lb8001

5khours, thank you also. I'm not so much concerned about line-of-sight privacy as not having to hear noise (crying/screaming children - or crying/screaming adults), so that's the reason for my "location of the casitas" questions. I already know I'll be happy with the diving, since I am everywhere. And meeting the monitor lizards sounds very fun too!

But regardless - I'm going in early June, based on all the wonderful info this group has provided - and will take many photos to add to the many already posted here.

Kagehitokiri

some of us like private pools, for different reasons

good to know casitas come with golf cart, dont recall hearing that before? i see i forgot...

lb8001

Golf carts for all - casitas and villas per the website

mike_la_jolla

From north looking south. You can see the umbrellas for each of the casitas. The structure in the middle is the beach front bar/restaurant.

Picture from spa looking east

Outside area of casitas 24

5khours

There are so few people on the beach, I think you could almost use the ocean/beach for the same thing and no one would notice

I think I heard noise from a nearby casita once this week. It's really very quiet and private. Fly out in a couple of days, but I think I'll come back in late May/early June as well.

Kagehitokiri

not the point. my comment wasnt getting into how valuable or how often necessary. also not the point, but getting into hypotheticals >
...
it really doesnt matter. im not suggesting anyone is dense.
although you should not post too much while youre still there.
thanks again for the (real time) details, including via PM. ^

5khours

Sorry I must be dense. Not following you.

lb8001

Mike_La_jolla - those photos are great - that perfect water is amazing!
And thank you, 5khours, for checking on the noise for me (which casita/villa are you in?)

mike_la_jolla

Here is a lizard from Amanpulo. This one is small.

Kagehitokiri

all those higher res are fantastic mike_la_jolla
and not a small lizard >

blackmamba

That's a pretty small one. I've seen ones bigger than that. Street vendors across the Philippines sell that all the time. Apparently, you could also BBQ its meat but I wouldn't recommend it.

lb8001

I'm looking forward to meeting (and definitely not eating!) these lizards and their relatives - these are great photos!

5khours

The monitor lizards are quite rare in the rest of the Philippines because people do in fact eat them. Apparently, they taste really good. You have to be careful catching them though, because they have serrated tails which they use like a whip to defend themselves.

Musken

I am back and I really loved Amanpulo. It is just an amazing place. Extremely private and excellent service, laid back luxury I would call it with beautiful dream beach and natural casitas, villas and main buildings. Great food as well. And wonderful excursions, but this will all be in my real trip report, this is just a quick answer to your questions.

As promised I have taken several pictures of things that you have asked me to take pictures of and they are all in the following photostream with descriptions per picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24567041@N06/?saved=1 (make sure you see the complete photo stream, when you get to the Aman Sveti Stefan and Maldives pictures, you can stop).

Things are a little bit messy, but you will understand what is what if you read my comments to the pictures.

We were first in beach casita 20 and I have pictures from the inside, terrasse and view + view from sea to the casita. Really ejoyed this casita, very nice view and beautiful stretch of beach. Also very private but still central in terms of being close to beach club, club house, tennis and picnic cove (walking distance if you would like to walk, but of course you have your buggy or mountain bikes).

After this we moved to villa 33 which is a 2 BR villa at the "casita beach". I have pictures from inside (bedroom, bathroom, dining room and living room) and outside this villa and also pictures of the villa pool, sala, view from villa towards beach and also view from beach and sea towards villa. Basically one does not see much of the beach and sea from this villa unless one goes down the little path to the beach. From the beach one can hardly see anything of the villa. Some of the villa buildings are, however, visible from the sea, but just the roofs.

For us it was great to be in first a beach casita to really enjoy the beach and thereafter move to a villa to enjoy the private pool. The Amanpulo staff took completely care of the moving, so no stress at all to move. If you do the same kind of split, you would not even miss the beach if the villa beach would not be nice as ours was, since you will have had plenty of beach enjoyment during your time in a beach casita.

We also visited a 4 BR villa at the other side of the island just to see it. There is some pictures of this as well. Do not remember the villa number, so if there is no number, these are the pictures of that 4 BR villa.

Basically all villas are the same; There is a living room with chairs and sofas and a large TV and wine fridge, there is a dining room with coffee/tea making facilities and fresh fruit every day, there is a pool (some variation in size, but all are really large) and outside there is a sala and sun loungers, outside dining table + outside shower. The villas at the casita side of beach has beach chairs on the beach as well, the villa on the other side did not have this, maybe only because it was windy at this time of year meaning this beach was not much used. In addition there are casitas for the bedrooms (same as the normal casitas) - more casitas added for more bedrooms while other areas stay the same. Finally there is an extra building where the private butler and private chef are. It is more than possible to take all meals in the villa and never ever leave if you prefer. The chef can cook whatever you like to have and the food really good and service wonderful.

I have also added view from casita 40 which we visited. You have a wonderful view of both sides of the island, but can see the roofs of a number of villas on the villa side of the island. This means that I actually think that the feeling of privacy is higher if you are in a beach casita where you do not see any other casitas from your own casita. Did not hear any noice at all from other villas or casitas no matter where we were - except some serenading during beach bbq in the evenings, but that is just wonderful. Theoretically one can hear noice from the neighbours if they make a lot of noice, but I think this is really just theoretically. In that sense, villa 33 was the most quiet since it is really far from all other buildings (far from casita nr 1 at the one side and on the other side was the villa club house which was not used at all while we were there), but really everything is quiet here unless you go during x-mas, chinese new year and easter where there is normally full occupancy and many kids.

Finally I have a picture of the largest monitor lizard on the island.

This was jus very quick to answer what I promised as soon as possible. Will write a trip report some other time - as this was the best holiday that I was ever one. Absolutely wonderful with fantastic service and everything. Just go!!!

Feel free to ask any questions.

lb8001

Musken, you're the best! Thank you so much for all this info and for all the photos! I cannot wait to get there now. Did you happen to do any diving/snorkeling or anything at the spa?