The Palawan Islands are regularly named some of the most beautiful in the world, so the archipelago was of course high on the list for my 2019 travels. I started researching accommodations on the main island of Palawan, but wasn’t thrilled with anything I was seeing. Meanwhile, as I became more interested in the luxury hotel scene, I was increasingly curious about the high-end Aman Resorts brand with its cult-like following (there is literally a contingent of people that identify as “Aman Junkies” out there in the world). Focused on privacy, wellness and personalized hospitality, and with most of its properties located in remote destinations, the company seemed like something I could get behind. As my friend Johnny would say, it was #andreastyle.

Fortunately for me, Aman’s resort in the Philippines, Amanpulo, is located northeast from Palawan, on the private Pamalican Island. Undoubtedly pricey (all Aman Resorts start at $1,000+ a night), I felt comfortable splurging for a few days to guarantee a great experience. I had come all this way and wanted to be sure I was making the most of it. Plus, Amanpulo’s private air strip made it easy to get to/from the resort and Manila. No lengthy car transfers required. I was in.

Getting to Amanpulo

Amanpulo offered two chartered flights to the island each day: one at 1pm and one at 4pm (at an additional charge – nothing at Amanpulo was cheap). My flight from Saigon got me into Manila at 1:20pm, so the 4pm flight it would be.

Upon arrival at MNL, I immediately noted the excessive Christmas decorations dominating the airport. It was November 12th. I had heard that Filipinos went crazy for Christmas, and now I was seeing it with my own eyes. There was even a live band playing Christmas songs at baggage claim.

After clearing immigration and collecting my bags, I met a man holding a sign with my name, and was led through the thick, humid air outside to a BMW 7-Series with A/C on full blast. I could get used to this. We drove to the terminal where all the private planes and charter flights took off and landed, where someone else took my bags and helped me through security. Next, I was brought to the Amanpulo lounge, where I could enjoy unlimited snacks and soft drinks while I waited for my flight (sadly, no wine). They also let me store my checked luggage since the small charter plane had strict weight requirements. All of this was included with the cost of my flight.

First Night at Amanpulo

Upon landing, I was met by Kim, who would be my host during my stay. She somehow knew exactly who I was when I walked off the plane, but I suppose that shouldn’t have been a surprise since I was the only solo woman on the flight. Kim was a young Filipino woman with a sweet smile. We boarded a golf cart and she told me that she had lived in the U.S. for awhile, working at Amangiri in Utah. She had also visited New York and loved the city (I mean, who doesn’t?!)

After the island tour from Kim, I was left in my room to relax. At this point, it had started to get dark, so I didn’t get to see much by way of views, but that was fine. I was eager to get settled, change, and head to the restaurant for a drink and dinner (after basically fasting since leaving Vietnam, I was starving).

While Amanpulo stated that its high season was November-May, I must have just missed the cut-off, because its signature Japanese restaurant, Nama, was still closed. I opted to eat dinner at one of the two restaurants that was open: The Clubhouse, which overlooked the pool and was a short walk from my villa. Despite the tour from Kim, I was still overwhelmed by the winding paths around the island and decided it would be best to wait until daylight to explore on my own.

Day Two: Rest & Relaxation

After a great night’s sleep, I awoke the next morning refreshed and ready to, well, relax. The first item on my agenda? Visit the spa to schedule an appointment and then hit the gym.

After overindulging in Vietnam, a detox was in order. At the spa, I was disappointed to learn that the only appointments available were in the evening, when I’d much rather be enjoying cocktails and dinner (my grand detox ambitions had their limits). So much for that idea. On to the gym.

A vigorous workout complete, I headed to the beach. While November was supposed to mark the beginning of the dry season in the region, the weather looked like it would be iffy during my stay, and the afternoon seemed as though it would be the best opportunity for me to enjoy some sun.

I spent the rest of the day reading and getting to know my way around the island, then had dinner (local Filipino specialties) at the Clubhouse again. That’s it. Sorry for being boring… but not sorry. It was wonderful.

