Want to escape city life? Have a craving to feel ocean breezes? Want to be one with nature? If you answered “yes” to these questions, then it’s time you pack your bags and head to Club Med Cherating!
Club Med Cherating is part of the Club Med organisation, which was founded in 1950 and is renowned for its top-notch resorts and picturesque locales. Known as an eco-friendly jungle beach resort in Malaysia, Club Med Cherating Beach is tucked away in the middle of 80 hectares of lush greenery and offers the ideal environment for an amazing family vacation. The resort is filled with tree-top adventures and numerous wildlife discoveries. We at Hype recently dove headlong into all that Club Med Cherating has to offer.
Day 1
We travelled by bus from Kuala Lumpur to Club Med Cherating Beach, which took around four hours. However, taking a flight is preferable if you want to save energy for Club Med Cherating’s outdoor activities. Upon our arrival, we were welcomed by a group of friendly GOs (Gentil Organisateurs) at the entrance.
Since it was only the first day, there wasn’t much on the agenda. So, we had a quick buffet lunch at The Mutiara, before undergoing a short briefing session, where we were introduced to Mr. Oliver Monceau, the new General Manager of Club Med Singapore and Malaysia. He spoke quite a bit about Club Med and how it came to be, which made us all the more excited to explore the resort.
We were each then given a wristband, room card, Club Med essentials and a bucket list challenge. To complete the bucket list challenge, we needed to tick off 10 things from the list, and the first three winners were in for a treat (free massage session!). Next on the agenda was a cocktail party and dinner. The cocktail party was simply amazing. There was a DJ, assorted finger food and unlimited booze! Once we were done with the cocktail, we headed to Mutiara Restaurant for dinner (we’ll talk more about the food later!)
Now comes the fun part. In our schedule, we were told that our outfits needed to follow the theme of the day (not compulsory, but encouraged). Little did we know that at Club Med Cherating, there’s a theme every day. So, on our first day, the theme was cappuccino. All of us were dressed in shades of white and brown. At 9pm, we were ushered to a theater show. Here’s the surprising part: none of the performers were outsiders, as they were all the GOs themselves! Today’s show was more a mix of digital dance, ballet and trapeze artistry. It was simply amazing how they all worked together to put on an amazing show for us. The sound, lighting and screen were all super amazing.
Right after that, it was time to party. At Club Med, it’s all about coming together. Literally all the guests of Club Med were on the dance floor. The signature dance is known as the Crazy Sign Dance. And each department did their own dance for us to follow. The night was just so alive. Despite being a resort by the coast, we really didn’t expect them to be this extra! After all the drinks and the party, we headed back to our rooms.
Day 2
If you’re an early riser, you’ll definitely catch the beautiful sunrise. To kickstart our day, we had an amazing breakfast at The Mutiara. Then, we headed to the theater area where we met representatives of the Turtle Conservation Society. Actually, the Turtle Sanctuary is next to Club Med Cherating (before entering the resort area). If you want to, you can pay this place a quick visit. The Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCS) was established in 2011 by co-founders Drs. Chan Eng Heng and Chen Pelf Nyok who realized that despite the country being home to 18 natural species of tortoises and freshwater turtles, there was no organization to care for them. Dr. Chen Pelf gave a short briefing on turtles, which was pretty cool. TCS even brought along three baby turtles and we got to hold them.
Right after the sharing, we had handmade soap workshop. Everyone was going wild with their soaps and they didn’t just stop at one. We made a few ourselves. It was indeed a meaningful session, as we got to learn more about these beautiful creatures and how to conserve nature. To show support to the society, as well as to local women who are part of the society, handmade merchandise were sold. From scrunchies to tags and bags to batu seremban, all the products are handmade with love – and a small part of the contributions go to the Turtle Conservation Society. You can even purchase the items on Shopee.
Next up, we had a quick lunch at The Mutiara, and we were all ready to explore the resort! It doesn’t matter if you’re a leisure-seeker or thrill-hunter – Club Med ensures that there’s always something for everyone at this resort. Here are some of the activities we indulged in:
The Tram
The mode of transportation from the main resort to the other side is the tram. It’s like one of the trams you see at Zoo Negara. The tram is scheduled every 30 minutes throughout the day. Just jump on the tram and go for a quick ride through the lush green forest. The pick-up point is Enak Restaurant (just by the main pool) and the private beach. It was indeed a fun ride.
Private Beach
The main beach at the resort is off-limits. You can walk by the beach, but no swimming is allowed, as it can be dangerous. So, if you want to swim or do some water sports activities, you should head to the private beach located on the other side of the resort. You can get there on foot or take the tram. Since we wanted to try out the nature walk, we decided to hike. Just when you reach the end of the hike, you’ll see two signs. Take a left for rock climbing and take a right for the water sports area.
Rocky Viewpoint + Nature Walk
The Rocky Viewpoint is like a tree house at the end of the beach. Climb a few stairs and you’ll get an amazing view of the beach and the back portion of the resort. There’s also a bench where you can sit and unwind to the sounds of the ocean.
The nature walk is connected to the Rocky Viewpoint. You just have to take a few stairs up and you’re in the jungle. If you love nature and photography, this nature walk will give you an elevated view of the mountain’s summit. You might observe creatures like monkeys, birds and reptiles during your hike. Remember to wear your sports shoes as the trail might be slightly slippery, especially if it rains. And carry bug repellant! This hike’s route is well-lit and secure. Hence, it’s impossible to get lost. Simply stick to the trail, and you’ll soon be on the other side. Depending on your speed, this hike takes about 30 minutes.
