Twelve-step beach program
February 17, 2006 | 12:00am
The weekend statistics: at least a hundred bottles of Veuve Cliquot champagne, 10 dozen massages, a few dozen gallons of bubble bath soap, 40 Motorola mobile phones, 15 kilos of salmon sashimi, copious amounts of Tanqueray gin, the list goes on. No, this was not the grocery list of one of Dolce & Gabbana’s infamous yacht parties over the coast of Italy. This is what just over three dozen guests consumed over one recent weekend, celebrating Nami Resort’s fourth year on Diniwid Beach, Boracay, generously sponsored by Motorola (with many thanks to super organizer Moto marketing whiz Mari Litonjua).
Nami recently underwent a refreshing facelift. Talented interior designer Denise de Castro created a look that’s more streamlined and contemporary. Rooms were refurbished to give guests an even more spectacular view of the cove from their private balconies.
Famed American writer and socialite Eleanor Belmont once said, "A private railroad car is not an acquired taste, one takes to it immediately." That quote was widely disseminated, thus enshrining the pursuit of luxurious pleasures into popular consciousness.
Given the excess of hedonistic delights at Nami-Moto year four, one would think that even jaded members of the jet-set might find it a bit difficult to endure it all. Is this even remotely possible? This was thought of long and hard during the oh-so-quick 35-minute flight on one of SeAIR’s newly-acquired Dornier DO-328 turboprops, which got us there and back so quickly that we barely had time to think.
In case you get on the guest list for next year’s major event, here are a few tips for the lucky and fabulous (or, if you prefer a more low-key vacay, then hook up with Nami Resort during the low season and grab that alone time you’ve been hankering for):
1. Make your nami work hard for you. Each guest at the Nami resort is assigned a nami, a private butler whose only duty is to attend to your every whim. The namis are gentleman general manager JR Cacho’s true pride and joy and are what sets the resort apart from the rest of the hundred or so on Boracay. Too much exertion of any sort creates wrinkles, and who wants to spend money on botox when you could be buying jewelry instead? So don’t bother lifting a finger if you need to schedule a boat ride, make dinner reservations in town, or want to have a glass of champagne by the beach. The nami will do it. Craving for extra good night Ferrero Rocher chocolates? Need at least a dozen Gatorades in your minibar ready, waiting for you to re-hydrate from all the Veuve Cliquot you drank? Ask nami and you shall receive.
2. Book massages early. There are close to 40 people during the weekend and only three masseuses. Do the math. The earlier you get your name on the roster, the better your chances of getting your desired massage treatment. There’s aromatherapy, hot stone, shiatsu, deep tissue, Swedish, plus any combination of the former. So pick, and pick well. You can have it at their newly-renovated al fresco spa or in the privacy of your sweet suite.
3. Stop counting calories. You’re on vacation and any calories you ingest don’t count. Resistance is futile as new executive chef Carla Gabor indulges you with her epicurean delights. There’s a 24-hour buffet, and the dishes are overflowing with mushroom tarts and spanokipitas, tenderloin salpicao, fresh lapu-lapu, honey bourbon chicken and other fabulous fare. Pile it on your plate, and pretend your nami is absorbing the calories in your stead. Just don’t hate yourself when you don’t fit into those Viktor tailor-fit jeans when you get back into town.
4. Do a lounge lizard. Smart Infinity has signed up for a year’s sponsorship of an exclusive lounge space at Nami. So head in, chill out and watch the rest of the world go about its business while you kick back, sip cocktails and listen to the coolest grooves on the island.
5. Guard your goodie bag. This year, most of us boarded the flight at least a couple of kilos overweight, which somewhat doubled on the return flight with the amount of goodies we received in our fun bag. Filled with Motorola, Shu Uemura, Kerastase, Ralph Lauren Cool and Polo Blue Fragrances for men and women, Havaianas and Smart Infinity products and various other fantastic giveaways including a Motorola cell phone, personalized stuffed animals and jewelry by Jeux accessories, the goodie bag is most tempting to quick hands, so don’t let the swag out of your sight.
6. Sail on one of Sasha Sailing Club’s fleet of paraws. You’re sailing around the island on a little sailboat, lying five feet above the water, chilling out to grooves streaming from the built-in, waterproof sound system. Choose to do it while the sun is on high noon and get a tan or take that special someone, sail into the sunset and revel in the beauty of Boracay. There are few diversions in life more sublime.
7. Bathe in the bubbles. Each room at Nami is outfitted with a Jacuzzi tub on the balcony built for two. Have your nami draw a bath, fill it with suds, surround it with votive candles, then sink in and enjoy the breathtaking panoramic Boracay view. And order a bottle of bubbly – it’s your choice whether to sip it or bathe in it. It was heard that someone over the weekend mixed in a few bottles of bubbly into his bath. Alas, the mosquitoes feasted on him that evening – what bacchanalian mosquitoes Nami has!
8. Do the sunset session. About an hour or so before sunset, guests gather on the newly-refurbished and expanded sundeck, trendy tunes start playing, the champagne and cocktails start flowing, hors d’oeuvres are passed around and everyone just lolls back. Let the good times roll while watching the incomparable Boracay sunset. Just be on guard to strike the right pose cause the paparazzi might just start clicking away.
9. Be sure to check out Manami. Nami’s in-house boutique features Cocotini by Amina Aranaz and Mia Villavicencio, A Starlet is Born swimwear by Wendy Puyat-Hotung, Loungeri Lux swimwear by Celine Lopez, menswear by Team Manila, Michele Sison et Kleid bags, Havaianas sandals, plus the chic new Nami clothing label, a creation of Czarina Ledesma. There’s also a wide variety of hats, jewelry, loungewear, candles, beach essentials and home accessories available for the discriminating shopper.
10. What happens at Nami stays at Nami. Affairs will be conducted, vows tested, friendships expanded. So if you see anything that could even be remotely interpreted as scandalous, just keep in mind that the less you talk about what you see and hear, the less likely you’ll be the subject of idle gossip. But then what the heck, one would rather be talked about than not at all.
11. Be on camera guard, every moment. With the number of press people, photographers and trigger-happy guests that come over the weekend, you’d better start rehearsing that angle and tuck-in unless, of course, you’re happy having a photo of yourself published looking like a whale in your bathing suit.
12. Do pack your bag on the side of excess. Lest you want to be that guest that was rumored to have worn her bathing suit twice on a three-day weekend. Horrors! You’d better prepare your outfits. There were two theme dinners that fab co-hostess Tina Tinio had us stressing over. The first was a Gilligan’s Island shipwrecked glam party held on the sundeck, which was also a birthday celebration of 10 of the guests. The second was a King & I-meets-Bora dinner party which had guests in Thai outfits binging on delish Thai dishes by Chef Gabor. Shall we dance? Yes, to vintage ’80s pop and disco tunes that had everyone swinging on the dance floor.
Sounds strenuous? Don’t sweat it. The key to the Nami experience is letting yourself luxuriate in each and every moment. As soon as you take that to heart, you’ll take to the Nami experience instantly…
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