My Balay Indang Experience: A Place of Tranquility and Serenity

We all crave for that perfect place where we can spend some time away from the hustle and bustle of the city, right?  And as we are all different from each other, we have our own preferences as to what we would like to do once we escape from our chaotic city life.  But sometimes we look for familiar amenities that the city offers like cable television and WIFI connection since we all want to be connected to the outside world as much as we want to have our alone time.  

I knew even before I got to Balay Indang that they did not offer both cable television and WIFI connection.  I know that a lot of people from the city would consider this to be a let down and may even think twice, or even ten times, before they make a reservation to such a place.  But as for me, I welcomed the idea as I wanted to spend time away from the daily stress of city living.  When I got there, I immediately felt the tranquility and serenity that exuded from all sides and corners of the place.

Balay Indang can be considered as a bed and breakfast type of accommodation and at the same time it can be considered as a place of retreat, either to a big group or even to one person who would like to spend some time alone to meditate or maybe even mend a broken heart.   Balay Indang offers a lot of nooks and crannies all around the estate where one can spend time reading a good book, paint, sketch, draw, meditate or simply take a nap after a sumptuous meal.   They offer other amenities like the use of their conference room, swimming pool, billiard table, and they lend out board games too.  They also offer some spa services but you have to make arrangements with the staff as early as possible so that they can make a schedule for you since they do not have their own spa crew.  There is no restriction though on bringing in DVD players or using wireless broadband connections, but I doubt if one can get a signal there. 

The Watch Tower

there are 3 levels, all with lazy boys and day beds

inside the watch tower, one of 3 rooms available for day use

wishing i could just stay there and read or paint or draw

wouldn't you want to just stay there all day?

my fave spot of our room: where i sat while sorting through my photos whenever i had  free time

(Anecdote:  We were talking to the staff one meal time and we found out that aside from big groups who stay there for a week-long retreat or seminar, we were the only ones who stayed there for more than 2 days.  My brother and sister-in-law actually broke their record by staying there for four days and four nights.  Like I said earlier, we all have our own preferences on how we would like to spend our time away from the city.  I would have loved to stay longer but I have a shop to go back to and other responsibilities at home to take care of.  Next time, I may just go back there and spend my time enjoying any one or all of the places in the photos posted above.)

My Balay Indang Experience: Gastronomic Feast

Fiesta ala Balay Indang

Okay, I will now admit that this was the first consideration why I agreed to join my brother, Robel, and sister-in-law, Rose, in Balay Indang.  When Rose told me over the phone what they had for dinner on their first night, I was already salivating and wished that I could teleport myself to Balay Indang right then and there.  In the first two days of their stay in Balay Indang,  Robel and Rose did not do much except eat and sleep, eat some more and sleep some more.  Their break from eating and sleeping was to take some photos of each other as they walked off some of the calories that they took in.  Although Balay Indang offers different packages when it comes to room and board plus meals, the package that they got was the complete room and board with 5 meals a day: breakfast, snacks, lunch, snacks, dinner.  As part of Balay Indang's hospitality and service, every meal time is like being in a fiesta mode.  They serve about five (5) to six (6) dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.   From salad to pasta or noodles, fried or flavored rice, seafood, meat dish then dessert.  And as long as that particular dish is still available, you can ask for refills.  Snacks were either sandwiches, tarts, or favorite Filipino treats like turon or suman, Balay Indang-style.    Rose warned the staff the day before I arrived that she was bringing in someone to help them finish their food, as they would always have leftovers especially with seafood since Robel is allergic to shrimps and crabs. They were confident that, with my help, we would be able to eat what they serve without leaving a single morsel on the table.  But lo and behold, when I got there and had my first meal, I raised the white flag on the first serving alone. Although the 2nd serving of seafood got me to eat some more, the rest of the dishes were left untouched after the 1st round.  We have heard of eat-all-you-can offers, right?  As for the Balay Indang version, we thought that the more appropriate term was: "can-you-eat-all?"  It did not help that even the simplest dish that they would serve tasted like gourmet food.  And as I write this particular blog, I wish that I am back there now, eating like it was my last meal on earth.

I will be sharing some photos that I have available.  And as soon as I find the other food photo files (I thought I saved them in my laptop but as I have checked several times, I can't find them here.  They may be, I hope, in my external hard drive, which is currently hiding from me)  I will post them in my Facebook account and update this blog with the link.

Shrimps with Buko Strips (all mine though Rose got a spoonful or 2 just to try it)

Sotanghon Guisado

Left to right: inihaw na liempo, embotido, fried rice Center: Shrimps with Buko Strips

Gado-Gado (mixed veggies and shrimps with peanut sauce)  I ended up eating most of it since Robel and Rose stayed away from shrimps

Gado-Gado minus the shrimps for Robel

Please check this out for more photos.