It’s been years of wanderlust often ask, does the journey make the person or does the person make the journey? The challenge lies in distinguishing between the two, each being a synergy, or rather, the destiny of each other. One leaves this homeland in search of something better, more grandiose, more exotic, but in the end, one returns home to find exactly what one is searching for. In my search for the best luxury beach properties in the world, I realized the paradise I had been looking for was in my own country. Yes, Amanpulo, nestled on its own 200-acre private island of Pamalican, part of the Cuyo Islands in Palawan, is the most salubrious jewel that commands the respect and revelry it deserves. English writer G.K. Chesterton was so right when he said, “The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.”

My gregarious traveling companions—retired Supreme Court Justice Elo Santiago and Sonya Garcia, owner of the famed Sonya’s Garden— and I retreat to one of the 42 luxurious casitas. There are beach, treetop, and hillside casitas, all of superior indulgence, as exquisitely executed by architect par excellence Bobby Mañosa, whose Philippine-themed accommodations brilliantly beckon. At Amanpulo, you are connected with all that matters. You realize nothing belongs to you except the most essential things—air, sleep, luxury lodging, dreams, the calm blue sea and the clear sky, the countless stars and the glorious full moon—all things tending toward the eternal or, at least, what we perceive of it. Amanpulo defines luxury indulgence at its finest. Sublime landscape, silky sand, smooth stones that line the shore as if purposely landscaped by an unseen hand. Your view as you lay on the sun-kissed shore is a dramatic mountain range that punctures a sea of clouds. Shimmering aquamarine waters boast a teeming marina, a coral reef, and an entire island purely dedicated to this 5.5-kilometer isle of Eden. 

While, like a mermaid, you bathe and sunbathe to your heart’s content. No other beach in the world has made me feel such exclusivity and tranquility, as if I had the ethereal paradise all to myself. Throughout nature’s finest treasures, there is also an expansive 30-meter swimming pool, restaurants serving only the freshest catch from the sea and more; yoga and water sports activities as well as tennis courts, healthspa, and cruising facilities.The kindred spirit of Amanpulo lingers long after you have left the island. This is the experience that stems from the excellent service and the loving kindness of its general managers and competent staff. Charming and friendly, attentive but discreet, each and every one of them offers superb service and individual pampering to the highest degree. They remember preferences, they notice moods. Sometimes, wishes are fulfilled without a word having been spoken. Their chefs are masters of culinary seduction and every staff views impeccable service as a personal mission. They are in touch. The only residents of the island are Amanpulo staff and guests. No other people are allowed access to the island. Amanpulo has an excellent security team with equipment that includes a marine radar station to monitor all boat traffic up to 12 miles from Pamalicancrowd and the city chaos.” Epicurean moments are created in Amanpulo. Top on the list is the resort’s pizza margherita with creamy mozzarella, basil, and succulent tomatoes; and pizza marinara topped with deep-red tomato puree and wildly fragrant oregano. Try also the Asian barbecue, which starts with a warm salad of slipper lobster and tamarind dressing, succulent barbecued prawns with green chili sauce, chili squid with sweet chili and mint and coconut sauce, and Cambodian grilled chicken with pepper lime dip.

You are spoilt for choice as you can also have Filipino barbeque replete with lechon de leche (spit-roasted suckling pig with liver sauce) and halaya ube for dessert if you wish. Culinary excellence is hard to beat as dinners or lunches can be served anywhere you wish—whether on the stylish yacht, the pristine sandbar, the dramatic shark’s point, or outside your villa under the stars. This is definitely savoir vivre. The spa treatment that takes place on the treetop casitas is a dreamy experience. Your tired muscles surrender to the loving kneading of the masseuse as fragrant aromatherapy oil wafts in the air. 

Life is short and we deserve only the best. Why compromise and settle for anything less? Peace, joy, and well-being are priceless. It’s not anymore a question of whether you can afford to, but rather whether you can afford not to.