Nami Resort

Rooms and decor

Picture a small resort that does not sit on the sand but climbs onto the cliff above Diniwid Beach, a hidden cove just north of the busy White Beach. Open your door and instead of sand you find the blue sea stretching out below you with nothing in the way. That is the first charm of Nami Resort, a boutique stay with only 12 rooms. Every room is built to face straight out to sea, so pulling the curtain in the morning brings the horizon and blue water right to you. The rooms lean warm and simple, with wood and stone that blend into the cliff and the surroundings rather than going for flash. Many have a private balcony for morning coffee or an evening drink with your own sea view. Plenty of reviews say the view is the kind that stops you mid-breath, and with so few rooms the place stays quiet and private in a way that is hard to find — more like your own seaside holiday house than a crowded hotel.

Food and amenities

The heart of a stay here is the deck and small pool that jut out over the cliff, as if floating above the sea. Sit there and all you see is blue water and sky, a private corner for lounging, photos, and a drink, especially at sunset as the sun sinks into the water in front of you — many guests call it the image they remember most from the trip. What sets this stay apart is the private butler looking after every guest, sorting out tours, calling boats, and handling the small details so you can switch off. At check-in you also get a welcome wine or champagne to open on your sea-view balcony. Being this compact, the common areas are not large or fully kitted out like a big resort, but the trade is the calm and the close attention that make the place feel special. There is a sea-view restaurant on site as well.

Location and getting there

Nami Resort sits on the cliff above Diniwid Beach, a small cove just north of White Beach. The appeal of the spot is the quiet and the privacy — Diniwid does not get the crowds of Stations 1 and 2, with clear water, white sand, and a more laid-back feel for anyone who wants to escape the bustle. Getting to the island's main eating-and-going-out area works two ways: walk the cliffside path along the beach to White Beach Station 1, which takes a few minutes at low tide, or take a boat when the tide rises and the path is underwater. Reaching the island starts with a flight into Caticlan, then a ferry of about 15 minutes across to the island, and a car on to Diniwid. This kind of location suits travelers who put calm and a private sea view first and accept being away from the main restaurants and nightlife.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. The biggest thing to accept up front is the entrance: because the building clings to the cliff, getting in and out means a dirt road and a fair climb of stairs, which is not easy for older travelers, anyone who walks with difficulty, or guests with heavy bags. If that worries you, weigh it carefully before booking, or ask the resort about help with luggage ahead of time. Second, the location sits far from food and nightlife — heading out to restaurants or D'Mall means the cliffside path (impassable at parts of high tide, where you take a boat instead), so check the tide table and plan meals ahead. It is less convenient than a resort in the middle of White Beach. The last point is that this is a small cliffside boutique, so the common areas and pool are limited and the facilities are not as full as a big resort, and some reviews note that parts of the building are not kept up as sharply as the price would suggest. If you value the view and privacy over completeness and easy walking, those limits are easy to live with.

Our take

After reading through plenty of real reviews, Nami Resort is a resort that sells privacy on the cliff above the quiet Diniwid cove — full sea views from every room, a romantic deck over the water, and butler service with a welcome champagne that make it feel special in a distinctive way. If the trip in your head is hiding away quietly with someone you love, opening the door to the sea, and sipping champagne on the balcony at sunset without worrying about the island's noise, this is hard to match. It is best for couples, honeymooners, and anyone after quiet privacy by the sea. But if you are traveling with older relatives or small children, or you want a resort you can walk straight into the food-and-nightlife area from with a full slate of facilities, the stair climb and the out-of-the-way location may not be the best fit. Overall we give it 8.3/10 — choose it for the view, the privacy, and the romantic feel of a hidden cove that is hard to forget.