AMANPULO: Island luxe in a slice of heaven

Where: Amanpulo, Pamalican Island, 
Who: Mr & Mrs Wanderlust with Little Miss & Newborn  + The whole gang
When: January 2017
What: Triple Birthday Celebration & Our 8th Anniversary!

Palawan has the world's most famous and beautiful beaches like in El Nido, Coron, and Puerto Princesa, where lots of island resorts are located, but tucked in between the islands of Palawan, Panay also adjacent to San Jose (Mindoro) are smaller groups of islands, where Pamalican Island is located. In this particular island, its previous settlers immediately saw the potential of this very beautiful and scenic island that will surely capture your heart.

Pamalican island, as seen from the air, looks like an elongated island that is almost completely flat and surrounded by bright blue crystal clear waters and coral reefs. The island is about 89 hectares and is 2.4 kilometers long. A relaxing walk around the 5.5Km white sand beach will take you about an hour and a half.​

How To Get There:

Amanpulo's remote location and being a luxurious destination meant that it has its own small private airstrip. As far as we know, there are no commercial flights direct to Pamalican Island, and the resort will be the one to provide a private airplane for an hour flight from Manila to the resort upon confirmation of your stay.

From Manila, the flight to south will have the aircraft fly over a total distance of 360 kilometers and will take approximately one hour and ten minutes. Unlike commercial airplanes, the smaller aircraft flies with less altitude which means you get to have a treat of the wonderful aerial view of the places like  Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Mindoro, Coron then finally the Quiniluban Group of Islands before you get to Cuyo Islands where Pamalican Island is part of ~ the home of Amanpulo.

Some of the guests according to the staff may come from Boracay / El Nido or other parts of the country via their private yacht. But no outriggers or other boats are not really permitted in the island.

Where To Stay:

There is nowhere else to stay in the island but Amanpulo, and you probably won't be able to get to the private island without a confirmed booking.

Opened in 1993 as the seventh Aman property (luxurious hotel/property chain). The Filipino word pulo (island), was combined with aman, to mean 'peaceful island'.

The wide expanse of marine environment around the island is a protected marine sanctuary - fishing and dropping anchor in non-designated areas are prohibited, This allows the marine life around the island to continue and flourish, making its reefs perfect for snorkelers and scuba divers.

The rooms in Amanpulo are called Casitas, and were designed by renowned Fiilipino architect Bobby Manosa after the traditional Filipino home bahay kubo.

Amanpulo's remote location meant that the resort has to have its own power supply from generators and water from a desalination plant. In addition, the resort has a small private airstrip & hangar, a sewage treatment plant, and an organic garden.

Mr & Mrs Wanderlust's Review

+ After knowing our trip was a special celebration, our casitas were upgraded.
+ Helpful reservation officers will assist you to your perfect vacay (Thanks Ms. Brigette!)
+ Private plane experience was very smooth and will truly feel like a VIP, no delays/hassle
+ All of the staff from the private airport to the casitas are very warm, welcoming & helpful. 
+ Complimentary dessert and even fresh giant lobster on the house from f&b manager & chef.
+ The resort's staff are very attentive to your needs up to the little details. (Thanks, Jeromel!)
+Very Family friendly even when bringing kids and infant- cribs, strollers, tubs, etc. are provided
+Resort is big, but they provide 5 seater electric carts parked for every casita.
+Spacious and very private feel casita, award winning 'kubo' design
+Interior is good, 90's feel but still wonderfully integrated with modern amenities
+Casita has everything you need, 5-star luxurious feel in the middle of remote island
+Outside the casita has a nice garden w/ shrubs,trees where exotic animals/birds can be found.
+Lovely beach view inside the casita and private beach access a 5 meter walk to the beach
+ Picture perfect beach, finest and whitest powder sand, the whole island is a paradise
+ We can say all the nice things from resort but it will take a whole lot of space :)
+ Wanted to maximize stay on the last day so they gave us a late flight upon request
+ Due to late checkout because of afternoon flight, they provided us casita to stay with no charge.
+ Staff were all attentive and shows concern,from every little detail to make your stay better.

- The food pricing is a bit expensive, and in a remote island you have no choice but only their menu.
- Food was good, world class,considering logistics to the island, but feel they could do better.
- Their pools were nice and picture perfect but since we had an infant, we would have expected a heated pool as the water was too cold (don't get us wrong it is perfect for warm weather - but just felt there should be a small kiddie pool with heated water)


***Rating
Price:  $$$$$$ 60k - 200kPHP+++  (depending on rooms)
Service: 5 star - Staff were friendly and helpful and will make sure everything is taken care of
Facilities & Amenities: 5 star - 90's room design but timeless, fused with modern amenities
Restaurant (foods):5 star Prices are steep as expected, food is good but nothing extravagant
Bar: 4.99 star - Has different bars and good selection of wine / alcohol.
________________________________
Overall: 4.99 /5 stars

What To Do:

The private island may be remote, but its sustainable development allows its guests to enjoy luxuries of a 5 star hotel, in this remote island without even thinking (how was the logistics done, etc.) and most of all without the island's ecosystem being damaged. The resort's staff will just do and worry everything for you, all the guest has to do is to sit, relax, do nothing but enjoy the best beach in the world (subjective, but many would agree with us).

