Stylish resort strives to make staying ashore as pleasurable as diving itself

By Tessa Prieto-Valdes
Philippine Daily Inquirer

AIYANAR Clubhouse in Anilao

Now that March is here, it’s time to check out properties outside Manila. One destination very near Manila that is somewhat off the radar is Anilao in Batangas.

SPACIOUS guest rooms of Aiyanar

Long a scuba divers’ haven, Anilao’s good mix of reefs, clear waters, sandy slopes, caves and piers has attracted a number of homeowners and resorts. It is still primarily the center of underwater tourism in the country, with hundreds of foreign divers visiting to enjoy its diversely rich ocean flora and fauna.

So there are two property plays in Anilao. First off is the dive resort. One of my faves is Aiyanar Beach & Dive Resort (www.aiyanar.com, tel. 0917-883-1439), a recent discovery after a family scuba diving weekend.

Aiyanar is the epitome of a stylish resort that strives to make staying ashore as pleasurable as diving itself. Strategically situated on the mountainside off the Anilao peninsula, Aiyanar has a grand panoramic view of the sunset against the ocean’s vast expanse.

The resort only has 16 luxuriously furnished rooms, all elegantly designed to blend perfectly with the natural landscape. Each room has a small balcony facing Balayan Bay. Inside are two queen-sized beds and a surprisingly large bathroom with a double sink. All the amenities are that of any first-class resort.

THE INFINITY pool with 15-foot dive pool

The rooms overlook an infinity pool and courtyard, with a large clubhouse  on the southern side of the property. The food is provided by a caterer called Sweet Bella, and is all topnotch. The courtyard is a perfect field for kids who may want to play volleyball or soccer.

The pool outwardly seems like any infinity pool, but this one shows the scuba DNA of the resort. One side is a deep area for scuba training, and a nicely designed stone walkway that meanders in the midst of the pool actually functions very well to allow instructors to get closer to their students.

Of course, the central attraction of the resort is the diving and watersports facility. This area is completely designed for the avid scuba diver, and in addition offers other activities such as jet skiing, wakeboarding, banana boat, fun 4 all, and Redondo.

Underwater photographers are specially looked after. In addition to topside facilities for every strobe and lens, even the dive boats are designed to be longer and wider, and thus better suited for the extra equipment.

The camera room is so large that up to 18 photographers can be simultaneously working on their equipment without getting into each other’s way. The camera room even has air hoses for blasting and drying cameras, and the tables are all covered with nonslip rubber to further protect the gear.

Aiyanar is just one of many high-end dive resorts in the Anilao area. As the industry booms, the resort owners all seem to be upping the ante on one another. “Can you top this?” seems to be the new resort mantra, all of which can only redound to the overall attraction of the property in the area.

Probably the more interesting property play in Anilao is the private home. All along the peninsula are a number of individual homes, some of which are spectacular in design and execution.

I’d write more about them but that is all probably best reserved for another column, when I can allot enough space for pictures to do the private properties justice.

Follow @tessavaldes on Twitter or visit www.tessaprietovaldes.com.

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