Outdoor adventures & creature comforts

Some things change as one gets older. While long treks in the woods, setting up tents and huddling in a sleeping bag are great fun at a certain age, these activities may become lackluster, uncomfortable and downright tiresome as one gets older.

For certain hardworking adults, long lazy days and pampering by a trained staff are the best way to relax. Unfortunately, their offspring may find this option too slow and boring. This is understandable. Healthy children like to expend their excess energy by playing active games, running, climbing trees and discovering nature. For their part, parents need to encourage their children’s innate curiosity and sense of adventure.

Fortunately, families now have the option to enjoy both. At Anvaya Cove they can sweat it out with mini soccer and Frisbee games on the Great Lawn, row boats on the lagoon, or hold a kayak race on the calm blue sea. When the energy levels have dissipated and the children are content with quieter activities like building sandcastles on the beach, the adults can hie off to the Veda Spa for a relaxing body scrub or enjoy a massage in one of the beachside massage salas. An alternative activity that the whole family can indulge in is to soak together in the pool. As the children swim vigorously and continue with their fun, the adults can just enjoy the sight of their happy children or relax in any of the quiet corners of the distinctively styled swimming pool and catch up with conversation.

Anvaya Cove, Ayala Land Inc.’s first leisure community, is located in Morong, Bataan. The private leisure retreat is an easy 20-minute drive away from the Subic Freeport Area on well-paved roads that are bounded on both sides by verdant foliage. The completion of the Clark-Subic Tollway has greatly improved accessibility to the area. With travel time from Metro Manila considerably reduced by the new highway, urban residents who want to escape fast-paced city living will be able to reach Anvaya faster. Development of the 320-hectare property follows an environmentally attentive plan, taking full advantage of the natural contours of the land and preserving the wildlife that is endemic to the area.

We spent a couple of days at Anvaya and were heartened by the excellent development there. While most of the amenities like the Bamboo Café, Sambali Music Lounge, and Lagoon Suites are in place, landscaping and construction of other facilities are still ongoing.  Despite this, the building activity does not intrude on the quiet, relaxed and restful quality of the place.

Still energetic after an excellent lunch of seafood at the Pawikan Bar and Grill, we embarked on a guided walk on one of Anvaya’s ecological trails.

The ecological walk is fascinating for our city-bred offspring. We marveled at the native knowledge as our specially trained ranger pointed out plants that can be used as a poultice for wounds, poisonous bark that the indigenous people once used to knock out fish for easy fishing downstream, abrasive leaves to scrub and polish floors, and various medicinal and potentially dangerous specimens. The rustling of leaves, the creaking of swaying poles as the wind blew through a thick bamboo grove was delightful — a welcome change from the sound of the city’s bustle.

We hopped on partially submerged rocks to cross a clear stream and were occasionally afforded a glimpse of colorful birds while traversing the forest trail. It is easy to understand how the walk through the semi-wilderness can instill respect and love for the environment in our children.

Back in the club, we nursed our delicious banana-rum drinks and savored dusk atop the Lookout Tower, which commanded sweeping views of the darkening mountains and the sea that reflected the last glimmers of sunset. At last, we were able to decide what we liked most about the place. The best part about the Anvaya development is that pristine nature is so close to the creature comforts that we have become used to.  At Anvaya Cove, you get the best of both worlds.