In a world where “busy” has become synonymous with “value,” the need to press pause has never been greater. As Anne Lamott said, "Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." This wellness retreat in Tagaytay offers just that—a holistic wellness reset designed to jumpstart your journey toward physical vitality, mental clarity, and emotional calm.

Nurture Wellness Village is a sanctuary where guests can restore their sense of well-being.

The vision behind Nurture Wellness Village, guided by its founder, Cathy Turvill, and co-owner and husband, Mike Turvill, is to provide a sanctuary where guests can restore their sense of well-being and reconnect with themselves with honesty and awareness. Cathy’s approach to wellness isn’t about a quick fix; it's about a sustainable, holistic transformation that nourishes the body, mind, and spirit. And this family weekend retreat embodies that philosophy in every mindful activity.

Day 1: A Warm Welcome to Wellness

Our wellness reset began with a fresh, nourishing lunch at Farmer’s Table Tagaytay. There’s something incredibly grounding about sitting down to a meal that’s not only delicious but also consciously sourced from local farmers. The farm-to-table dishes embody the essence of healthy, wholesome eating, and the airy, vibrantly green atmosphere soothes the senses, along with the sound of rustling leaves dancing in the cool breeze.

Farmer’s Table Tagaytay is inviting, breezy, and picturesqueThe banana heart crispy calamari was a good appetizer to start our nutrient-dense lunch. Served with homemade marinara, tartare, and spiced vinegar for dipping, the crunchy snack provided a surprising vegan delight. The homemade labneh and tomato caprese, topped with fresh herbs and malunggay-pesto (served with Mediterranean bread), is packed with nutrients and rich, velvety textures, a good contrast to the first dish. The plant-based kale Caesar salad provided a robust flavor and hearty texture, and the garlic lemon-tahini Caesar dressing softened and tied everything together, making it more enjoyable to eat. 

The farm-to-table dishes embody the essence of healthy and wholesome eating.For the mains, the California-style roasted rosemary lemon garlic chicken was succulent and aromatic, stuffed with roasted root veggies and kale, served with tangy and savory olive-rosemary jus. Another decadent main is their fresh and tender grilled chili garlic butter blue marlin steak, topped with crispy garlic, garden herbs, and cherry tomatoes. To wash it all down, their signature pineapple kale smoothie was refreshing, but if you prefer something lighter, the three berry iced lemon tea is a guilt-free indulgence, sweetened by stevia. 

Tahana Tagaytay’s charming and quaint loft good for six pax, the Maamo VillaAfter our big, healthy lunch, we headed to Tahana Villas, the Turvills’ 4-villa compound and latest brand of accommodations, and we checked into the newly constructed Maamo Villa. True to its name, the one-bedroom loft type B&B is charming, with thoughtful amenities that aim to comfort and nourish. The beddings were inviting for restful sleep, healthy snacks were available for a little indulgence, the kitchen and dining were wide and spacious with complete basic tools and equipment for home cooking, and the provided Damana toiletries offered plant-based self-care rituals. The villa’s peaceful ambiance with modern-Filipino interiors and warm hospitality makes it easy to unwind and disconnect from the demands of everyday life, plus the lush greenery and butterflies fluttering around add a whimsical experience. 

The graceful and beautiful Cathy Turvill, founder of Nurture Wellness VillageOnce settled, Cathy welcomed us with a Wellness Wheel activity, an interactive and introspective exercise that helped us identify our current state of wellness so we could set meaningful intentions for the weekend. It was a powerful start to our reset—to know where one is headed, one must first know where he is.

We then made our way towards the small garden patch in front of our villa for a gentle grounding activity where we walked barefoot on the grass, along with a sensorial meditation where Cathy encouraged us to feel the surroundings while breathing in the cool, fresh air, reconnecting with nature, and calming our nervous system. Cathy is a firm believer in the healing power of nature, and this experience embodies her philosophy of grounding as a tool for mental clarity and emotional balance. We ended our activity with a basic Tai Chi session, led by Jane, one of the empowered single moms under Cathy’s wing, who is also a wellness therapist. These fluid movements are designed to clear the mind, improve mobility, and energize the body—perfect for aligning one’s energy with the natural rhythms of the retreat.

It’s so simple yet profound how nature heals.To refuel the body, Cathy invited us for tea at Botika ni Lola, just a few steps away from our villa. There, we met Nanay Lina, one of her beloved caretakers. She has a wealth of knowledge on botanical and phyto medicine, a practice where plant parts are used to cure illnesses and treat physical ailments. She welcomed us warmly in her classic Filipiniana outfit, and we were instantly dazzled by her bubbly personality. In no time, she shared stories of how her parents taught her herbalism, how she’s never stepped foot inside a hospital, and how she gave birth to 8 of her children all by herself. Her strength and vitality are visible at 63 years old. As we spent time drinking her freshly brewed, 5-plant tea, we were left in awe at her resilience while she shared more of her unique life experiences.

Nanay Lina is living proof that plants have healing powers.As the skies were colored with strokes of pinks for sunset, I made my way to Nurture Wellness Village for a massage. Nurture Spa takes pride in our Filipino roots, from their highly trained licensed therapists down to their freshly blended therapeutic massage oils. Under their Kalinga Touch Therapy is the Aruga massage, their signature massage that offers relief from anxiety and tension. It uses Hulay massage oil, a soothing blend of lavender, cedar wood, and grapefruit essential oils that gave me a deep sense of tranquility and relaxation. A perfect way to ease into my slumber after a good Day 1. 

Nurture Spa takes pride in our Filipino roots while providing world-class service and treatments.

