Breakaway - Club Med 60th Anniversary Party - We Were There!

This year, Club Med celebrates its 60th birthday in a huge way and Antoinette was at its Cherating ‘village’ on a sponsored trip earlier this year to celebrate. She gets us a rundown on its new openings!

I sure am glad I was there for the huge Club Med 60th anniversary party at Club Med Cherating earlier this year. Thanks Club Med! After four days of activity Club Med style, our programme ended with a “star-studded” red carpet night with lots of great company, awesome food, cocktails and drinks, and dancing ‘til the wee hours with Village Chief Ugo Damiani and Mr Olivier Horps, Managing Director Asia-Pacific, plus a special appearance by “Michael Jackson” himself!

Marking their anniversary, Club Med Cherating has rebranded itself as Club Med’s first Eco Nature Resort, and launched a new Jungle Walk and Natural Rock Wall Climbing this year – fun for both nature lovers and city dwellers like myself – plus a revamped Mini Club Med for the tiny tots. To counter the vast buffet spreads that are laid out to fatten guests three times a day, the resort has just introduced a Healthy Cuisine section (as if!) where ingredients going into each dish, and their accompanying calories are clearly labelled for good measure! (Check out their low GI foods. Healthy and yummyyy!)

Beyond the Andaman Sea, the resort chain is launching new villages and concepts too – like the new Club Med Yabuli Ski Resort in China we just wrote about, the first villa concept in Albion, Mauritius, and upgrades at other Club Med resorts: Bintan’s got a gorgeous new spa (Watch out for our news on that – we’ve already checked it out!), Club Med Phuket has renovated its Mini Club Med and launched its new Baby Club Med (more couple time while kids get to have their own fun and games!) and Club Med Bali has also been renovated. For those who like their dose of exotic, 2010 is also set to see new resorts like Club Med Taba in Egypt, Club Med Buzios in Brazil and Club Med Oman in Senegal.

And if top-notch luxury is your thing, Club Med Kani has introduced a dedicated 5 Trident space, the most lavish of their ranks, complete with premium amenities; while Club Med Albion Villa is the first ever Club Med Villa. Situated on a protected Mauritian coast, Club Med Albion Villa adjoins the 5-Trident Resort La Plantation d’Albion for complete and overwhelming luxury.

It’s funny how a concept that started over half a century ago is still successful these days. But pioneers Gerard Blitz and Gilbert Trigano had wanted to create an all-inclusive holiday concept way back in 1950, where guests didn’t have to worry about a thing - just relax and enjoy quality time doing what they liked, and weave in a bit (or a lot of) crazy fun. And those are things which still make a great holiday today. Thanks to this vision in 1950, there are now more than 80 Club Med destinations around the world.

 

Oh, and on top of the all-inclusive meals and activities and private beaches, did you know that the average space of a Club Med resort is about two-and-a-half times larger than other resorts?

For the rest of this year, Club Med continues to celebrate with special activities and events at all their properties, to celebrate 60 years of fun. 

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Breakaway - Want Snow In Your Suit? Ski To China's First Club Med in Heilongjiang

If sand in your suit doesn’t float your boat, how about snow? Club Med Yabuli opens in November, and it’s Club Med's first resort in China. This pretty new property with "Canadian-palatial style architecture" (didn't know there were palaces in Canada!) brings you up the mountains and onto the ski slopes of icy Heilongjiang, and a stunning view of the Yabuli Mountains.  

Ski season here starts mid‐November until early April. With the ski field just outside your door and the longest mountain trail in China, you can slip and slide over 30 km of trails (suitable for all ability levels) with a fun-filled vertical drop of about 530 m – isn't that just cosy?

For newbies like me, Club Med Yabuli has the largest beginner teaching terrain in the country serviced by ski school for all levels of skiiers and non-skiiers, and a network of five ‘magic carpet’ surface lifts. There's also a heated eight‐passenger gondola and six‐passenger chairlift which connect the trails from the resort centre, mid mountain and mountain top. If you’d rather not hurtle down slopes at breakneck speed, there’s also ice skating, tubing and sleigh rides. (I’ll take the latter with a hot mug of something superbly alcoholic, thank you!)

Oh look! Relief! There's a spa!

Fancy a dip? I reeeaaally hope that's heated...!

 

Here I lay me down to sleep, 

Rest, my sore bum and tired feet....

Suitable for all ages, it’s a 4-Trident premium property (which means luxe for your bucks!) with 284 rooms including 27 suites with mountain views, and 22 deluxe rooms, plus three restaurants.

 

Chinois chic and apres 'tea'?

If you fancy a taste of this, there’s a good deal going on - $300 off each adult and $150 off the price per child for their Premium All-Inclusive Snow Package.

So as an example, a 6D/5N do at Yabuli will cost you S$3145 per adult and includes return flights on SIA and China Eastern. The same deal is also available for Club Med Sahoro and will cost S$2700 per adult. You have to book by 29 August and travel between 27 Nov and 6 April 2011, for a minimum of five nights.

Call 1800 CLUB MED (258 2633) or visit www.clubmed.com.sg

- by Ee Waun

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Breakaway - NATAS Club Med Deals to Die For!

Simply Fabulicious women love deals…especially when it includes a holiday!

If you’re planning a holiday between 1 November this year and 28 Feb 2011, Club Med is offering two tempting NATAS deals: every second adult travels free, or children below 12 years old travel free with an accompanying adult. Essentially, they are 1-for-1 deals…..one child free when accompanied by one adult, or one adult travels free when booking together with another adult. Only thing is, you have to make your move this month, or like a fleeting vision of bliss, it is gone!

We can’t help salivating copiously over the resorts in Mauritius. A 5N/6D immersion in La Plantation d’Albion (see the pretty picture above) which will go for S$2,330 per adult and from S$1,400 per child....

and the same length of stay at Club Med La Pointe aux Canonniers will set you back S$1,810 per adult and from S$1,090 per child below 12 years old. (This by the way excludes flight, I’m afraid.)

We are also lusting after Club Med Kani in the Maldives! Don’t you want to stay in one of those lagoon suites over the water? Beads and bangles hanging for an exotic look as you waft about in your 1960s retro caftan?! This resort is on the island of Kanifinholu, 20km from the capital, Male.

At the same time, the resorts nearby are also fabulicious for their super-easy access – a hop, skip and jump from Singapore and you’re sipping martini by the pool a couple of hours later. The advantage here is – less travelling time, more hours of sheer holidaying. 

Rememebr, you have to act fast to catch this one. DBS credit card members and Club Med members enjoy priority booking from 16–22 Aug 2010, then it’s open to everyone else from 23–29 Aug 2010. The deal applies to Club Med Bali, Bintan Island, Cherating Beach, Phuket, Kani, for a minimum of 4 nights, maximum 7, and La Plantation d’Albion and La Pointe aux Canonniers for a minimum of 6 nights, maximum 7.

Either way you choose, grab the credit card and go! Don't say we didn't tell you! :)

Call 1800 CLUB MED (258 2633) or www.clubmed.com.sg
- Ee Waun

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