There are more than 7,000 islands in the Philippines but one island is special.
Ariara is a luxury island located just a few hours from the country's capital Manila. After a catamaran ride from the main island, you will be greeted by azure waters, green forests and a rocky coastline of this tiny island owned by Charlie and Carrie McCulloch, an article from Edition.cnn.com stated.
With a land area of merely 125 acres, Ariara is barely on the map. But Charlie and Carrie who are both property developers and farmers from Berkshire, England have transformed it into a vacation property investment.
"There are not very many places like this," says Charlie who said that the island property lured him from the other side of the world. "But it was always my idea of perfection."
It was the couple's own version of paradise. Ariara would be a vacation home for their family but during most of the times of the year, it will be a business. The island together with its staff, could be a rented to a single party of up to 18 guests at a time. The couple said that this was an entirely new vacation experience for people who are used to staying in hotels and luxury villas. They cited a feeling of being "processed," and not feeling completely at home with the experience.
"Even if you have a beautiful suite in a hotel, or a villa in a resort, ultimately, you have to turn the music down!" Carrie said. At Ariara, you can have the music as loud as you want.
But it was not that easy to develop Ariara. The two UK locals said that a lot of the issues were from leasing the land from the government and from getting raw materials as well as fuel to Ariara. They also encountered challenges in looking for contractors who were mostly local folks from nearby islands.
Luxury amenities
The island has a lodge with all the group vacation amenities. There is a Beach Cottage with a veranda or you could rest in a Jungle Villa with a wonderful view of the water from your bed, private outdoor baths and all the comforts of home.
Ariara has been in business for five years but the owners are usually not there to meet guests
Rates can depend on the number of guest but a week's stay would usually cost from $30,000 to $60,000.
The owners have only one wish for their luxury island getaway five to ten years from today. Beyond getting more business, Charlie said, "It needs to stay in my mind, exactly the same concept," he said. "Which is untouched, unspoiled."