Amanpulo is set on the secluded and private Pamalican Island. Part of the Quiniluban group that makes up the northern half of the Cuyo Islands and is one of nearly 1,800 islands in Palawan, the largest province in the Philippines. A low-lying coral island, Pamalican is rimmed by seven square kilometres of pristine reef and is only accessible by a privately-chartered plane (something the resort organises complimentary for guests).

The facilities

There are myriad dining options here, from Vietnamese to Italian pizzas, all catered for in Amanpulo's four restaurants. Elsewhere, a garden walkway leads down from the pool area to a pristine beach, and the Amanpulo Beach Club. Half-a-dozen white mattresses with matching pillows are spread out on the deck, facing the sea. Shade umbrellas and reclining lounge chairs line the beach. Adjacent to the Beach Club, the Beach Hut offers a variety of watersports equipment, as well as information on boat charters, watersports lessons, snorkelling and scuba diving sites and sea conditions.

The rooms

Each of Amanpulo's 51 guestrooms are made up of 40 casitas (65-square-metre cottages in hillside and beachfront settings) and 11 villas. They are modelled after the Philippine bahay kubo, or native dwelling. Inside, decorative details pay homage to neighbouring islands: pebble-washed walls, coconut-shell tables, rustic Palawan rice and knife baskets, a king-size bed with a rattan headboard and sliding-glass doors that reveal outdoor decks with his-and-her divans. Nearly half the space in a casita is given over to a Cebu-marble bathroom, with twin vanities, separate changing areas, a shower and an elegant bathtub. All rooms have satellite TV and CD players. DVDs can be supplied upon request.