Day 2: Engaging the Body for Active Wellness

By the second day, I had fully settled into the retreat, ready for the next set of activities. We started early with a pineapple picking excursion, connecting with the earth and enjoying the fresh, local produce that Tagaytay is known for. Nanay Lina guided us, giving us tips on how to pick sweet ones: the eyes of the pineapple must be “fully awake”, the base of the body must be yellow, and the leaves of the crown must be easy to pluck. There's something deeply therapeutic about working with the land and harvesting fresh fruits, and it’s a moment that encouraged us to reconnect with nature while enjoying her bounty. We left with three golden pineapples and returned to our villa, where Angeline, Nurture Wellness’ senior therapist, taught us how to make three delicious and healthy plant-based, blended shakes for digestion, skin hydration, and heart health. We had so much fun learning new recipes and taking shots of her concoctions! 

Pineapple picking is a therapeutic & enjoyable activity Cathy included in our itinerary. We rested for an hour, then dove into a challenging pool workout led by ProFit, the fitness program provider of Nurture Wellness Village. Also known as “Professionals in Fitness,” the husband-and-wife team of Shirley and Nap Quejada is committed to professionalizing the fitness industry in the Philippines. Established in the 90s, ProFit has made it a touchstone of its education and training modules to emphasize fitness and wellness as a lifestyle, the same ethos that the Turvills uphold.

Designed to engage the body without straining it, the water-based exercises were a gentle yet effective way to strengthen muscles and increase flexibility, and the pool provides the perfect environment for this low-impact yet revitalizing session. It was led by Shirley and her son, Coach Joaquin, who graduated from U.P. Diliman, with a degree in Sports Science (magna cum laude) specializing in strength and conditioning, functional training, and basic calisthenics among many others.

A pool workout is challenging and tiring, yet refreshing and gentle on the joints.

Next up after our re-energizing lunch is the fitness exam and assessment. This session brought us back to our physical education days and showed us the baseline of where we were. The ProFit team helped us understand our body’s distinct capabilities with a series of tests, which were logged and collected for our final assessment. The fitness exams, which focused on flexibility, endurance, and core strength, were capped off with a 6-station circuit workout, followed by a fun partner yoga session to cool down and stretch. Our bodies were sore and tired, but the happy hormones (AKA endorphins) kicked in and we all felt a sense of accomplishment.

After my rejuvenating shower, I’d like to think I earned a massage session, so off I went to Nurture Spa again. For muscle recovery, Cathy recommended I try the Nilaib massage, their local version of hot stone therapy that uses steamed pouches wrapped in banana leaves that help melt the aches and pains away. I quickly felt relief and was immediately lulled to sleep, and for the next 90 minutes, I was in pure recovery bliss.

Day 3: Taking Home Wellness

Nanay Lina dropped by on the final day to greet us with a good morning. She brought potted herbs—she remembered that we enjoyed the parsley shake and tarragon tea. It was a sweet gesture, but nothing too unique, as we’ve consistently noticed the staff are friendly and kind. Before checking out, we got a visit from the ProFit team for our personalized wellness advice. Coach Joaquin gave each of us a reading of our test results, followed by recommendations that integrate the practices and insights from the weekend into our daily lives.

My Country House is an excellent place for family bonding, forest bathing, and elevated dining.The journey culminates with a delicious and hearty lunch at My Country House, where we savored a delicious and fulfilling meal, with the comforting ambiance that exudes an opulent ancestral home with views of a sprawling garden. While waiting for our orders, we strolled around the garden to catch some sunlight and do a bit of forest bathing for energy and tranquility. Games and activities were playfully scattered around for outdoor recreation and family bonding, too. 

Freshly made Caesar dressing, the Italian wayTo start, the tableside kale & romaine Caesar salad was a crowd pleaser. True to the Italian way, they prepared the dressing right before us, made with the freshest ingredients. We also had the creamy burrata and beets salad with juicy dalandan bits and roasted pistachios for added texture, and my highly recommended Miso Bana Cauda, which is a platter of skewered fresh veggies with the unforgettable miso butter anchovy fondue to whet the appetite. For mains, their hearty and meaty Sunday Pochero warmed our bellies with its delectable beef bone broth brimming with Spanish chorizo, chicken, ox tail, and beef shanks. On the lighter side, the chef’s special melting salmon was flavor-packed with layers of asian herb relish, with red and white miso. It was tender and succulent, hence its name. The butter of the gods, their well-seasoned roasted bone marrow, was a nice addition for extra protein. For sweet endings, their tropical fresh fruit bowl was a wholesome dessert, and their fruit pavlova with calamansi curd was tarty and crisp, which had good balance of textures on the palate. 

Our deliciously healthy & hearty spread at My Country House Tagaytay

As we prepared to leave, our cups were full from this wellness retreat—not just from the physical relaxation but also from the renewed mindset—a powerful reminder that holistic wellness is not a destination but a continuous journey. Cathy’s vision for Nurture Wellness Village has always been to offer people the tools they need to pursue the best they can be in all areas of their lives. This weekend retreat is just the beginning of that transformative process.

The experience at the Turvills’ establishments isn’t just about a temporary escape; it’s about setting a sustainable foundation for your wellness journey. What I loved the most was how Cathy’s team was considerate of our interests, starting points, and ages. The result was a perfectly curated, enjoyable, and restful weekend.

So, take a deep breath, press reset, and embrace the opportunity to reconnect with yourself holistically. Tagaytay awaits.

Customized retreat itineraries are available at Tahana Villas and Nurture Wellness Village upon request. Perfect for couples, families, and groups of friends. Follow them on Instagram @tahanatagaytay and @nurturewellnessvillage. For a refreshing and superb Tagaytay dining experience, check out @mycountryhousetagaytay and @farmerstabletagaytay.