Club Med Cherating - The Story

i've wanted to go to club med ever since i was young. but of course those days, club med were party resorts. recently, i had the urge to look up the place again. mainly because i had heard that its one of the best family resorts in asia. the kids club was much, much better than the kids club in other resorts. we're at a stage where the existance of kids club in a hotel is very important. if the boys can let out their energy even for half a day, i would be eternally grateful.

club med emphasises on this. they let the parents have time to themselves while the children are being looked after. not only that, food and drinks were provided throughout the day and all activities are included in the package. what more would you want? price wise, yes its marginally higher than other resorts but taking into account that you dont need to fork out on f&b and almost all activities the resort offer, it would roughly come up to the same amount. of course you could argue that you can eat elsewhere and dont need to spend at the hotel dining outlets but if you think that way, then you really dont need to look at this resort in the first place. but if you want to go somewhere where everything (yes i do mean everything) is provided for, then this is the place.

our first impression was very positive. the pak guard at the gates was extremely friendly and was dedicated to his work. he looked through his list to see if our names were in before allowing us to proceed through. we could hear him talking on the phone informing front desk that we were driving in. when we got to the front of the resort, there was already someone (a GO) waiting with our keys and small booklet. hubby went to park the car while the boys and i were escorted to the reception area. there were welcoming drinks and cold towel given to us. another GO came to let us know the general info about the resort, the facilities available, what we can find where and told us that there was an information 'show' everyday at 10am and 6pm to familiarise ourselves with the resort.

we were then taken to the main building and shown where the theatre was, the pool, the dining area, the bar and snack area before we were shown to the room. our luggage had already been sent there. the room in itself wasnt that great. it was pretty small. simple writing table, simple tv cabinet and simple wardrobe. the bathroom was separated to 2 - the toilet one side and shower the other. the resort was efficient in providing an extra bed and a baby cot without us asking, to accommodate the 6 of us. the baby cot was not really necessary but its the thought that counts. we had 2 adjoining rooms (at a surcharge, of course) and that makes the room feel more spacious. if not, it was pretty small. the resort encourages their guests to participate in their activities which is why the rooms are quite small and could be better. there is however drinks and food in the minibar, all already included in your package.

after unpacking and changing, we set out to explore the resort. hubby decided to check out the gym so we, first, took the boys to the mini club & petit club. the other children were out swimming so we had time to look at the place. the gym was close by and, left alone, i went around looking at the beach, the theatre, the pool before settling down at the sofa with my book. an hour after that i saw the boys pass by with other mini & petit clubbers to the dining outlet to have their snack.

mini & petit club closes at 515pm before opening again for dinner, so we went to take the boys back to the room for a shower to freshen up. at 7pm we went to the dining outlet, le mutiara, where their GOs were waiting. we registered the boys who went in to dine with their teachers. le mutiara opens for dinner at 7pm everyday but only the mini and petit clubbers were allowed in. after they have settled down with their food, then only it was opened to other guests. they had children trays, cutleries and food choices - burgers, hot dogs, baked pasta, pizza, nuggets, fries, plain rice, fresh veggies, ice cream. their buffet choices were amazing. i wouldnt be bored eating here for 4 days.

after dinner, everyone made their way to the theatre. the guests with the help of the GOs had a show prepared. the boys too were taking part. and they really go all out, complete with face paint, costumes and trapeze acts. it was a nice surprise for us to watch all 4 boys on stage.

the GOs at the resort were amazing. they really connected with the guests, they remember their guests, they have theme colours everyday and themed dinners every night. they join the guests for dinner everyday, they dance around the pool in the afternoon, they have pool games every morning, they have activities throughout the day for the guests and many GOs join in - power walk, volleyball competition, golf, archery, abs and butts classes, spa classes. basically your day is never dull and the GOs make it their duty to ensure that.

another bit we love was the photographer who took pictures of the activities around the resort. there was a photo booth near the mini club that we came across by accident. we saw some people looking at photos and found out that they have photos of activities of the previous days, going back a month. we ended up spending hundreds at the photo counter when we saw many, many pictures of the boys in action.

the next day started a bit late as we got back to the room late the night before. we had breakfast, sent the boys to mini club and hubby left for the gym. i went back to have a proper breakfast before trying out the spa. the price was a shocker but it was great. too short for my liking but filled up my morning nicely. hubby and i sat at one of the couches and we caught sight of the boys every now and then, at the pool, going for their lunch, walking around with their GOs. the same throughout the day, hubby and i had lunch, snacks and drinks around the pool area while the boys went to the beach, the pool, had treasure hunt and snacks before we had to pick them up at 515pm.

we decided to have a quick dinner and go back to the room as the boys were moody and tired. amir slept before dinner and was moody throughout dinner. akmal was sleepy and ariff and asyraf fell asleep as soon as they sat on the bed.

the next day started out the same. the boys were sent to the mini & petit club at 9am. hubby and i had late breakfast. his knee was acting up so he skipped the gym. we went to the spa, which was right next to the petit club and could hear akmal and his friends swimming in the kiddie pool. we then went for a drive to the nearby village to get akmal's diapers and buy some keropok lekor to bring home. then we went back to the resort, walked from our room by the beach towards le mutiara for a late lunch. after lunch we took the train to the nearby beach. when we got there the boys were walking towards the train stop, hoping to catch the one back to the resort.

hubby and i decided to go sailing. it was a great first experience unfortunately we went a bit late when the waves and wind were strong. we then sat for a bit and took the train just in time to pick the boys up. we walked on the beach back to the room. that night we let the boys eat with the other mini clubbers except akmal who ate with us. the mini club had bingo night and they invited the parents to join in as well.

we checked out the next day. we had an early flight but the activities in the resort started early so we didnt really feel alone. checking out was a breeze, breakfast was simple and quick and the drive to the airport was smooth. we got home before midday and settled all our chores for the day. the boys still talk about their time at club med cherating and we're already planning for our next club med adventure, maybe a skiing holiday in sahoro, insyaallah.