My first Club Med experience…and why I would do it again
With my friend Carel who introduced me to Club Med.
Originally published on the CN&CO blog in June 2018.
I visited Mauritius for the first time with Club Med from 3 – 10 June 2018. We stayed at Club Med’s five-trident (5-star) La Plantation d’Albion resort. I have been to Mauritius a number of times before but I have not stayed at one of the Club Med resorts on the island. Also, this was also my first time staying at a Club Med resort.
I loved my experience. It was a work trip on which we were hosting local media. I enjoyed being able to see the country and enjoy all that Club Med has to offer. It is the Club Med offering that solidifies why I would book a holiday at a Club Med resort anywhere in the world.
What I loved about staying at Club Med, and the reasons I would stay with Club Med again, are below.
The staff
Everyone is so friendly and helpful. From the gentlemen driving the buggies to the managers. The resort provides golf carts (known as buggies) to help you get anywhere in the resort. I had many wonderful conversations with staff on a buggy ride from one side of the resort to another. Many staff took the time to check in on me each day. As the days rolled on, I got to know more and more GOs and GEs and each day we spoke about something different.
We received a warm welcome when we arrived at the resort. Photo by L Royds
The resort itself
Wow! La Plantation d’Albion is gorgeous. The rooms are spacious and well-appointed, and the whole resort has plenty of natural environment around it. It’s also quite big. There are large green trees, dark rugged rocks on the beach, and the amazing expanse of ocean. Everywhere you look, there is some natural beauty to capture your attention. There are two pools, two bars, and two restaurants. The sunset views from the Calm Pool are magnificent. The resort also has a spa, a gym, and great activities like archery and trapeze. There’s just so much to do and see here.
The abundance of food
Club Med is known for all-inclusive holidays. Anyone who has travelled knows that often “all-inclusive” does not always mean that everything is included. At Club Med, all-inclusive really does mean all-inclusive. There are two restaurants and bars at the resort. In many other “all-inclusive” packages, one restaurant is included in the “all-inclusive” and you would pay extra at the other. Not with Club Med. You can eat any of the three daily meals at either restaurant without paying any extra fees. The all-inclusive also includes drinks (yes, cocktails and mocktails, too). The hard liquor is not included but everything else is.
The daily crêpes
As I’m on a rather strict eating plan which has helped me lose quite a bit of weight. I shouldn’t admit to this – especially since my nutritionist will probably read this blog – but those crêpes were divine. Each day from about 4pm every day near the Banian Bar a chef cooks up light and delicious crêpes. You can resist for the first few minutes but as the smell makes its way to you, and you hear people saying how delicious the crêpes are you will be powerless to resist. Believe me. I tried. Did I mention that they are served with your choice of jam, cinnamon sugar, plain sugar, Nutella, freshly-melted chocolate, honey, or maple syrup? Still think you can resist?
The fun
Each evening the staff put on a fantastic performance of something. My favourite shows this season were the Michael Jackson show and the Beyoncé show because of the fantastic performances. After the show, there is an after-party. You get to dance and have a great time with fellow guests and staff. If you don’t want to dance, you can enjoy a drink from the bar and sit in the warm evening air and just relax. I had so much fun with my CN&CO team mates, our fabulous client, and our awesome group of media.
The all-inclusive deal
While staying at the resort, everything you can do and eat here is already included in your package price. This means that you can take as many archery classes as you want throughout your stay, as I did. If archery isn’t your thing then you can opt for golf lessons, or trapeze lessons, or snorkelling, or sailing, or any one of the other fantastic resort activities available to you. I went with archery lessons as I’m working on my acceptance into the Avenger superhero team.
Me practising for my audition for the Avengers. (Ignore the jealousy on the face of the man in the photo)
Our lovely group of media after our tour of Le Chamarel.
I loved the group we travelled with; we all got along very well and we have bundles of fun. We laughed all the way through; it was an very special experience. It was a wonderful experience and I am already looking at planning my next Club Med trip.
