Club Med for Families

Being a mom is a never ending job. There’s always homework to go over, dishes in the sink, laundry to fold, dinner to cook, shopping for shoes (again!), PTA meetings, bills to pay… Wouldn’t you just love to go on a vacation where you don’t have to worry about where to go for dinner and what activities to organize for the kids each day? And what about having a little private time without the kids?

If this is what you’re looking for, an “All-Inclusive” resort is your answer.

Club Med (short for Club Méditerranée) is operated by a French corporation and offers all-inclusive vacation resorts in many parts of the world, usually in highly exotic locations. There are over 80 Club Med resorts around the world, with each resort offering an extensive list of services and activities in one single package.
These “All inclusive” packages include lodging, meals, soft drinks, use of facilities, a wide variety of sports activities, games, and shows. Alcoholic drinks are bought with bids which are purchased separately, although some locations now include alcohol and snacks in their package.

Many resorts feature outdoor buffet dining, daytime sports and activities, and evening shows performed by the Club Med staff which are called “GOs” (short for “Gracious Organizers”), and usually invite the participation of the guests, which are called “GMs” (short for “Gracious Members”), while the resort is known as a “village”. A unique feature of Club Med is the socializing of the GOs with the GMs, all playing, dining, drinking and dancing together day and night.

There are many villages that provide facilities for children of different ages, which are supervised by trained staff. Children are divided into age group clubs – “Baby”, “Petit”, “Mini”, and “Junior’s”.

Mini Club Med™ (4-10 years):
Mini Club Med™ is for kids ages 4 – 10 years old, and activities are included in the package for no additional cost:

Kids activities that include arts and crafts, soccer, sailing, in-line skating, games, “mini scientist” and other fun activities; Clubhouse surrounded by an outdoor “funscape” area with toys, dollhouses, trains and slides;

Some resorts offer special activities (also included in the package) such as Mini Tennis, Flying trapeze, tennis, soccer, sailing, in-line skating, games, arts & crafts, mini scientist, and even Circus school where kids can learn juggling, walking the tightrope, jumping on the trampoline, swinging on the trapeze and clowning around in the circus workshops.

Juniors’ Club Med (11 to 17 years olds)

”Club Med Passworld™” – an exclusive new zone just for kids and teens 11 to 17 years old, where they can enjoy many different activities, all included in the package price:

Performing Arts : Hip-hop, theater, shows, singing, musical instruments, sound mixing, magic, musicals, African dance

Acting and Film: video, theatre, direction, editing

Creative Activities: Jewelry, makeup, craft work, fashion, Brazilian bracelets, graffiti art

Sports – flying trapeze, roller blading, climbing, bungy bounce, sailing, water skiing, windsurfing, beach volley, beach soccer

Adventure and Discovery: Excursions, hiking, picnics

Evening activities – “movie night” on the beach, “disco night”, “beach party”, “disco-roller”

Baby Club Med™ (4-23 months) Care is provided 9:00am to 5:30pm for babies 4 – 23 months old, for an additional charge. The children are divided into two groups: not yet walking and walking up to 23 months.

Petit Club Med™ (2-3 years) Care is provided for toddlers (2 – 3 years old), for an additional charge.

From Sand Huts to Luxury Villas

From sand huts and shared bathrooms to luxury villas - things have come a long way since Club Med's humble birth 60 years ago.

The French resort chain still aims to offer the same all-inclusive holiday experience it did back then - there's just a lot more bling about it these days. So what better time for an introduction to the unique world of Club Med?

At the forefront of the upmarket push in recent years has been the five-star, or 'five-trident', La Plantation d'Albion resort on the west coast of Mauritius. Opened in 2007, the newer of two resorts on the breathtaking Indian Ocean nation - the other being the four-trident La Pointe aux Canonniers on the east coast - is a sprawling, 21 hectare property hugging the Indian Ocean amid rich jungle (and still home to its own resident monkeys and mongoose).

In recent years it has been one of Club Med's flagship destinations but it's now the undoubted pride and joy of the chain with the recent addition of 40 luxury one, two and three bedroom villas (although some are still to be completed). The villas, built adjacent to the main village and sold to outside owners seeking an investment opportunity and part-time holiday house, are aimed at attracting guests who want to blend a luxurious, private and exclusive experience with the traditional Club Med stay.

Villa packages firmly encapsulate Club Med's 'all-inclusive' policy with full access to the village, your own butler and designated chef and other benefits including free access to the nearby 18-hole Tamarina Golf Club course. The villas were designed by Marc Hertrich and Nicolas Adnet, the same duo behind the Albion resort and recent facelifts in Bali and Cancun, just prior to their official opening.

The properties are spacious and striking, combining African, Asian and Indian design styles, with the highlight a Mauritian-style veranda and pool in the backyard - an ultimate entertaining area complete with a floating, king-size sun bed. It's all very upscale and a far cry from when former Belgian water polo player Gerard Blitz started the club with a simple tent village on the Spanish island of Majorca in 1950.

