About Us

Helping folks get outside and settle into nature's pace.

Meet Your Hosts

Our Story

We’re Shan and Pete, co-founders of Anupaya. We’re a pair of light-hearted, down-to-earth nature lovers, deeply in awe of mother nature and we feel privileged and blessed each and every day to spend much of our time outdoors - playing, foraging, learning and growing in these magnificent shared wild spaces of ours.

We started Anupaya because we wanted to create a brand with a higher purpose. We believe that business has the potential to create lasting, positive change in the world and we wanted to create an offering that doesn't just chase the bottom(less) line. Instead, we’ve chosen to align our business and our vision - to the best of our abilities - with the higher goal of working towards protecting and preserving our wild spaces while offering slow, thoughtful experiences to you, our cherished friends and supporters.

Welcome to the Pathless Path. We’re so glad you're here.

A man and woman smiling and looking at each other outdoors in winter, dressed warmly with jackets and a hat and beanie.

A cozy nightstand scene with a warm white paper lantern on top of two stacked books, a small white vase with dried wildflowers, and behind it a beige sofa and a neutral wall with a window covered by a brown woven shade.

A woman in a white dress and wide-brimmed hat sitting on a dock by a lake, looking at the water.

A wooden table with two black cups, a black teapot, a lit yellow candle, and a white card with black text that says 'Settle into Nature's Pace' and 'Anuraya'.

Our Philosophy

Ann-Ooo-Pie-Ahh (like papaya)

Anupaya is a Sanskrit word that means 'The Pathless Path'. It's this notion that our lives aren’t perfect. They are complex and challenging, rare and precious. Your path isn't supposed to be smooth and straight. It's meant to be wild and tangled. You'll stumble and take wrong turns. You'll get lost and a little banged up. There will be challenges and beauty and wonder along the way. And when we embrace this truth, when we allow ourselves to fall and make mistakes, when we choose to honour our journey and celebrate it instead of critique it, life opens up. This philosophy is a simple reminder for us at Anupaya to celebrate the stumbling, to embrace all the twists and turns and to adamantly, wholeheartedly, show up for our lives.

Anupaya Cabin Co. is an immersive wilderness retreat, designed to help you escape the chaos and the clutter, the daily hustle and the endless to-do lists, and allow you to experience the rest and respite that nature has to offer. Come here to unwind, to exhale, to connect to the landscape that surrounds you, and to settle into nature’s pace.

We believe in the immense healing power of nature to help counterbalance the constant stimulation and hyper-connectivity we all experience in our day-to-day lives, reminding us that we are not just in nature, but a part of it.

A woman sitting on an outdoor couch with her legs tucked to her chest, drinking from a mug, wearing a cozy sweater. The scene is in black and white, on a wooden deck next to a wooden wall, with trees visible in the background.

Person standing in shallow water at the beach, wearing a flowing dress and a white shawl.

Four wooden chairs arranged around a fire pit in an outdoor garden, with tall trees and a small building in the background.

Our Location

Anupaya Cabin Co. is a Certified Natural Land Habitat and Certified Sustainable Tourism Organization that sits on 12 acres of beautiful forest, field and shoreline. Nestled between the majestic Upper Ottawa River and the Eastern border of Algonquin Provincial Park, Anupaya boasts a truly remarkable 1200ft white sand beach and incomparable views of the water and Laurentian Hills across the river.

We respectfully acknowledge the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Anishinabewaki and Omamiwininiwag People, whose land we live and work on.

Aerial view of a river flowing through a forested landscape during sunset, with calm water reflecting the sky and distant hills.

The Land & Water

At Anupaya Cabin Co, we prioritize environmental protection and land stewardship. Our land sits along the shores of the Ottawa River - one of the most important and historically significant waterways in Ontario and as such, we strive at all times to honour and respect this highly diverse and sensitive shoreline ecosystem by following best practices as stewards of this magnificent stretch of shoreline.

A garden with raised wooden beds filled with various green plants, trees in the background, a body of water, and hills under a partly cloudy sky.

The Homestead

Our permaculture farm is dedicated to regenerative agriculture, growing food in harmony with Nature, and creating a place of peace and tranquillity for those who visit. We are committed to not only improving the health and vitality of our land but our community and the environment in which we inhabit.

Guests are welcome and encouraged to explore our grounds, sample our gardens and visit our beloved Nigerian Dwarf goats and our beloved Barred Rock chickens.

We rely on permaculture methods such as composting, mulching, rainwater collection, drip irrigation and no-till farming practices. Our goal is to continue learning and growing every year – improving soil fertility, food security, and creating an edible food forest for generations to come.

A woman in a gray coat, beanie, and sunglasses squatting in a forest, holding a flower in her hands.

A small dog with white and brown fur standing among yellow wildflowers and tall green grass in a wooded area.

The ethos of Anupaya’s homestead:

Tending to the land in ways that support and improve the local ecosystem is a commitment we’ve made so that this place can continue to thrive long after we’ve gone.

Person wearing a brown hat feeding a group of black and white striped chickens on grassy ground.

Person harvesting fresh carrots and herbs from a basket at a market or farm stand.

Our Commitments

We started Anupaya because we believe that for-profit companies have an immense capacity to help heal our planet and care for the living beings on it, and we’re committed to using our time, our voices and our business as powerful tools for change. We want to get amongst it, not just talk about how much we care.

Inclusivity

Anupaya Cabin Co. strives to be a place of diversity, inclusivity and acceptance. Our resort is a safe and peaceful space, celebrating and honouring ALL human beings – regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation.

Anupaya is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive, accessible and equitable work environment for all employees.

Certified Living Wage Employer

All people deserve to make a living wage in our country and we are committed to creating a healthy, happy and sustainable company culture at Anupaya. We are so proud to be a Certified Living Wage employer and to offer the respect and appreciation our staff so deeply deserves.

Certified Not 9 to 5

Not 9 to 5 is a non-profit global leader in mental health training and advocacy for the foodservice and hospitality sector. Their vision is physical and psychological safety for everyone in the hospitality and culinary workforce. Not 9 to 5 aims to normalize workplace mental health training, access to accommodations and healthcare benefits, community care support and resources for all.

A black and white image of a dog sitting on a wooden floor under a table with a plate of food, a cup, and some utensils on it.

One Percent For the Planet

We are PROUD 1% For the Planet Members and you can be assured that every time you support Anupaya, we invest 1% of all sales into non-profit organizations working hard to make the world a more resilient and sustainable place.

Our areas of focus are plastic pollution, clean waterways and environmental stewardship initiatives. Our partner for 2024 is Ottawa Riverkeeper, a charitable organization dedicated to protecting, promoting and improving the ecological health and future of the Ottawa River watershed.

Sustainable Tourism Certified

Anupaya Cabin Co has undergone a comprehensive assessment to achieve Sustainable Tourism Silver Certified. The process includes a one-on-one review of our business practices with a GreenStep Assessor to see how we're doing against the Global Sustainable Tourism Council recognized criteria.

Following the assessment, we received a report that recognizes where we are doing well and highlights areas where we have opportunities for improvement, helping us to form an action plan for continued success on our sustainability journey! We will be reassessed every two years to maintain our certification and our momentum!