Early this year, I got the chance to visit Amanpulo Resort to celebrate a special milestone of a couple friend. It was 3 days of fun in the island, endless chatter and laughter with childhood friends, good food, and heartfelt speeches.
We took the 5:30am flight from Manila to Pamalican Island and lucky us, we witnessed the beautiful sunrise from the plane.
So peaceful. Here is the sun slowly rising above the clouds.
Amazing view. 😍
The clouds look so soft and fluffy! 😍
The flight was about 1 hour and 15 minutes (on the 30-seater plane).
The sunrise view was still spectacular when we landed at Pamalican Island. 😍 There is something about sunrise, sunset and dusk that enchants me. Other than the horizon becomes a beautiful burst of colors, all of them signal new beginnings.
If you've heard from others who visited Amanpulo how pampered guests are, those are all true from the moment you step out of the plane - red carpet and all... and yes, staff members have a way of magically providing what you need when you need it. But I won't get into these details coz I'm not really the target market of a luxury resort since I have a different meaning of luxury. It's already luxury for me if you have food and water everyday, clothing and shelter because there are billions of people out there in the world who do not have access to these.
Anyway, going back to Amanpulo, I got so excited the first time I saw the beach. So pristine, peaceful and calm. 😍
And check out how white and smooth the sand is!
The resort offers snorkelling tours twice daily for free (one in the morning and one in the afternoon). Amanpulo made it to the list of my most memorable snorkelling experiences - there are so many beautiful and colorful fishes and the reefs were just so breathtaking. 😍 The guide gave us some food to feed the fishes except that I got scared when big bumphead fishes started flocking around me. 😬
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| Snorkelling tours at Amanpulo |
Anyway to more positive thoughts - what's amazing about the snorkelling experience in Amanpulo is you don't have to travel far. The snorkelling area is very near the shore - maybe just about 200 to 300 meters away. The sea turtles' sanctuary is even nearer. You could still see visibly see the beach club from the boat. I hope the resort would be able to maintain and protect these precious sanctuaries for many more decades and centuries to come. 🙏
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| Amanpulo Beach Club |
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| Spectacular view from the Amanpulo Beach Club |
Since I learned how to swim 3 years ago, this is actually the first time I swam in the beach but only near the shore and parallel to it to make sure I don't end up in deep water. I am not that brave to swim in open water without a life vest. 😬 I don't think I am fit to do it coz I easily panic when something under water brushes against my skin and that isn't good at all coz panicking is the top cause of drowning.
Here's the hillside casita where we stayed in.
The casita is located within the forest canopy. You could hear birds chirping throughout the day and if you go out of the balcony, you could see a lot of them flying from one branch to another. At night, crickets chirping would lull you to sleep and I occasionally heard a tokay gecko too (tuko). It's also common to see forest geckos along the wooden walkway leading to the casita at night.
The bathroom had great views of the forest too. Yes, those 2 shiny panels below are glass windows - it's just hard to see the view because of the reflection.
In the casita, you'll also find native beach bags, straw hats and beach rubber slippers - which you can use at the beach and bring home as souvenirs. In addition to these, you'll also find daily surprises and handwritten notes in your room when the staff does the turndown service. Very nice personal touch.
On our first night, my couple friend hosted a welcome dinner by the poolside at the Clubhouse. The place was transformed to this - 😍
Dinner was lobsters, prawns and kebabs galore. My tummy was super happy. 😋😋😋
On our second day, my friends and I attempted to catch the sunrise from the Lagoon Club and walk around the island which should take 3 to 4 hours to complete. Here are some photos of the sunrise and our walk -
I used the word "attempted" because well, uh, we didn't complete the walk coz as soon as I saw a restaurant, I realized I was hungry already so we ended up eating. 😂 So ok, we were only able to explore half of the island.
The second day was the most important day. From mid-afternoon until late night, it was a series of joyous celebrations and touching speeches.
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| Sunset near the Picnic Grove |
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| Beautiful dusk |
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| Magical setup by the beach near one of the big villas |
I still did my usual French exit when it was time for dancing and drinking (for them) which was time for sleeping for me. 🙈😂
On the third and last day, we still had half a day to relax and enjoy the beach. Here are my final shots of the beautiful island resort.
Pamalican Island is very beautiful (like other popular beach destinations in the Philippines) but I think what sets Amanpulo apart is that guest privacy is highly valued and the service is excellent and flawless. No wonder Hollywood stars and various personalities travel all the way from across the globe to this small private island in the Philippines. As for me, since I am a commoner and I super love being one as there are priceless benefits of being a nobody (which a lot of people do not realize), I can just go to any beach. 😎
But as I told my friend after the trip, the place was just an icing because regardless where the celebration was, it was their words and the words shared by the most important people in their lives that mattered in those 3 days. Everything was so heartfelt and heart-tugging. 💓
