Pamalican Island, Philippines

Amanpulo

Price per night from$1,500.00

Price information

If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (including tax) available in the next 60 days.

Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (USD1,500.00), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.

Style

Tropical-rustic retreat

Setting

Private white-sand island

On remote, reef-fringed Pamalican Island, Amanpulo boutique hotel in the Philippines offers Crusoe luxe, with snow-white beaches, crystal-clear seas, pristine diving and endless watersports. After a tough day on the beach, recoup in the spa, then retire to your airy casita deck. The 'peaceful island' delivers on the elusive fantasy of getting away from it all.

Smith Extra

Get this when you book through us:

A one-hour Amanpulo massage for two

Facilities

Photos Amanpulo facilities

Need to know

Rooms

42 casitas and 18 villas.

Check–Out

Leave at 7am for 9am flight connections; 12pm for 2pm flights (not flexible due to flight departure schedule). Check-in, 3pm (flexible, subject to availability).

Prices

Double rooms from £1306.85 ($1,650), including tax at 10 per cent.

More details

Rates usually include breakfast and resort activities (non-motorised boats, tennis, gym and daily group classes). Return flight transfers are charged extra – US$660 per adult; US$450 per child (2–11 years).

Also

In your room you’ll find your own island survival kit, including a straw beach bag and hat which you’re welcome to keep as a memento of your Amanpulo adventure.

At the hotel

Spa, PADI dive centre, water sports cemtre, tennis courts, gym, yoga and pilates studio, gardens, kite and surfing centre (open seasonally), golf cart for each casita, library, boutique, free WiFi throughout. In rooms: flatscreen satellite TV, speakers, minibar and coffee-making kit.

Our favourite rooms

Inspired by native bahay kubo dwellings, all rooms have timber frames and pitched roofs with rustic island styling. Mermaids and mermen will love the five Beach Pool Casitas or 24 Beach Casitas, as you can saunter straight onto the sandy beach and into the waves. Or for dreamy island views, opt for a Deluxe Hillside Casita. The Villas offer opulent, airy living and dining pavilions, with private pools and a cook, ideal for families or friends.

Poolside

Bordered by vibrant bougainvillea trellises, the 30-metre, aqua-tiled swimming pool stretches out in front of the Clubhouse. Bask on your umbrella-shaded sun-bed or one of the three open-air salas where comfy mattresses reign supreme.

Spa

If all that beach-flopping has left you with sunlounger sores, intimate Aman Spa offers local Cuyonin healing treatments. One of its many soothing therapies, the Pag-Asa massage, uses healing methods from local therapists, and a portion of the proceeds are donated to the island's nearby health centre.

Packing tips

An underwater camera for snapping freaky fish. Daniel Defoe’s novel Robinson Crusoe for castaway inspiration. A rash shirt for snorkelling without burning.

Also

Casitas and Villas can take three adults, two adults and two or three children subject to approval (under-5s go free; there's a daily $20 charge for breakfast) for under-12s. Beds for over-12s and adults cost $200, excluding tax and includes breakfast.

Children

Welcome: baby cots and extra beds or day-beds for up to two under-11s can be provided for free; it's US$20 a night (including breakfast) for a third child. Babysitting with hotel staff can be arranged from US$20 an hour, with advanced notice.

Best for

Children old enough to swim and enjoy the wide range of watersports and kids' club activities.

Recommended rooms

The two- or four-bedroom villas work well for families, with a living/dining pavilion, outdoor lounge, private pool, and a handy cook and maid.

Activities

Family-friendly Amanpulo's kids' activity coordinator hosts a range of indoor and outdoor distractions, including arts and crafts, movie nights, tree-planting and organic gardening. Older kids will enjoy the resort's active mix of tennis, nature walks, cycling, swimming, snorkelling, marine sports (such as windsurfing, kayaking and sailing) and dive centre (for kids aged eight or over only). Little ones will love watching turtles hatch in season.

Swimming pool

There isn't a dedicated children's pool.

Meals

Children are welcome in the hotel's restaurants which offers a kids' menu. Lunch at the Lagoon Club is bound to be a hit, with pizzas cooked in a wood-burning oven and served on the beach.

Babysitting

Babysitting is available from US$20) an hour with advanced notice.

No need to pack

Baby cots and high chairs are provided for free.

Also

Day-beds are available (up to two in some rooms) free of charge for up to two under-11s.

