Club Med Insider

ooh how delightful . . . I get to write about Club Med

My husband and I have been going to Club Med once or twice a year for about twenty years, so we frequently get the question;

Which Club Med is your favorite?

That is a difficult question! Each Club has some special quality that still lingers in my memory. For example, our first Club Med was Eleuthera. The sand was powder soft and had a pink iridescent quality that captivated me. We learned the original Crazy Signs there. The rooms didn’t have external locks and we paid for our drinks with children’s pop-beads.

The beach at Turkoise is forever long and firmer for sports. I was enchanted by the crystal clear turquoise water, Jo-Jo the dolphin, and of course, the diving. The dive team was very professional and the catamaran is to die for. Each trip we look forward to hanging out at Sharky’s Shack at the end of the beach, to listen to Daniel sing. He sang both French and American classics, so everyone could sing along as we watched the sun set on the smooth horizon.

Columbus Isle has the most startling white beach. It’s a very peaceful, elegant resort. In the evenings, before dinner, the yoga class takes place on a balcony overhanging the water. The instructor made us laugh last time we were there when she said “Now just breathe in deeply and imagine you are on a tropical island, the breeze is gently blowing. The smell of salt tickles your nose, as you listen to the waves crashing against on the beach.” On our dive trips we always look for the grouper who likes to be touched. It gently rubs against you until you give into temptation and reach out to his silky side.

For amazing structural design, Playa Blanca wins in our experience. Unfortunately it’s gone now, but it was beautiful. The buildings climbing up the canyon walls were fun to explore. The tequila horse-back riding trip vaguely lingers in my memory.

Cancun now trumps Playa Blanca for gorgeous grounds. I highly recommend it for those who don’t like the super-hotels so typical of Cancun. It must be on a hundred acres and it surrounds a tranquil lagoon. Tranquil other than the alligator (or was it a crocodile?) who kept two eyes and a couple of bumps above water next to the restaurant. We enjoyed the salsa lessons, cigars, and henna tattoos. Of course there’s the flying trapeze, which my husband finally mustered up the courage to do. He swung off the little platform and actually let go of his bar to grab the hands of the trusty G.O..

St. Lucia had fantastic diving with walls fifty feet off the shore. The drift dives were long and lazy. It was like diving with a Disney e-ticket. When we came up at the end we’d float quietly together and listen to the rain forest chatter.

Moorea was the best for the rooms. Each duplex was a primitive looking hut out on the grass. We had a wood porch where our friends would gather before dinner. There where palm trees everywhere, even in the water. The beach was eerily calm because of the ridge of protective reef surrounding the island. The oldest Club Med employee lived there and was treated like a king. For diving with sharks this was the best place to go. We will eventually make it to Bora Bora for that reason.

Sonora Bay was a little harder to be enthusiastic about, which is probably why it is gone. But I will always remember the sheet lightening storm that lit up the sky like strobe lights. That day had been especially hot at 120 F and 95% humidity. No one moved. The water was even hot. But that night it rained and the next day, when we went out on the dive boat, the desert mountains were purple and red with flowers.

That leaves Caravelle and Buccaneers Creek. They are similar in so many ways. The beaches are fantastic because they have palm trees everywhere, so we were always in and out of the sun . . . never too hot. I think the darkest tan I ever got in my life was at Buccaneers Creek! As for friendly locals, Caravelle is wonderful. I loved the local artist market and my hubby loved sitting with the locals drinking beer. Ironically, both resorts are next to towns called St. Ann, each of which are lovely towns in their own right.

All of this said, I must conclude with the fact that Club Med is the G.O.s, not the property. Which Club Med is my favorite? All of them are my favorite, because of the incredibly well trained international team of employees. That’s the beauty of Club Med. They all share a beauty, tranquility, and feeling of adventure and yet . . . even the same facility will hold a unique experience from week to week. The people change, the weather changes, the Clubs even change, but the experiences are always the same . . . wonderful.

We always go two weeks and it never seems long enough. We are restricted only by the resorts that offer diving, so we can have our two favorite things . . . scuba and Club Med.