Amanpulo is located on Pamalican Island, a private island in the province of Palawan, which is found in the region of Mimaropa. This archipelago is home to the famed beaches of El Nido, but nothing can compare to the crystal clear Sulu Sea and white sand beaches at Amanpulo. To get to Amanpulo, you can fly on the Amanpulo private plane from Manila at a round-trip cost of $495/person. There are two flights a day to the island and two flights a day back to the city of Manila. You can also charter a helicopter or private plane to the island, however these options are extremely expensive. We arrived from El Nido and even though it would have been a 20-minute flight, we would have had to charter a private plane, seaplane, or helicopter to get to Amanpulo so instead we flew through Manila.

The service at Amanpulo is simply unparalleled. The entire staff is gracious, helpful, and they seemed to anticipate every need we could ever have. There always had cold towels, fresh water, and a smile greeting us at every twist and turn. We never had to lift a finger (even though we tried), without a staff member jumping to help. Plus, we loved that the laidback barefoot luxury offers elegance without being pretentious.

Mmmm…

Aperol

The Spa: Every Aman spa is idyllic, but the Amanpulo Spa is especially extraordinary. Voted the best spa in the Philippines in 2016, the spa is located at the highest point of the island with sweeping views of the Sulu Sea. While I was really hoping to visit their on-island “healer,” they were not on the island at the time so I opted for a smoking ritual and massage. If you are going to stay at the Amanpulo (or any Aman Resort for that matter), definitely schedule in a spa treatment. The entire experience will be more of a mind-body journey than a typical treatment.

Activities: Amanpulo is home to many different activities such as kiteboarding, standup paddleboarding, kayaking, scuba diving, snorkeling, and boating.

There are a multitude of accommodation options at Amanpulo including casitas and villas. We stayed in a Hillside Casita, their entry-level casita, which was absolutely divine. It was home to his and hers sinks, a grand king bed, a broad wooden deck, and a view of the ocean. If you wanted to stay in something even fancier, you could choose from the Deluxe Hillside Casita, Treetop Casita, Treetop Pool Casita, or Beach Casita. For those that want to stay by the beach, they can choose a villa (one bedroom, two bedroom, or four bedroom), which all come with a pool, private chef, and a butler. Even though we stayed in the entry-level room, we were more than happy with our accommodations and we can only imagine the level of luxury of the other rooms! Since the resort is spread out, each room is given a golf cart to get around.

Amanpulo offers a wide variety of unique experiences such as private boat excursions, a floating bar, and private barbeque experiences. We highly recommend visiting the Cauayan bar, a floating bar made out of bamboo. At the bar, you’ll have a private bartender serve you custom cocktails with a beautiful view of the sea. You’ll also be able to paddleboard or swim off of the dock. We highly recommend booking the 4-6 pm slot so that you can watch the sun dip into the Sulu Sea.

As another unique experience, we would highly recommend the private sandbar experience. The team at Amanpulo takes you out on a speedboat to the nearby island of Manamoc. While at Mamanoc Island, you’ll visit the town (where most of the Amanpulo workers live) before heading out to a private sandbar. While you’re at the sandbar, the incredible Amanpulo team will setup daybeds, an umbrella, and a picnic lunch for you to enjoy on the beach.