Ariara, a private luxury island in the Philippines, is available for exclusive rental

It’s hardly noticeable on a map.

At first glance, you might mistake the simple wooden pier and the thatched cottages lining the shore for just another quiet village on another island. If you don't look too closely, you'd sail past it.

With over 7,000 islands in the Philippines, it's easy to overlook, but Ariara stands apart. It's my destination after a one-hour flight from Manila, another hour by road, and then two hours aboard the Maya Maya, a luxury catamaran.

For the next few days, I have the entire 125-acre island—complete with untouched beaches, forests, and rugged coastline—surrounded by crystal-clear waters all to myself.

Their own interpretation of paradise

Technically, this island belongs to the couple waiting for me at the pier: Charlie and Carrie McCulloch, property developers and farmers from Berkshire, England.

“There aren’t many places like this,” Charlie explains, sharing what brought them all the way from England.

“It’s always been my idea of perfection,” says Carrie.

Over a white-tablecloth lunch outdoors, the McCullochs tell me the concept was simple: to blend the best aspects of every vacation they’ve had and create their own version of paradise.

Ariara was intended to be both a vacation home for the McCullochs and their three sons, and primarily a business: a place where a single group of up to 18 guests can exclusively take over the island and its staff for a week or more, and enjoy it as their own.

The McCullochs say that traditional resorts, even the upscale ones, simply didn’t meet their expectations.

They often felt like they were being “processed” and never truly felt at home.

“Even in a luxurious hotel suite or a villa at a resort, there's always the need to turn the music down!” Carrie jokes.

“And here?” I ask.

“Here, you can turn it up as loud as you like!”

Although the concept seemed straightforward, turning this isolated, pristine part of the Philippines into the ultimate getaway was far more complex than they initially thought.

They had to deal with securing the land lease from the government, the logistical challenge of transporting raw materials and fuel to the island, and the difficulty of hiring and training builders, many of whom were local fishermen from nearby islands.

“Most people would have given up by now,” Carrie confesses.

Your ideal escape

After a delicious lunch of gazpacho and freshly grilled fish—caught that very morning, I’m told—Charlie takes me on a tour of Ariara.

There’s the Lodge, a central hub filled with soft cream-colored sofas, and an octagonal dining room with a massive round table that could easily seat two dozen people, all open to the sea breeze.

Just down the garden paths, you have your choice of personal luxury escapes: the Beach Cottage, complete with a hammock on the front porch, or, for a more elevated experience, the Jungle Villas with panoramic water views from the bed and a private outdoor bath with a forest view in the back.

They’ve been running for about four years, Charlie explains, but the McCullochs typically don’t stay on-site when guests arrive.

Having them around would spoil the experience of having the island all to yourself.

Instead, Charlie and Carrie coordinate everything with a 'lead guest' from each group in advance: everything from the menu selections to special requests like having a yoga instructor on-site or supplying cases of a favorite champagne.

I’m curious about who these guests are and what they do when they have access to this slice of paradise for a few days.

But my hosts remain tight-lipped, revealing only that their guests come from places like the UK, Australia, China, and South Korea, and that many are repeat visitors, coming back for their second, third, or even fourth stay.

Still, Charlie acknowledges they need more guests to make the business thrive.

But he maintains that even with the island booked only about one-third of the time, the business is both viable and profitable.

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Anything is possible here

It takes a few days for everything to truly settle in.

During that time, I’m whipped by the wind on a Hobie Cat, skillfully navigated by Captain Johnny and Eric, both former fishermen who are part of Ariara’s dedicated staff of 30, many of whom juggle two or three different roles.

I also go snorkeling just off the shore with island manager Florian Muller, where I spot a two-meter-long black-tipped reef shark, and quickly decide that’s enough wind and water for the day, climbing back into the speedboat.

The McCullochs also ask me to take on the role of ‘lead guest,’ choosing the menus and selecting spots for cocktails and meals, though the strong winds at the end of the pier force us to move indoors halfway through a candlelit dinner one evening.

I’m also keenly aware that any last-minute requests would require a shipment from their supplier in Manila. I’m told anything is possible, but I don’t want to push my luck.

I think to myself that I could easily get used to this. But before I know it, it’s time to leave.

Charlie mentions that more guests are due to arrive as we take one final walk along the beach. Always the considerate host, he refuses to reveal who they are or where they’re coming from.

Curious about the future, I ask him what he envisions for Ariara in five or ten years.

“It has to stay exactly as it is in my mind—the same concept,” Charlie replies. “Untouched, unspoiled.”

Ariara is accessible by a quick helicopter ride or a domestic flight from Manila, followed by a boat transfer. For more details, visit the island’s website.

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