Alchemy: Villa Balinmanok: The Hidden Treasure of Pangasinan

Located in Dasol, Pangasinan, Villa Balinmanok is just the best place to relax and enjoy summer. Unlike other tourist destination during summer, Villa Balinmanok is quiet and is not yet popular. It was just an accident when we were finding a place to stay at Tambobong Beach when we came across at Villa Balinmanok. After seeing the pictures of the place and reading some blog I convinced my sister to choose Villa Balinmanok.

Villa Balinmanok is not a hotel type resort, so don't expect a wi-fi, air condition room. Its a normal house with three rooms wherein guests can stay. Guests have an option to rent just a room or the whole house. Aside from the house they also have cottages near the beach.Guests can bring their food or ask the staff to cook food for them. Since Villa Balinmanok is far from the market, it is advisable that guests should bring their food or buy foods that they can cook before heading to the resort.

The sand at Villa Balinmanok is not as white and powdery like those of Boracay or Palawan but its not that bad. The sand feels soft on your feet and the water is clear. The staff said that the water is much clearer during early summer. The sea is not calm since we went at the last week of May and rainy season is making its way. We can hear how the waves hit the large rock formations on the place. I think all of these make the place more beautiful because it has that natural appeal.

Villa Balinmanok is divided into three section. First is the beach front which is where most of their guests stay. This is also where you can see the swing and the raft. The beach front have two cottages and a hut which is slightly atop of the mountain. On the left side is a place they called Jacuzzi because of the holes on the ground. The place is a five minute walk from the resort. The place is beautiful in the afternoon because even if you cannot see the sunset, the sea still reflects the red-orange color of the sun. The staff of the resort recommends that we should visit the place in the morning to watch the sunrise. Although you cannot swim on this part of the resort because of the large waves you can still enjoy it because of its natural beauty. The third section of the place is the beach where you can see the shipwreck. Actually, the shipwreck is one of the deciding factor why we chose Villa Balinmanok. The shipwreck is approximately 50 meters away from the shore hence you cannot have a closer look to it unless you rent a boat to get near it.

Over all, Villa Balinmanok is a great place to stay and spend a summer vacation because of its natural beauty, quiet and relaxing place. It's a place less traveled and less talked about but a place with its own distinct beauty.