SAMI~TRAVELS

Amanpulo, Pamalican Islands Philippines.

 

The Aman groups ultimate island get away, Amanpulo, meaning peaceful island in Sanskrit is only accesible by Amans private plane , a one hour hop from Manila. Amanpulo has a private lounge at Manila airport to refresh and rest after your connecting flight to Manila.  As soon as your plane touches the islands runway you can see lines of golf buggies and staff perfectly lined up to greet the upcoming guests.  No introductions are necessary, each greeter knows exactly who they are there to greet and are ready to welcome them to their island paradise.  

 

After a brief tour of the Island by my personal butler I arrived at the one bedroom villa where my private chef was waiting with a refreshing drink and a cold towel.  The villa consists of two parts, a bedroom bungalow with a huge bathroom and walk-in wardrobe, and an outdoor living space and dining area perfect for the warm weather of the island.  Between the two parts of the villa lies the gorgeous private pool, that the butler set up every morning with towels and my favourite drinks ready for when I woke up.

 

The island itself is not large, but rarely did I see another guest , either on the beach or in the restaurants.  Amanpulo offers several different restaurants including a casual beach club and an excellent vietnamese restaurant, as in all Aman resorts there is never any need to ask for a bill or to sign anything untill you leave as all the staff know exactly who you are. Having a private chef at hand I took most meals in the comfort of my villa, but when I did venture out the food quality was always good to very good, the vietnamese borderlining excellent.  When I did want to venture out each villa came with its individual golf buggy I could drive around the dirt roads if I didnt want to walk in the midday heat.

 

The resort offers a wide range of activities from scuba diving to turtle watching.  A definate must do is the memorable visit to the local island near by and a picnic laid out on a sandbank overlooking the crystal clear sea surrounding you.  For a fun evening activity a floating bar is readily on hire with bartender ready to mix your favourite drinks as the sun sets its hues of orange and reds, after getting back on shore preparations were in full swing by the butler and chef for a private beach side barbeque for my final evening.

 

Departing Amanpulo was a slick affair, with all the staff lined up next to the runway waving as our plane took off towards Manila, I couldnt help but feel a deep sadness leaving this island paradise and wondering if I would ever return.  It truly is a place that touches your soul with its natural beauty and manages to completely relax you in away I have not experienced before.

 

rating 5 / 5 stars      www.amanpulo.com