Incentive - December 2008 - (Page 42) TRAVEL lagoon beach. It’s a very good spot for a casual lunch or cocktail party event. The highlight of the trip, for me, was on Painapo’s beach, where the proprietor’s young daughter showed me how to feed a wild manta ray. Their skin is rough yet velvety, and after being fed, the ray will nuzzle up against your legs looking for more. A good Tahitian program will offer plenty of unplanned time, to snorkel through the coral and sea life off the deck of the bungalows, walk on the beach, indulge in various other, more active water sports, or just sit and marvel at the scenery. sian, Asian and Mediterranean fare. The resort’s accommodations are in four areas, close together, but distinct enough for a smaller group to have its own space. This is particularly true of the two sets of over-water villas, 82 in all, plus a pair of larger “royal villas.” While the basic design aesthetic is similar to the Sheraton Moorea’s bun- needed for theme parties— particularly final-night blowouts and awards ceremonies— arranged with the assistance of the experienced conference staff. After lunch, a pair of local women displayed an array of quite reasonable hand-painted pareos—a traditional wraparound dress worn by men and women that is a BORA BORA After a brief morning flight, our luggage was carted off to the Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa, a member of Starwood’s Luxury Collection, while we were carted off to Bloody Mary’s, a restaurant and bar that is a tourist institution on Bora Bora. It’s a place with no pretensions, an understanding of groups’ needs, and a specialty in local fishermen’s daily catch, arrayed on ice to choose from. A dock for sail-up clients provides an interesting alternative to a bus. That was followed by a private lagoon tour that included manta ray feeding, reef snorkeling off a motorized outrigger and an encounter with manta rays and sharks that involved swimming in a fencedoff lagoon with them. It turns out I don’t like sharks. Even when they’re well fed and ignoring me. The rest of the group enjoyed it, however. After checking in, we took a sunset cruise, with Champagne, that was definitely a must-do, followed by dinner at Iriatai, the Nui’s excellent main restaurant, which offers a fusion of Polyne- Lights under the Sheraton Moorea’s over-water bungalows provide a view of the coral through a window set in the floor, as well as an incredibly soothing nightlight, as waves ripple across the ceiling galows—with sea grass roofs, private swimming decks and glass floor viewing panels—the Nui’s interiors are Indonesian mahogany, the beds are kingsize canopy beds, and the Italian marble bathrooms are more extravagant. The interior meeting space can take up to 100, and a variety of outside venues, from the beach to the infinity pool in the center of the resort, are available. Another venue of particular interest to groups is Motu Tapu, the private island shared by the Bora Bora Nui and the St. Regis Bora Bora. It’s far enough away to be truly private, yet close enough to reach by Jet Ski, which I highly recommend. Designed largely for groups, the island is perfect for barbecues and team-building events, and has all the facilities must-have room gift—and local, hand-carved mother-ofpearl shell necklaces, brooches and the like. From Motu Tapu we continued on to the St. Regis by Jet Ski, arriving to a reception by a group of staffers with cold water and Champagne, towels and bicycles—which are provided to all guests as the meandering resort is larger than its sister properties. Our bags were in our rooms, and we met up at the Oasis pools, which the resort closed off for us (and stocked with Champagne) to wait for our slots at the Miri Miri Spa, a luxurious, 13,000-square-foot, seven-treatment-room oasis on its own little island in the private snorkeling lagoon. The property offers the St. Regis butler service, the villas are larger, with truly separate living rooms, sunken tubs and rainfall showers, Remède toiletries and a slightly more formal, St. Regis style. Seventy-seven over-water villas in four classes are available, along with nine beach villas with private plunge pools, and the Royal Estate, a 13,000-squarefoot, three-bedroom mansion with dining facilities and a professional kitchen, its own spa and sauna facilities, and a private beach cove. It is all set around a landscaped, outdoor pool, and is an event facility in its own right. Also notable is the St. Regis’ premier restaurant, Lagoon. Overseen by three-Michelin-starred celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, it provided the best meal I had on the island, an unbelievable lamb chop flown in fresh from New Zealand that displayed not only kitchen artistry but the value of being that close to the country of origin. It is also notable as the only spot in any of the restaurants I visited with anything resembling a dress code—and even that was just neat slacks or a dress. Back on Tahiti, our final day included a pre-dinner visit to the Robert Wan Pearl Museum for a tour through the history of Tahiti’s most famous export, black pearls. Wan’s company is by far the largest harvester and seller of black pearls, and the museum’s shop—where private showings and cocktail parties can accompany a tour—offers the ultimate souvenirs. Colors range from blue to green to pink to yellow tints of the dark pearls, and the color, as well as luster and size, affects pricing. There are good pieces on display ranging from several hundred dollars to six figures. Definitely a must before leaving paradise. I Send comments to ljakobson@incentivemag.com TAHITI 42 | Incentive | December 2008 | incentivemag.com http://www.incentivemag.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.