I like Club Med. For those who aren’t familiar with it, Club Med is the French company that basically invented the all-inclusive resort. I sort of feel embarrassed that I like it so much, because I prefer to think of myself as a more adventurous type of traveler, and this doesn’t really go along with that image. Having said that, one thing that I missed before this recent vacation to Club Med Turkoise (Turks and Caicos) was that there was absolutely nothing to plan. It is definitely an easy way to travel–everything was included and pre-paid, including flights, airport transfers, all food, drinks, activities, etc. The only things I had to pay extra for were internet access and a few purchases from the boutique. But in the weeks leading up to the trip I was struck by just how much I missed all of the planning that usually goes into a vacation. I like researching hotels, restaurants, activities, and learning how to get around new places by public transportation. Not having to do that, or more accurately, not being able to do that felt strange to me.
I arrived at Club Med Turkoise on Sunday and it probably took me until Tuesday to feel acclimated and like I was part of things. That was surprising, since I have been traveling alone so much recently and generally feel very comfortable on my own. But Club Med has its own culture and vibe, and it had been 5 years since I was at one of the clubs. I think I just needed a little time to break down some walls and embrace what it is all about.
The first question pretty much everyone asks when they meet you (sometimes even before asking your name and where you are from) is “Is this your first Club Med?” If the answer is no, the next question is inevitably “What other clubs have you been to?” I realize that all types of travel have their aficionados–the conversation is not that different on a cruise, for example. But there is something different about Club Med and he type of loyalty it commands. I can join in the conversation as well as anybody. This was my 5th trip to Club Med in 15 years. (Just in case anyone is wondering, the others were Playa Blanca in Mexico (now closed) in 1997, Turkoise in 2000, and Punta Cana in 2006 and 2007. But for some reason, I felt bored by that question. I was thinking to myself, is this all that other people do? Maybe for some people the answer is yes, but soon enough I started meeting interesting people and learning that many of them in fact do a lot of cool things besides go to Club Med. I just needed a little time to get over myself and stop feeling so superior. Once I changed my attitude and relaxed a bit, I started to meet some great people and had a fabulous time.
There are many all-inclusive hotels all over the Caribbean (and probably all over the world, but I am most familiar with the Caribbean). However, Club Med does things a little differently than ever other company and does what it does very well. This is the only resort that I would be comfortable going to alone. And that is because of the friendly atmosphere and the emphasis on meeting new people, both other guests (refered to as GMs, for Gentils Membres in French or Gracious Members) and the staff (referred to as Gentils Organisatuers in French or Gracious Organizers). The GOs are enthusiastic, energetic and hard-working young people from all over the world. On this trip, most of them were from the United States and Canada, although I did also meet a few from France, Israel, and Brazil. Similarly, the GMs were also primarily American and Canadian, with a smattering of Europeans. One of the unique things about this particular location is that the club is adults only (minimum age of 18). I met quite a few families consisting of parents traveling with their college age kids, in addition to couples, groups of friends and other solo travelers like myself. Having singles, couples and families at the same club somewhat reduced the feeling of it being a meat market but that aspect was definitely there too for anybody looking for it.
Also different from other resorts is the sheer quantity of included activities. At Turkoise this included snorkeling (2 trips daily), sailing and windsurfing lessons, flying trapeze lessons, tennis lessons or use of the courts and a variety of exercise classes. I believe that the only activity with an extra charge was scuba diving. I was did some snorkeling, participated in a sailing armada to a deserted island, took some pool aerobics, zumba and yoga classes, but mostly just enjoyed the soft white sand and beautiful turquoise water of the beach. One of my favorite activities was taking pictures of the beautiful sunsets over the water, which were different every evening. The food was just OK (with the exception of the breads and desserts, which were great), the shows at night were so-so, but the overall vacation was fun, relaxing and rejuvenating. When I left to go home a week after I had arrived, it was hard to imagine a time when I didn’t know all of the wonderful friends that I made on this trip. So while I am not yet planning my next Club Med getaway, I am sure that I will eventually be back.
Fierce Sunflower 