option for a romantic poolside dinner.
Here’s a photo essay and some tips to have an awesome staycation at Lake Forest Mansion…
LAKE FOREST MANSION
Your Luxurious Lakeside Sanctuary
Talisay, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone: +632 897-0229
Mobile: +63 906 518-5491
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClubBalaiIsabel
Twitter: @clubbalaiisabel
Instagram: @clubbalaiisabel
Website: http://www.balaiisabel.com/
POOLSIDE DINNER
One of the best features of Lakeside Mansion is the romantic poolside dinner for your family and friends, prepared by Club Balai’s Chef & culinary team.
We love the Tilapia Kilawin (raw fish cooked with vinegar) topped with vegetables to start off the dinner.
The vegetables are fresh from the farm and served with a light vinaigrette or your preferred sauce.
The specialty of the house is the big Red Tilapia from Taal Lake….
…and grilled to your liking beside the pool.
Here are our favorite specialty dishes from Club Balai Isabel:
Tinola (P280 for 3-4 persons). Slow cooked native chicken with ginger lemongrass broth.
Balai Bagnet (P360). Crispy deep fried pork belly served with local salsa and bagoong.
Kalderetang Kambing (P450 for 3-4 persons). Traditional goat stew in spicy tomato liver sauce.
Chicken Inasal (P300). Lemongrass-marinated grilled chicken baste with annatto oil.
You can request for a violinist from the local Talisay community to serenade the group.
End with their special Chocolate Lava cake for dessert.
LAKE FOREST MANSION
The first Lake Forest Mansion is now on soft opening, with a total of 7 rooms that can each accommodate a family of 4.
You can reserve either the whole mansion or just one room. In the latter, this common area is where you’re likely meet the other families that booked a stay in the mansion.
The whole house is yours for the duration of your stay. You even get your own butler and maid service the whole time.
(Note: Outside food is not allowed; you have to pre-order the food if you want to eat in the kitchen in the mansion)
ROOM 202
We love this spacious room on the second floor, with a King Bed and adjacent Queen Bed that can comfortably fit our family.
The bathroom has a luxurious space that can fit all the boys taking a bath at the same.
I also like the huge cabinet space where you can unpack your luggage and really treat it as your own room for that weekend.
There are intimate corners and veranda tables you can use to hang out privately for one-on-one meetings or endless story telling sessions.
ROOM 203
We also booked the nearby room on the second floor for the extended members of our family.
The bathroom is modern, clean, and comfortable to move around in.
All the rooms are equipped with a small refrigerator, mini kitchen, kettle, coffee, and water.
There’s enough space to play Playstation Virtual Reality games.
In the morning, we had the pool all to ourselves!
The older boys could play water battle while the smaller ones stayed in the kiddie pool.
TERRAZA CAFE
We would walk leisurely for 1o to 15 minutes to the Terraza Cafe for lunch and get a relaxing view of Taal Volcano.
Terraza Menu: Salad & Appetizers, Hearty Soups & Stews, Vegetables, Noodles & Rice | Grilled & Fried Corner, Seafood, Dessert | Pizza
You can order family-style from the Filipino/Batangas-inspired menu. Budget P500/head.
On weekends, check out the Nature’s Farmacy morning market where they sell natural medicines from plants, Himalayan Crystal Pink Salt, Forrest Berries, and even Club Balai Isabel crops.
During sunset, it’s nice to hangout by the pool and witness a romantic wedding by the lake.
Quatro Formaggi Pizza (P280 – double). Pecorino, gorgonzola, parmesan, mozzarella.
For dinner, we would just take home some pizza and eat it in the Forrest Lake Mansion communal kitchen or by the pool.
We’ve almost eaten all the items in the Terraza Menu! Here are our recommendations:
Balai Lechon Liempo (P380). Slowly roasted lemongrass-marinated pork belly.
Pinangat na Laing (P220). Steamed taro leaves slowly braised in coconut cream and local spices.
Kare-Kare (P450). Oxtail slowly simmered in annatto, rice, and peanut sauce with local vegetables.
Overall, we enjoyed our time at Lakeforest Mansions.
It’s really perfect for family staycations, school reunions, milestone celebrations, mini-team buildings, or masterminding sessions, especially if you’re looking to escape the traffic and madness of Manila.
It would be best if you could book all 7 rooms in the mansion so that you can have the house all to yourself. You have your own chef, butler, and maid service. You can also arrange a romantic poolside dinner during one of the nights to celebrate a special occasion. Just remember, outside food and cooking by yourself are not allowed. You have to eat your meals at the Terraza Cafe or order takeout and eat them in the mansion.
The house is located in the middle of the forest and does not have a view of the lake. But at least you’re secluded from the many people visiting Club Balai Isabel on weekends.
Make sure to book ahead especially if you plan to go this summer, on long weekends, or holidays.
LAKE FOREST MANSIONS
Your Luxurious Lakeside Sanctuary
Talisay, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone: +632 897-0229
Mobile: +63 906 518-5491
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClubBalaiIsabel
Twitter: @clubbalaiisabel
Instagram: @clubbalaiisabel
Website: http://www.balaiisabel.com/
Room Rate: P14,500 per night
inclusive of:
• breakfast
• butler service
• maid service
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Disclosure: Our experience was courtesy of Nelson Terrible of Club Balai Isabel. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.
P.S. For the trip back home, we would order the crispy sisig, crispy liempo, or lechon manok from Fae-Fae–the pride of Batangas.
Crispy Sisig (P150). Made from finely chopped liempo mixed with onions, mayonnaise, and sili.
Check out the Fae-Fae Menu. You won’t miss this corner take-out stall in the middle of the town, which is near Club Balai Isabel.
wow beautiful scenes and mouth watering food… thanks author for this post loved it