The return to Anya was a pause in the work week. Marilen Gonzalez-Elizalde was conducting a two-day Crossroads to Wellness session at the luxury resort in Tagaytay. The prospect of relaxing in cooler climes, indulging in fine gastronomy and yielding to the skilled therapists at the Niyama spa were incentives for an immediate sign-up.

However, activities and appointments leading up to the two-day event threatened to encroach on the anticipated respite. It was only the morning when I settled into the backseat of the car that the resolve to take a break won over the stress of never-ending things to get done.

The imaginative series of culinary collections culminated in a remarkable gustatory adventure through the collaboration of two famed chefs, Chele Gonzalez and Mike Calo.
Anya Resort Tagaytay hosted the final run of the Samira Culinary Collection. The event was conceptualized by Gallery by Chele’s Chef Chele Gonzalez in collaboration with Chef Miko Calo.

Beautiful Butuan, which is the capital of Agusan Del Norte, is known as the Timber City of the South. It is strategically placed as a center for commerce, industry, and administration in the Caraga region, with a well-connected road network that makes it a key point of access to other major cities in Northern Mindanao. There is also a significant development for tourism, with Butuan’s attractions that include natural wonders and remembrances from the city’s historic past as a center for thriving maritime trade.

Anya Hospitality Group (AHG), known for luxury destinations like Anya Resort Tagaytay, Club Punta Fuego and Terrazas de Punta Fuego, is expanding its portfolio with two new properties this year.

Elizalde-led AHG is venturing north of Manila with Brio de Agoho. Its newest jewel in Zambales promises to be the first high-end resort and hotel in Central Luzon. Nestled along the coastline of Baranggay Uacon in Candelaria, Zambales on a sprawling 1.12 hectare property, this hidden gem beckons to those seeking an escape from the fast-paced city life.

Gone are the days of day spas — a quick rubdown in Manila, and then back to the maw of stress and toxicity. Niyama Wellness Center at Anya Resort Tagaytay, run by spa director Carol Laguna, is all about transporting yourself to a holistic wellness experience that can change your life.

We traveled to Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Spain and back again via a dinner by chefs Chele Gonzalez and Rhea Rizzo—the latest team-up in Anya Resort Tagaytay’s Samira Culinary Collection series, where guest chefs are invited to collaborate with the chef behind Samira by Chele.

Chef Rhea Rizzo is known for her bespoke private dining restaurant Mrs. Saldo’s in nearby Silang, Cavite, her family’s personal farm/country estate that she converted into a culinary destination, complete with artisanal bakery and cooking school.

MANILA, Philippines — Anya Resort Tagaytay’s flagship restaurant, Samira by Chele Gonzalez, continues its series of culinary collections. For January, it teamed up with Chef Josh Boutwood of Ember to create a seven-course menu designed to tickle the palates of the resort’s discriminating guests.

Our gastronomic voyage began with white and red Sangria and the deliciously concocted Salt Margarita by sommelier Chico Silva.

Collaborative dinners present an opportunity for chefs to learn from each other, bringing in their signature dishes or techniques and broadening their culinary horizon in the process.

But it takes more than skill and innovation for a four-hands dinner to be truly memorable. It requires humility and moving out of one’s comfort zone – both for the host chef and the guest chef.

The Department of Tourism believes that the Philippines has the potential to attract visitors looking for health and wellness facilities and services, thus the inclusion of health and wellness tourism in its National Tourism Development Plan for 2023-2028.

Niyama Wellness by AHG seeks to support this initiative by the DOT by offering full-service spa and wellness management and consultancy to developers, owners and operators of leading hotels, resorts, and spa projects nationwide.

The Anya Hospitality Group (AHG), a member of the Roxas family-controlled Roxaco Land Corp., is promoting a spa and wellness management consultancy service to property developers, hotel and resorts owners and the spa stand alone business called Niyama Wellness, it is the first local spa consultancy company in the Philippines that offers management services to spa and wellness owners. Right now, the local consultants in the country are working on an individual basis. This makes Niyama a cut above the rest as it can offer a more comprehensive plan for the interested parties.