Amanpulo

Amanpulo is part of the luxury Aman Resort group on the private island of Pamilican in the Cuyos. Our time spent at Amanpulo was consistent with every aspect of the typical Aman Experience in that the resort maintained the highest level of service, design, and atmosphere. We learned that Amanpulo staffs 220 people, and as is typical with Amans, they are rarely ever booked to capacity. In the time that we were there, we calculated 5.5 -12 staff members for every guest, hence the excellent service.

Our previous experience with Aman Resorts prepared us for the fact that the staff on the island would know our names, but this was the first time that we really learned all of their names and began to develop personal relationships (Shout out to GMs Shane and Karen, Chef Craig, Guest Assistant Romy, Sailorman Peter and Snorkeling Guru Jerry!)

As for the resort itself, what you see in the brochures is real – these are not retouched photos. The water was very clear in several shades of blue and green. The beach was the best sand we have ever experienced and can only be described as powdered sugar. And then there were the sunset views to the neighboring island of Manamoc. But what the brochures and website can’t show you are the sounds – there were various birds singing and geckos chirping at all times, as well as the sound of the light surf, the wind rustling through the trees and guinea hens scratching in the woods.

When we first arrived at the Amanpulo charter lounge in Manila, we were asked to weigh in (could not exceed more than 20kg of luggage per person). The charter flight was just over an hour and we especially enjoyed the welcome booklet that explained our flight path and gave us a brief intro to the resort. We landed on a gravel runway (exciting!) and stepped off of the plane onto a red carpet, where we were greeted by the General Manager and the Guest Assistant who was assigned to us for the length of our stay. Our golf cart was waiting for us (each casita has one) and our GA took us for a brief tour of the property before taking us to our casita for private check-in. A pitcher of Calamansi juice (a local beverage like lemonade) was waiting for us along with various Philippino tea treats. Our room included a bottle of Taittinger, but given the morning hour, room service wisely decided not to deliver it until later in the day.

We stayed in Casita #40 which we had chosen for its fabulous 260 degree ocean view and because it offered the most privacy. There were no other dwellings in site and our casita looked over the undeveloped southern tip of the island and had views to the ocean both east and west. Despite the fact that the casitas were over 11 years old, they showed no signs of wear and had been impeccably maintained. The casitas were spacious and the dor and architecture were timeless featuring teak, granite, marble, coconut, Philippino ceramics, mood and spot lighting and orchids grown in a hothouse on the island. There were no signs of scratches or wear on the teak floors/surfaces. And, at night, the friendly geckos eliminated bugs at our entryway - my husband liked to watch them “hunt”.

We spent most of our time driving around the island in our golf cart, in one of the pool salas and at the beach club sipping Amanpulo ice teas with guava juice. But our favorite activity was the snorkeling/diving. While you can snorkel right off the beach, the snorkeling cruise was the best way to see the good reefs and fishes. These reefs are only a few minutes boat ride from the shore and were some of the best snorkeling/diving north of the Great Barrier Reef, though maybe not quite as good as sister property Hotel Bora Bora. Divers will appreciate the small dive shop’s first-rate reef diving equipment and reasonable per dive cost.

Our massages were very good, especially due to the massage sala’s garden setting. Where other resorts have to play a CD of tranquil bird and surf sounds, Amanpulo allows you hear those sounds for real.

Something called a Wedding Blessing ceremony was included in our package. Since we were already married, we didn’t think much of it, but this turned out to be one of the most charming parts of our stay. We were picked up by our GA “chauffer” in an elaborately decorated (flowers, wedding net) stretch golf cart and driven to a spot on the beach for the sunset ceremony. There, we were greeted by a half dozen staff members and walked down a palm frond decorated aisle. Staff members engaged us with sweet readings and a (staff) Priest led us through the exchanging of vows. Amanpulo had provided us with an orchid bouquet, a white wedding cake and yet another bottle of Taittinger Brut. After the ceremony, we were given a locally crafted book to remember the words we had just spoken to each other. Perhaps the funniest moment came when my husband insisted the staff share the champagne with us – it was a wedding after all. They all stammered for a moment – torn between their duties to not drink on the job and the desire to please the guests at all times. It turns out there were only two glasses at the beach, so fate made the decision for them. When we returned to the chauffered golf cart, we found a Just Married sign and a handful of tin cans tied to the back of the cart. Yep, you guessed it, our GA drove us past the clubhouse with tin cans clanking away and all of the staff stepped out to wave.

After the ceremony, we had a private beach barbeque under the amazing starlight. This is an Aman tradition and it turned out to be every bit as lovely as the one we had at Amankila.

Other activities at Amanpulo included windsurfing, water skiing, kayaks, sailing, and trips to neighboring islands. One particularly windy day, we asked to take out a Hobie Cat and one of the beach attendants wisely offered to accompany us. This turned out to be a very good thing as we were not skilled enough sailors on our own. When a piece of equipment on the main mast failed and our sail ended up in the water, we were promptly rescued by the beach staff and given numerous apologies while our “captain” remained with the “ship”.

The food was both Western and Asian with an emphasis on local recipes and seafood. Despite everything being flown in, all food items were of the highest quality. We were given a sneak preview of the new beach club Oyster Bar with selections from around the globe. And the GM takes pride in the wine list, which is small, but excellent.

Amanpulo is home to many sand flies that bite at dawn and dusk. The resort rakes for eggs, sprays daily and traps, but still, the little buggers make an appearance. Use the repellant Amanpulo provides and you won’t have any trouble. By the way, we did not see a single mosquito while on the island, so don’t worry about malaria meds.

While we were there, the December trade winds were very strong at 23-25 knots. These winds only last for a short time, but they can affect what activities you are able to do - one side of the island was inaccessible to small boats and foot traffic and the wind stirred sand up onto our beach barbeque. Casita #40 was particularly windy when we stood out on our terrace, but on a positive note, the wind also kept things cool.

Finally, the service around the pool wasn’t quite up to Aman standards. Water glasses did not get refilled and one day our lunch tray was not cleared for 2 hours. We spent a lot of time in the very private salas, which were divine, but hid us from the staff and left us forgotten. Service at all other areas of the resort was Aman(phen)nominal.

We had a truly wonderful time and would recommend this trip to anyone. Feel free to reply with any questions.