Zen Pool
If you want a calm atmosphere with an infinity pool that faces the ocean, Zen Pool is one of the places you would want to visit. To get here, you’ll either need to climb or ride the shuttle train. Without being bothered by children, you may relax on the sun lounger, or enjoy the sea view while dipping in the Zen Pool. You can also get unlimited drinks from the poolside bar while you’re in Zen mode. The mango coconut drink called the Coco Loco is one of their specialties. Undoubtedly reviving! Club Med also offers water sports activities such as sailing, paddle boating and kayaking. But these activities are held depending on the weather and tide.
Rock Climbing
The rock climbing area is located at the resort’s private beach. You can either hike or take the tram to get there. Although it seems simple, we assure you that it is quite challenging. If you haven’t the slightest clue about rock climbing, no problem. There’ll be GOs to direct you through each step. At the hut, we first geared up. You’ll be given a harness, hairnet and helmet. We then made our way to the sandy area for the safety talk. Simply pay close attention to the GO’s instructions. Because the GO will hold your rope for assistance, don’t worry about falling. It was a wonderful and unsettling experience, but it’s an activity you should definitely try out.
Archery
Wish you could embody Katniss Everdeen from “The Hunger Games”? Then make your way to the archery area. Each time you step up, you’ll receive 3 arrows, and you’ll have at least an hour of unrestricted shooting. Kids can shoot too, and a special kid-sized bow is available.
Batik Painting
If you’re not much of an outdoor person and crave piece of mind, we suggest going for batik painting. Batik painting is a common thing in Malaysia, but most of the time, we see readymade products. At Club Med, you get to paint your own batik and get to know the process of how batik came to be. We had Pak Cik Ayam (not sure if it’s his real name) who guided us with our paintings. The canvas is not just florals. You can find animals, sea life, unicorns and other types of designs too. Each canvas size is differently priced. Ours was RM60. The best thing about painting your own batik is that you’re free to be creative. Of course, Pak Ayam would help and make a few suggestions, but you can go wild sometimes.
Mandara Spa
With all that hardcore activity, you’ll definitely feel the urge to pamper yourself. Ease all your muscle pain with a good spa session at Mandara Spa. There are many packages to choose from and they even have spas for kids. Right before your session, you’ll be served cold ginger tea. You can also pick your own scented massage oil – Mandara, Island Spice, Harmony and Tranquility. Since we won second place in the bucket list challenge, we were entitled to a 30 minute massage. We could choose from facials, or back and foot massages. The massage session was epic. The environment is calm, the room was cozy and the massage was good.
Later that evening, we had another cocktail party, but this time, it was at The Rembulan, by the private beach. For dinner, we had a 4-course-meal at Rembulan Restaurant, which is more upscale. You can reserve a table for a candlelit dining experience. Simply make a reservation when you have breakfast at the Mutiara Restaurant. Take the shuttle train to go to this peaceful restaurant. Overall, we thought the food served that night was excellent and filling. However, it might be creepy at night, because it gets really dark. We do hope they install more lights on the path way.
After dinner, we headed to the main lobby for yet another party night. Tonight’s theme was Asian. For the 9pm theater show, we had a lion dance. Then, we had a walk down memory lane with all sorts of traditional games and activities prepared for us. There was batu seremban, batik painting, guli, Chinese caligraphy, pemadam, mahjong, card games, massage station, henna and many more. It was so nice to see guests of different races and cultures getting to know Malaysian traditions and games. Our favourite part was the teh tarik station, where we had a good dose of freshly brewed teh tarik.
With 2 fun-filled nights, our stay eventually came to an end. On our last day at Club Med Cherating, it was a gloomy morning, because of the rain. We headed for breakfast and got all ready to check out.
Club Med is indeed a one-of-a-kind resort. There are so many amazing resorts out there – but Club Med has an entirely different concept going on. Not only do they have an all-inclusive formula where accommodation, dining, entertainment, childcare and a range of curated experiences and activities are all included within the holiday package, but they also emphasize on everyone being a part of something. At Club Med Cherating, there’ll never be a moment when you’ll be left alone or left out, because there are friendly GOs everywhere. Sometimes, they’ll even ask if they can join you for lunch or dinner.
As for the rooms, we really admire the ‘rumah panjang’ concept the resort has. Focusing more on conserving nature, we think the ‘rumah panjang’ concept is brilliant. There are no lifts in this resort, and everything is wood-based. Even the room floors are made of quality wood, making the them super cooling and convenient. Despite being surrounded by nature, we’re glad to say we didn’t experience insect disturbance of any kind during our stay. Not even mosquitoes!
We absolutely loved the food! They have six different cuisines for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There’s Western, Japanese, Italian and the common three, which are Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine. There’s also a variety of desserts, salads and healthy meals (for those on a diet). All their food was simply amazing, and there’s just so much to try. The fact that Club Med Cherating’s restaurants and bars serve food and beverages 24 hours a day is one of its attractions. Three dining options are available: Mutiara, Enak Noodle Bar, and The Rembulan.
Although we had three days to explore the resort, it definitely wasn’t enough, as we felt there was always something new to explore each day. If you’re planning a family holiday or a leisure staycation, be sure to add Club Med Cherating to your list, because it’s definitely worth it!