1. Bask in and Enjoy the Best Beach in the World
We haven't seen all the beaches of the world, but knowing most people, and travel enthusiasts who have been to the world's best such as Phuket, Hawaii, Maldives, Bora-Bora, Seychelles always says one thing, nothing can compare to the beaches of the Philippines, and is such a paradise. Now having said that,  we have been to quite a few beaches in our home country and even neighboring ones and we can really say that it is true. Encircled by fine powder white sands similar with that of Boracay, the azure waters and magnificent coral reefs of El Nido, Palawan, luxury of a 5-star resort, and most of all the tranquility, and warmth of Philippine hospitality.

It would be a crime if you choose not to spend your time there by the waters or by the beautiful fine white sand beach. 

2. Snorkeling / Diving
The resort offers complimentary snorkeling trips twice everyday at 10am and 2pm. Using a small modern luxury boat where kids can enjoy snorkeling, and even mommy and baby can have a little piece of shade on a nice corner of the boat, while for the sun and beach'-aholics' alike can lounge on the boat's roof deck where they get best view out in the open.

If you still haven't had enough of snorkeling or perhaps, want to see a certain sea creature that is on the deeper side of the sea, or you are simply underwater diving enthusiast, you may enjoy SCUBA diving activities which is also available in the resort's Dive Centre. Ideal for both novice and experienced divers, they have PADI courses available for everyone. Amanpulo's location in the Sulu Sea is a great place to experience the wonderful underwater world and have anumber of exciting dive sites on both sides of the island which are easily accessible by boat.

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3. Rejuvinate yourself at the Spa
The spa is located at the island's highest point, and that means it has a stunning vista that has the best and breathtaking view of the island. A complimentary hour massage was provided, where you begin by enjoying the cool refreshing lemongrass drink while they let you choose different oils and  scents arranged with labels such as Energize, Relax, Rejuvinate, and Harmonise, which will definitely live up to its name creating an island wellness experience to be fondly remembered.

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4. Stay Active at the Resort
At the sea sports hut beside the resort's beach club, a wide array of equipment including snorkeling gear, kayaks, sailboats, and paddleboards are available. Activities such as water sports lessons, bicycling, fishing trips, boat charters for excursions to the sandbar in Manamoc and other nearby islands and private cruises can be arranged at there. 

The resort also has a couple of tennis courts for those who want to hit the ball. Forgot shoes? You can borrow, and socks are available also for purchase.

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5. Bring the kid to the Kid's Club

Families always have active kids who always want new activities. Just below the Clubhouse, located is the Kid's Club where they have wide range of activities for kids, from toys, educational books, coloring, painting, playground etc. There are even scheduled activities such as Pizza making.

As I have read somewhere, Aman resorts attracts couples, but still stay friendly to families. This means that kids stay happy and busy and as a result, couples can seek tranquil relaxation.

By the way, the resort also offers 'nanny services' on a per hour fee basis. You just have to fill out a form and answer certain questionnaires that relate to the safety and welfare of your kids. But who needs nannies when you have each other, its not like we are attending a wedding event or something, relaxation is spending time with each other.

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6. Watch the Night Sky
On a beautiful clear night with less clouds, on days M-W-F-Sat & Sun at the resort's club house, Amanpulo offers a view of the stars through their 1.8mx.15m astronomical refractor telescope while the staff even helps out in pointing constellations to guests. 

7. Indulge in Island Grown Dining Experience
It is truly a pleasure to be able to dine at Amanpulo where they boast the freshest locally caught seafood, and healthy and organic island grown vegetables and herbs. Upon request and extra charges, you can request an intimate dinner or picnic by the beach, best time done at sunset for a perfect view

8.Take more pictures, swim more, and just enjoy the ultimate luxurious island getaway
Need we say more, we shall let hashtag no filter pictures do the talking. :)

Pricing & Contacts

It would be best to directly contact Amanpulo reservation as prices vary.

Sources/References:
2013 Philippine Forestry Statistics, Forest Management Bureau
Philippines in Figures 2015, Philippine Statistics Authority
Aman Resorts - Amanpulo 
2014 Amanpulo In-flight Guide
Wikipedia.org

Photo Credits:
MP. Gedang - Samsung S7E
Alexi Gedang / Canon /Samsung s7
@mrmrsgedang Aaron & Jane - Osmo / DJI Phantom4 / FujiFilm
Amanpulo Image Bank
Samideleon | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

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