Where is it
On private Pamalican Island, part of the Cuyo Archipelago which lies in the Sulu Sea, in the northern Palawan province of the Philippines. The island is set in the middle of seven kilometres of reef and ringed by turquoise waters and is a 70 minute private jet flight away from the capital, Manila.
Style
Inspired by traditional Philippine dwellings, architect Francisco Mañosa has drawn on local materials from coconut shell to Cebu marble and Narra wood to create 42 casitas and 18 villas, each cloaked in a private fold of lush tropical foliage, and the majority with direct beach access. The overall feeling throughout the resort, from the Club House to the Spa to the Lagoon Club is of a breezy spaciousness, (even when full it seems empty) which respects the natural surroundings and affords real privacy. Dotted between the accommodation and restaurants are the hotel’s gardens (fruit and vegetables which supply the kitchen) and swathes of frangipani, palm and pandanus trees, under which monitor lizards lurk and common emerald doves peck.
Facilities
There are numerous facilities but over and above that, in the Aman way, anything you want can be organised - it is just the impossible which takes a little longer. There is kite surfing, fishing and snorkelling, tennis, diving and stargazing, weaving lessons and nature walks. The diaphanous turquoise waters just in front of the casitas and villas are brimming with large yellow batfish, trigger fish, damsel fish and large, stately, green and hawksbill turtles.
There is a vast outdoor swimming pool, a gym, an outdoor obstacle course jungle run, a Pilates studio, a yoga and meditation studio and a spa. The spa with six treatment rooms, delivers seriously restorative body treatments drawing on the Aman’s wellness pillars of grounding, purifying and nourishing and from whose relaxation room afterwards you can watch the brilliantly vivid, yellow-bodied Black-Naped Oriole birds flit between the trees in pairs.
Food & Drink
The Clubhouse Restaurant, open for breakfast (do try the Pamalican Cooler juice of pineapple, orange, turmeric, garden mint and the local calamansi fruit) lunch and dinner serves Southeast Asian classics with a particular emphasis on Filipino cuisine (chicken binakol soup with young coconut, green papaya and ginger is not to be missed, nor are the crispy Filipino spring rolls with pork and shrimp and a sweet chilli dip).
At the Lagoon Club, the Italian chef is evident in dishes such as calamari fritti, beef carpaccio and Cacio e Pepe, on the menu alongside a crispy Pamalican salad of lettuce, peanuts, chia and pomelo. The Beach Club, right on the white sand, serves Mediterranean fare and live seafood with a Japanese restaurant at night, Nama, offering sashimi, nigiri and melt-in-the-mouth black cod with saikyo miso marinade and a pairing of sake.
Bobbing on the clear waters is the floating bamboo Kawayan Bar, making an ideal base for quick snacks or drinks whilst snorkelling around it. There is a picnic grove with wood-fired pizzas and salads fresh from the neighbouring gardens but perhaps the ultimate dining experience is the BBQ on the beach (where you can request any fish that you caught to be served), where with toes in the sand you can watch the sun sink, enjoy the flaming log fires and wait for the skies above to become illuminated by a very generous dusting of twinkling stars.
Extra-curricular
Given that you are on an island, there is not a lot of extra-curricular possibilities but one that there is, is to visit the neighbouring island of Manamoc, some 30 minutes away. Home to most of the staff of Amanpulo, the schools – bursting with enthusiastic children in tidy green uniforms – have been much helped by the Andres Soriano Foundation, which Amanpulo raises money for. The small white-washed town has a Catholic church and down one of the little side streets you can find a woman intent on skilfully weaving bags and mats from pandanus leaves.
Which room?
Depends how many of you there are. The villas which range from one-bedroom to four bedroom are ideal for families or a group of friends, all bedrooms radiating off from a central pool with a good distance between them affording privacy. Beside the pool is a main building with a dining area and sitting room. Each one has direct access to the beach and comes with a chef and a butler.
The casitas, on the other side of the long, sand-fringed island give onto the beach where turtles come and lay their eggs. They have a hammock under the trees and sun beds on the beach. The rooms are comfortable, if not cutting edge, with huge bath tubs, equally huge rain showers and deliciously soft linen on the beds. Treetop pool casitas offer a haven amongst the leaves with a good sized pool but no beach access. All rooms come with Nespresso machines and teas, cookies and fresh fruit and a buggy at your disposal to drive around the island.
Best for
Ticks all the boxes from honeymoon to family holiday. It is a long journey to get here but the care you receive when you do guarantees a restorative, stress-free holiday for young and old alike.
When to go
The dry season runs from November to April, with the cooler months being December to February.
Details
Stays at Amanpulo start from £890 per room, per night, including breakfast. aman.com
Flights with Thai Airways from London to Manila start from £530 return including taxes. To book, visit thaiairways.com