Day Three: Diving and Baby Turtles

Good news: my last full day at Amanpulo was more exciting. I started out with another intense workout, then had breakfast back at the Clubhouse. As I was walking in, a staff member approached me. “Good morning, Miss Eatherly,” he greeted me. It was oddly creepy how people at the resort recognized me and called me by name; I realized how much I valued my anonymity, but also knew that it was well-intentioned and had to appreciate the effort. “I have good news. We just had sea turtles hatch this morning and we’ll be releasing them this afternoon. Come to the beach at 4pm to watch!”

Ooh, this was a special treat. Kim had told me that the island was a nesting site for Green and Hawksbill Turtles and that if I was lucky, some babies might hatch during my visit, although it was impossible to predict. I had been elated the couple of times I spotted adult sea turtles when snorkeling in the past, but had never seen a baby sea turtle and I loved almost any kind of baby animal.

Shortly after breakfast, I headed to the dive center. While I was not PADI-certified and had never been diving before, several people had recommended that I start out with a discovery dive to determine if I even liked the experience. I had read that the Philippines had world-class diving, and the day was overcast, so it would be the perfect time to spend 90 minutes in the water instead of on cloud-covered land.

When I was younger, I had been fascinated by the idea of scuba diving, but as I got older, it seemed like a lot of work to get certified. None of my friends or family wanted to dive on vacations, so I never made it a priority to learn. A discovery dive would be a great opportunity to determine if this was something I’d want to pursue in the future.

After putting on a shorty wetsuit, I met my dive pro, who launched into a quick tutorial. We waded into the ocean and I practiced clearing my mask and recovering my regulator before learning hand signals. While I don’t love swimming, I had no problem with the basic skills, and we were quickly ready to hop in the boat and begin our dive. The one thing I knew would be a challenge? Remembering to not give the thumbs-up sign when I really meant all good (in diving parlance, thumbs-up means “let’s ascend to the surface”, not “I’m doing great”).

Next thing I knew, we were sitting on the edge of the dive boat in open water… and then we were falling back into the ocean. Gulp, this was really happening. I was happy to have the dive pro next to me the entire time, helping me with my buoyancy, and pointing out all the incredible sea creatures and coral structures. And of course, he would be there if anything went wrong.

In total, we were underwater for about 45 minutes, and I descended to 40 feet under water at the deepest point. It was AWESOME. I saw countless types of colorful fish, swimming in schools. I encountered massive sea turtles, gracefully gliding through the peaceful water. I swam around pristine coral reefs, poking through the water with intricate and colorful designs. No sharks, no snakes, no emergencies. (I may have given the thumbs-up sign once or twice, only to quickly correct myself with the “OK” sign, connecting my thumb and index finger in a loop, and extending the rest of my fingers upward).

Once our time was up, we slowly ascended to the surface and climbed back on the boat. “You did great!” the dive pro told me. “You were very comfortable in the water,” he added. I actually had felt quite comfortable, which surprised me. It had been so calming and relaxing deep under water.

So, I had confirmed that I liked diving. Now I just needed to figure out how and when to get certified, and then I could start planning trips to the best diving destinations in the world (as if I needed an excuse to plan more trips).

Those things would have to wait for now. At the moment, it was time to see the baby sea turtles released into the wild!

After a quick shower back at my casita, I hopped on my bicycle and pedaled to the beach where a small crowd had gathered to watch the release.

Once the show was over and all the turtles had started their lives at sea, I headed back to the “parking lot” and patted myself on the back over my choice in transportation. The other guests were all fighting a golf cart traffic jam while I weaved through the crowd on my bicycle. “Smart woman!” one older man cheered me on. I gave him a knowing nod and a smile and sped back to my casita. Not that there was any rush.

After all the excitement of the day (first time diving! first time seeing baby sea turtles released into the wild!), I was looking forward to some comfort food for dinner. Having eaten sushi and Filipino specialties at Amanpulo already, I had saved an indulgent treat for my last night: Italian.

The next morning, I awoke to a gloomy and wet day. I was bummed that the weather hadn’t been better during my stay, but I’d fortunately be in Hawaii in less than a week, so I couldn’t really complain.

Was I ready to join the ranks of Aman junkies? Not yet. But I doubted that my first Aman Resorts experience would be my last.