Club Med Review
Mummy blogs…
So we’re back to humid reality. It’s been about a day, and the whole family is still a bit in limbo… some call it holiday-sick, I call it Club Med sick.
Yes, Club Med was that fun, that relaxing, and that great a holiday! Bali was well, just Bali.
Edmund blogged about it, and he certainly showed the adrenaline and excitement we experienced. I figured I should a La Femme 4-point review of Club Med!
Let’s start!
1. Club Med makes women forget that they need to diet (I didnt use the fat word!)
[A] The unofficial dress code for women: Anything comfortable! Close to 80% of the women there were in bikinis. There was maybe only one with a body like Angelina Jolie. The rest were regular women with flabs on arms, spares on the tummies, droopy boobs, cellulite all over. To cover up, just a simple shirt or sun dress! There’s definitely no push –up bras and no corsets. I think we were really just there to relax, and not be concerned with inadequacies!
2. Club Med gives you freed-up couple time
Yeah! We travelled with kids, and at Club Med, we could ‘deposit’ the kids at their respective club from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.! The hours were flexi such that if you wanted to pick them up earlier, you could!
Now, the beauty is, the kids got to do what we tried, only at their level, at their pace, and with trained instructors. E.g., they had Yoga, Windsurfing, Trapeze, Golf, Archery etc during their club time. And Mummy and Daddy got to try all that too, without worrying about their life jackets, drink enough water, look out for them while I try it… you mummies know what i mean? 🙂
Of course, we did the Singapore thing. We got their time table, and when they were trying out interesting stuff, we sneaked in from some bush/wall to watch them! haha… yet we didn’t want to risk them seeing us, and wanting to follow us!
We got to try out some stuff that we couldn’t if the kids were with us. We went snorkeling, aqua-fitness class, golf, archery, drinking at the bar, and of course stalking them!
If you are worried about capturing the Kodak moment, Club Med has photographers all around taking all these shots! At the end of the day, just go to the photo booth, check out the hundreds of photos taken, choose the ones that has your kid or yourself, pay a nominal fee for each and you got those moments! Not bad ya?
3. Club Med is the place for the whole family and friends
We saw guests who were there with their large extended families or with close family friends. It looked really fun! Imagine, the kids all got to play and spend time together WITHOUT parents! And the parents got to play and spend time together WITHOUT kids!
The place is designed such that you only go to your room to sleep for the night. The TV in the room is small, the layout is simple but comfortable and there’s no room service. They really want you to come out and not get stuck in the room. So if you are hungry, food is in abundance, if you are thirsty, drinks are in full variety and in abundance. And, ALL FREE!
4. Club Med is just simply the place to go!
Oh! We found out there’s an in-house doctor at all Club Med resorts. Ours was around from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Thereafter, a nurse would tend to you if you need medical assistance. The sick bay or Infirmary was stocked like a regular clinic. If you need medication, you have to pay for it, but consultation is free! Assuring?
We over-packed for the trip. This is what I would propose for a 4 day trip (i didn’t do a kids list, cos all parents would still over-pack regardless!):
- Sunscreen
- Swimwear (women: just get the bikini. really. regardless of age!)
- Tees/Dress/Shorts for 2 days (it’s just to wear over the swimwear!
- Track Shoes (only if you insist… I went to the Golf Range in my flip flops!) –
- Flip flops/Sandals/Crocs (anything that dries fast)
- No need jeans, jewellery, hair gel
My conclusion? Go to a Club Med when you have no intention to travel out and visit touristy locations. You don’t need to spend a cent, don’t need to travel out. All around Club Med, there are little reminders of your location.
For us, there was one day of the week where the evening programme is dedicated to a cultural performance, with an artefact/ornament fair so you get your dose of Bali’s traditions and history.
You know what I did when I first got back?…I googled Club Med Bintan! 🙂