Pamalican Island- Amanpulo

Pure luxury. That's the only way to describe Amanpulo. This paradise is part of Aman Resorts International. Aman Resorts is a luxury hotel group with 33 destinations. The experiences are unique, glamorous, and expensive. 

The experience of this luxury island starts at the airport. Amanpulo has its own terminal and airplane. There's no security line for Amanpulo guests. Upon arrival you step on a scale, put your luggage through a security scan, and then wait in a comfortable room with snacks and tea. 

The private terminal for Amanpulo guests

Guests take the private plane out to Pamalican Island. A quick 60 minute trip. On the way there you can read through the pamphlet of all the offerings you're about to enjoy at the hotel.

A tiny plane that carries about 20 people takes guests from Manila to Pamalican

The entire island is dedicated to the resort. The only people on the island are the hotel guests and hotel employees. 

Upon arrival, you'll be introduced to your private guest services contact, who will take you for an island tour in your golf cart. Every one is given a golf cart for the duration of the stay. It's incredibly fun to zip around the roads in your own cart. And no matter where you park your cart, each time you return to it, you'll find ice cold bottles of water in the cup holders. 

Me and Ivan, our personal guest service contact for the week

Guests can rent villas or casitas. We were in a tree top casita. The beach and pool are never crowded, so it's not worth spending the extra money for private beach access or private pool.

Enjoying the deck in the tree top casita

The island has everything you could need for a week of luxury. There are multiple restaurants to choose from for your meals. Tennis courts, gym with daily classes, spa, astronomer to guide you star gazing, outdoor obstacle courses, music, and the list goes on and on. To give you an idea of how stress-free this place is I'll give you one example. 

If you want to go on the stand up paddleboard, you let the sports coordinator know. He carries the board all the way down the beach and into the water for you, hands you the paddle when you are ready and off you go. When he sees you coming back to shore, he hustles back to the water to grab the paddle and the board. SYou don't even have time to attempt to bring it onto the beach, they are already right there to assist you. 

Jumping for joy in paradise

I loved having my daily cup of tea on our porch

A path to the beach

A private dinner for two at sunset

A walk to the far side of the island provides white sand, blue water, and no other soul in sight

You come to Amanpulo if you want a high-end experience that is void of any stress. But with that, it's also void of true cultural immersion. We enjoyed it for the 4 days we stayed, but we were also ready to explore the culture of the Philippines.