Sustainability efforts

The hotel is involved in turtle conservation and supports the surrounding island communities through the Andres Soriano Foundation. Food is locally sourced, with organic and homegrown produce where possible, and most staff are local.

Food and Drink

Photos Amanpulo food and drink

Top Table

Any pew at the Beach or Lagoon Club will deliver mesmerising sea views, or crank up the romance with a private picnic or barbecue in your casita, on the sand or on a neighbouring isle.

Dress Code

From beach casual to Ab Fab kaftan chic, depending which eatery you plump for. This is the place fashion designers have in mind when they dream up their resort collections.

Hotel restaurant

Choices, choices… The poolside Restaurant at the Clubhouse serves up flavoursome Filipino and southeast Asian cuisine, with views out to the pool. Settle indoors amid coconut-shell tables, Cebu rattan chairs and local lawan wood columns, or head outside to the terrace for informal dining. For just-caught seafood and tasty Spanish tapas by the sea, make for the chilled-out, open-air Beach Club pavilion, where loungers and shaded seats face the sand (the huevos rancheros are delicious). Don't miss Pizza at the Lagoon Club, where thin-crust pizza are whipped up in a wood-fired oven for munching by the waves. The chocolate and strawberry one rocks. If you'd rather dine in privacy, ask the hotel staff to set up a romantic dinner where you please.

 

Hotel bar

Fancy some star-gazing with your sangria? At the Lobby Bar in a corner of the Clubhouse knowledgable staff can point out the constellations while you peer through the terrace telescope. Enjoy an apéritif at the marble-topped bar or an after-dinner liqueur with a cigar on the terrace, often accompanied by live music by local guitarists or harpists (guitars are big news in the Philippines). There's also the floating Kawayan pontoon bar if you don't mind swimming out to enjoy your liquid refreshment.

Last orders

Breakfast at the Clubhouse and Beach Club is served from 6am–10.30am, lunch from noon–3pm, and dinner from 6pm–10.30pm.

Room service

Available 24-hours, offering global and Filipino fare.

Location

Photos Amanpulo location
Address
Amanpulo
Pamalican Island Sulu Archipelago
Palawan
Philippines

Amanpulo is the only resort on the private, uninhabited island of Pamalican, part of the Quiniluban group of Cuyo Islands in Palawan province, 360 kilometres south-west of capital Manila.

Planes

The island has its own airstrip and is only accessible by plane. Fly into the Philippines' capital's Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (www.manila-airport.net), where you can pick up the super-scenic 70-minute flight to the island; Roundtrip transfers are charged at US$660 per adult and US$450 for children aged 3 to 11, under-2s go free. There's a 20kg weight limit a passenger, including hand luggage. Enjoy panoramic views as you wing your way there on the propeller twin-engine plane. Same day transfers between the airport and Amanpulo Lounge in Manila are free, and private transfers can be arranged on request.

Automobiles

Car rental for non-airport trips can be arranged upon request.

Other

There are usually two daily scheduled flights in and out of Pamilican Island from and to Manila, but those wanting more flexibility can ask the resort about private charter flights.

Worth getting out of bed for

Take your pick from swimming, snorkelling and world-class dive sites clustered around the myriad reefs ringing Pamalican Island, with a PADI dive school able to teach beginners from age eight or guide experienced divers. Clear water, colourful coral and abundant marine life make the Palawan waters a dream to explore (look out for tiny cleaner shrimps and large sea turtles). Sailing, fishing and kayaking are on offer at the Seasports Hut, with non-motorised watersports largely free during the day. There's also a kite and surfing centre that opens seasonally between December and March.

If romance, rather than action, floats your boat, embark on one of Amanpulo's cruises, with sunset, moonlight and starlight options, as well as island-hopping jaunts to neighbouring isles. If you've swum to your heart's content in the pool, then why not splash your way out to the Kawayan pontoon bar, a bamboo platform raft where bartenders dish up cocktails. On land, tennis, walks, daily group classes – including circuit training, Pilates and jungle runs – and a gym await.

If even that sounds like hard work, then Aman Spa is for you (parents, leave your progeny in the well-tended Kids' Club, while you take a break). Treatments inspired local island herbs and plants are our top tip, such as the 90-minute Honey and Milk Hydration Journey, which starts with a sugar body scrub, before a raw-honey body wrap, face mask and scalp massage. The treatment finishes with a coconut milk bath and a full body massage using organic propolis oils.