The oceanfront suites, quite a bit cheaper than the villas, are spectacular in their own right. Situated just 10m back from the ocean and featuring a spacious veranda, the suites offer a sitting room, bedroom, bathroom, and even an alfresco shower.

Most of the village's key attractions are located within strolling distance of the rooms, or if you'd prefer to save your legs it's easy to holler a golf buggy to get you around. It makes it easy to fully immerse yourself in Club Med's philosophy of relaxation and recreation. For unwinding there's the gorgeous Zen pool overlooking the coastline, the world-class Cinq Mondes spa for pampering, the Le Phare restaurant for late breakfast and lunches (essential for the more party-minded likely to need a sleep in) and a small sand beach.

There are also plenty of activities, including a trapeze for the acrobatically-inclined, archery, snorkelling and a golf training centre where you can get some free, and in my case, much-needed lessons.

While all the great amenities were to be expected, the thing that strikes Club Med first-timers most is how much the resort's staff, or GOs (gentils organisateurs - gentle organisers), become part of your stay. From the moment they greet you like a celebrity upon arrival, they'll often join you for lunch, dinner, and can be reliable late-night drinking buddies at the bar. In no time you'll be on a first-name, and likely secret-handshake, basis.

They're multi-talented too - you'll probably see your new mate performing in the evening show before joining them on the dance floor for the somewhat-bizarre but fun 'crazy signs', a communal dance led by one of the GOs (tricky, but entertaining, when all the instructions are in French!).

The all-inclusive concept is a winner too, eradicating any of the financial stresses that sometimes come with a holiday. Food and drink are at your mercy, even the mini-bar is virtually bottomless, and the only things you'll need to fork out for are the spa and outside excursions - though it’s well worth getting out to explore the multicultural island. The cuisine is a superb mix of Mauritian, Asian, Indian and western food served at the main buffet, the list of cocktails is endless and the local beer, Phoenix, is a cracker and was apparently once voted best in the world.

Discover Club Med's Cherating Beach Eco Resort

Walk in the rainforests, sail in the South China Sea, do yoga on the beach or just let the splendid surroundings work their magic on you. Experience the good life at Club Med’s Cherating Beach Eco Resort in Kuantan Pahang on the east coast of Malaysia—a tropical paradise.

The rooms are beautifully appointed, elegant, understated and comfortable. Gloriously-creaky verandas skirt the rooms. The local and traditional architecture is at its most charming, and is mentioned in the Guinness World Records as the longest unbroken wooden house in the world. It is built on stilts as most homes on the Malaysian coast are, in order to remain safe from flood waters and wild life.

One could spend all day, just sitting there and staring into the South China Sea--but the glorious outdoors beckon. There is plenty to do and lot of space to do it in. The resort is an 80-hectare property with four km of coastline all its own.

It is obvious why Club Med prides itself on being a worldwide leader in up-scale, personalised holidays. Everything you could possibly want is right there — from a gym for the city slicks who are happy only if they sweat it out on machines to the great outdoors for those who want to do yoga on the beach. A walk in the tropical forest, rock climbing, bungee jumping, archery, tennis, football, squash, golf…take your pick, or do them all. Then, cool off either in the ocean, or the pool just a holler away from the round-the-clock bar.

The food is amazing and ample. Long counters groan under its weight. There is world cuisine up for grabs with the best of Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Italian, Mexican and Malayan fare. Slice yourself some French cheese, pare an exotic fruit, and agonise over the dessert menu.

After their initial shock when you decline the caviar and the pate de foie gras, the chefs rally around and rustle up a formidable vegetarian meal. They are solicitous and anxious that you don't feel left out as others feast on the wealth of meat, fish and poultry. You can do splendidly with luscious fruit, incredible salads, yoghurt, freshly-baked bread, and so on.

Family destination

Mumtaz Moin, Head, Club Med Services India, points out why Cherating Beach resort is a complete family holiday destination. The facilities for children will earn you their eternal gratitude. There are play stations, musical instruments, Internet, a movie hall and enough place to have their own parties, or just hang out, undisturbed by the adults. For the younger kids, there are trained people who read to them, take them out on excursions, supervise their meals and even take care of their nap time. This gives you the freedom to do your own thing and stop feeling guilty.

Rustling palms, rippling waves, chirping birds apart, there is nothing to come between you and total relaxation at Club Med Cherating. Of course, all rooms are WiFi-enabled. So, go ahead and keep in touch with the outside world.

Chill zone

The Club Med Premium Holiday includes accommodation, all meals, wine, beer and soft drinks, Club Med Baby Welcome, Mini Club Med (four to 10 years), sports and fitness training facilities, swimming pool and Jacuzzi.

The Mandara Spa

A perfect place to indulge yourself with some truly exotic treatments. The treatments include facials, manicures and pedicures and body massages with natural ingredients, all guaranteed to leave you in a state of bliss.

Turtle haven

The Cherating beach is witness to an extraordinary phenomena — it is the landing and nesting area of the endangered green turtle that comes here to lay its eggs. A turtle sanctuary nearby collects the eggs, nurtures them, and on hatching, releases them into the South China Sea. If you are lucky, you could witness the turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs.