Boutique hotels
-
Amanpulo
- Style
- Tropical-rustic retreat
- Setting
- Private white-sand island
Pamalican Island Overview
Philippines
- Coastline
- Reef-ringed sandy shores
- Coast life
- Snorkeling, scuba-diving and star-gazing
Pristine Pamalican Island sits pretty in the Philippines' Sulu Sea, surrounded by a breath-snatching stretch of coral reef.
The private paradise of boutique hotel Amanpulo, this Cuyo Islands cay is the last word in castaway-chic. A 70-minute flight from the Philippines capital, Manila, this idyllic getaway is all sugar-white beaches, lush tropical interiors and cerulean, reef-flanked seas.
Perfectly Pamalican Island
Diving is massive here, with seven kilometres of kaleidoscopic coral reef ringing the island, and a PADI Dive Centre offering accredited instructors with tips on the best dive spots and all the top gear for both beginners and seasoned scuba pros.
Local Knowledge
- Taxis
- Who needs taxis when rooms at the island's only resort Amanpulo all come with their own nifty golf buggy, for whizzing around like the Banana Splits. Seriously though, at just two and a half kilometres long and only 500 metres at its widest point, Pamalican is made for walking.
- Siesta and fiesta
- Amanpulo staff will cater to your every whim, so nap when you like and party at your own pace. Breakfast is served from 6am and dinner ends at 9pm. The bar shuts up shop at 11pm. Room service is available 24-hours.
- Packing tips
- Luxe loungewear and your breeziest beach kit, kaftans and straw hats for cruising, something sleek for cocktail hour.
- Recommended reads
- Alex Garland's The Tesseract is a tense thriller set in modern-day Manila, the capital of the Philippines. For something more coastal, snap up his bestseller The Beach, about a young man's trip to a paradisical Thai beach that soon turns hellish.
- Cuisine
- Unless you plan to paddle, you'll be eating at Amampulo. The Restaurant features both international and Filipino dishes; the Beach Club offers Spanish cuisine and fresh-caught seafood; and the Windsurf Hut turns out wood-fired pizzas.
- Currency
- Philippines pesos (PHP) and US dollars (US$) are widely used.
- Time zone
- GMT + 8 hours.
- Dialling codes
- Country code for the Philippines: 63; Pamalican Island: (0)2 (drop the zero if calling from overseas).
- Do go/don't go
- The heat can be searing from March onwards; visit between September and February for balmier temperatures. If windsurfing is your schtick, book your stay for November–May.
Don't go home without...
...spending quality time nodding off in a hammock beneath a swaying palm tree, as the sunset burns out and the changing light dyes the beach a hazy blue.