Local restaurants

Amanpulo is the only resort on pristine Pamalican Island, and there are no other cafés, restaurants or businesses here. Luckily, the hotel's ample dining options should keep your palette tickled.

Reviews

Photos Amanpulo reviews
Jaime Rose Scudamore

Anonymous review

By Jaime Rose Scudamore, Sassy traveller

Expectation can be a terrible thing. For weeks Mr Smith and I have been counting down to our Philippine weekend jaunt. Fantasising about tropical downtime has kept us afloat during Hong Kong’s chilly winter. As we board the private jet that is whisking us off to Amanpulo, our luxury escape on Pamalican Island, I start to fear that nothing could match my inflated expectations. Yet the moment the sea transitions from undulating expanses of dull blue to vibrant turquoise edging onto white sand, it dawns on me that any disappointment is going to arise from returning to normal life. It feels as though we’ve been granted VIP access to this privileged private isle. Mr Smith and I don’t need to exchange words – our jaws drop in unison and mouths remain wide open for the duration of our stay.

Aging gracefully seems to be Amanpulo’s mantra. Built almost 20 years ago, the hotel hasn’t attempted to modernise itself unnecessarily. Rather than relying on modern gadgets and trumped-up design, the setting, service and quality speak for themselves. While the rooms feel more rustic than ritzy, this pared-back charm allows the beauty of the island to stand out rather than be overshadowed.

Sprinkled across the island is a seductive range of facilities, but instead of lingering in the library or seeking out the spa, we make a beeline for our Beach Casita, gloriously separate from anyone and anything else on a secluded stretch of beach. Our giant villa is simply styled with dark wood furniture and crisp white cushions. The sprawling bedroom leads through to a bathroom of the same size, where a pair of straw hats urge us to head along the path, past our two-person hammock, down towards the sea. As I scan the horizon, toes ensconced in cashmere-soft sand, Mr Smith dons his new hat and declares himself the modern-day Robinson Crusoe.

From this private patch, there’s not a soul in sight, allowing for hours of sun-kissed book reading and sea-swaddled embraces. Rather than feeling hauntingly empty, the lack of human interaction (continued in the spa and restaurants) heightens the romance of our stay.

As we’re drawn into this laid-back way of living, however, paradise decides to spit up some romantic hurdles. A real chore is choosing how to navigate between the sprawling restaurants, hilltop spa with panoramic views, pavilion-lined pool and our homey casita.

Mr Smith’s preference lies in scooting along the interior paths (flanked by reclining lizards and coconut trees) in our golf buggy, whereas I’d rather amble around on bicycles or walk barefoot along the deserted beach.
Occasionally interrupted by gourmet meals and mojitos, my scheduled relaxation is also compromised by my desire to satiate Mr Smith’s restless energy and accompany him kayaking and snorkelling. Mealtimes fortunately provide a lull in decision-making as we resolve to sample all the culinary treats on offer. We spend an eveningdeconstructing a crab overlooking the sea at the Lagoon Club, enjoy a lazy lunch grazing on tapas at the Beach Club, and linger over breakfast and fresh coffee in the shade of the elevated Club House restaurant, surveying the pool and island beyond.

After two days of self-imposed lethargy and replacing our everyday woes with inane island dilemmas (caipiroska or Cosmopolitan?), we approach our final evening keen to preserve our love-struck sentiments. Strolling barefoot down to the beach from our casita, we stumble upon a candlelit table for two, surrounded by bamboo torches and wicker lanterns flickering across the sand. Despite not letting me drive the golf buggy and causing me to blister my fingers kayaking, Mr Smith is positively back in my good books for arranging this. He glows, not only from sunburn but brownie-point-earning.

As a guitarist serenades us, I realise only one thing could elevate this picture-perfect evening: a proposal. Unfortunately for me, mine had come 12 months too early… Finally, induced by cocktails and wine, I fall asleep on our hammock, snoring contentedly and leaving Mr Smith to remember why he doesn’t spoil me as often anymore.

Before leaving the next day, I force us to slowly circumnavigate the island, allowing Amanpulo’s charm to seep into my memory. Paradise this idyllic should only be experienced once – stay too long and real life becomes unbearable. As we step back onto the private jet and glide from our VIP island and back to reality, I start to wonder if the whole weekend had been a dream. Could such secluded perfection really exist? Would God create such a paradise and only grant access to so few? Then I remember, God didn’t create this haven, Aman did.

 

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Price per night from $1,500.00