Indonesian Bali Island resort ‘Club Med Bali’… crowded with guests from all over the world
A generous resort that provides three meals a day, ‘Bab Insim’… A global gourmet experience possible
Lessons from professional instructors in windsurfing, tennis, golf, etc… Go beyond simple experience and improve your skills with serious coaching
Customized services for visitors such as relaxation, gastronomy, and sports… Club Med’s core operating philosophy
Club Med is the original all-inclusive resort, which began in Europe in 1950. Starting in 1956, Club Med resorts were established in famous resort areas in Europe, and after expansion, there are now over 70 resorts in over 30 countries around the world.
There is also a Club Med resort in Bali, a famous vacation spot in Indonesia. It is about 20 minutes by car from Bali Denpasar International Airport and is easily accessible from the airport. Club Med Bali has been highly evaluated as a vacation spot representing the Asian region and is said to be operated as a major resort among Club Med branches. I visited Club Med Bali during my summer vacation and experienced various cultures.
Club Med, an all-inclusive resort, does not charge additional fees unless there are special circumstances after paying the ‘usage fee’. This is because the usage fee includes accommodation, three meals a day, unlimited drinks and alcohol, and the cost of experience programs. The fee is charged per person, and based on Club Med Bali, it is around 200,000 to 450,000 won per night. There is a difference in price depending on the travel period.
Additional costs may arise when adding external sightseeing tours or special meals at restaurants, but since the basic programs and meals provided within Club Med are satisfactory, it is unlikely that additional costs will be incurred in many cases.
Club Med is world-renowned for its diverse experience programs that take into account the locational characteristics of the resort. In the case of Bali, you can experience a wide range of marine sports, taking advantage of the island’s characteristics. Windsurfing and snorkeling are representative activities.
Windsurfing is a sport that is still difficult to access in Korea, but it is actively taught at Club Med Bali. Divided into morning and afternoon classes, professional instructors (Club Med GO) teach from the basics until you can windsurf on your own. Club Med calls its employees GO (Gentle Organizer), and they say they make them master their areas of responsibility and put them to work after they become experts. In the case of sports professional instructors, they sometimes hire people with experience in the relevant field.
Two men from the UK, including the reporter, learned windsurfing, and within two hours of being taught by GO, they were able to windsurf on their own. The windsurfing GO, who came here from Senegal to work, emphasized that he never gives up teaching until the students can windsurf on their own. He said that the philosophy of Club Med’s activity program is to teach them properly so that they can acquire the skill, rather than simply having them experience and finish the event.
In the case of the snorkeling experience, Club Med’s own boat and safety personnel are always present so that you can experience snorkeling. It takes place in front of the Club Med Bali Resort, and all snorkeling equipment is also provided for rent. On that day, the wind was strong and the weather was bad, so we were not able to fully view the fish in the sea, but we were able to complete the snorkeling experience safely and under control.
Another advantage of Club Med Bali is that it provides three hearty meals a day. The main restaurant, ‘Agung’, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffet-style, while the restaurant ‘Deck’, located right next to the sea, offers late breakfast, late lunch, and dinner for those who miss the regular meal times.
In a situation where general hotels only provide breakfast or, recently, there are more and more accommodations that do not even provide breakfast, Club Med is very good at ‘food hospitality’. Also, since guests from Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America, and the Middle East visit, I was able to taste various foods from around the world. The taste of the food was also better than expected. Although there is not a wide variety of Korean food, there are delicious menus from various countries, so I was able to enjoy a gourmet meal.
You can also drink unlimited drinks and alcohol. At the center of Club Med Bali Resort is the outdoor swimming pool and the ‘Kintamani Bar’. You can drink as much as you want from juices, drinks, cocktails, beer, and non-alcoholic drinks. In addition, unlimited drinks and alcohol are provided at the ‘Deck’ restaurant and the ‘Beach Bar’, a mini-bar located right in front of the beach.
Club Med Bali is said to be a larger resort than other branches, with various experience facilities. You can enjoy various experiences such as mini golf courses, tennis courts, futsal fields, yoga, archery, table tennis, and pocket ball. Various facilities are hidden throughout the resort, and the management of the exercise facilities is excellent. You can take lessons for the sport you want, and professional GOs will teach you with sincerity. Korean tourists mainly took golf and tennis lessons.
The most impressive part about using Club Med Bali was the fact that you could ‘enjoy’ activities that suited your tastes. Those who want to relax can lie on the beach or by the pool and enjoy the view, those who want to enjoy food and drinks can eat unlimitedly at the restaurant and bar, and those who want to exercise can change the type of exercise and devote themselves to exercising all day long.
In fact, most Europeans who visit here stay for at least two weeks, and they say that they have time to recharge while experiencing various things during their stay. I was amazed by the Club Med system that implemented it, seeing people fully enjoying various activities without any restrictions or limitations.
Eric Lejeune, the head of Club Med Bali, emphasized, “It is our job to meet and enable the needs of various consumers.” Having worked at Club Med for 40 years, he explained, “Each visitor has different needs, and we are well-received by our guests because we prepare perfectly in various aspects.” He continued, “People feel deep happiness when they do something they enjoy, so we will make that possible at Club Med Bali,” revealing his operating philosophy.
Compared to other services, the condition of the accommodations at Club Med Bali Resort was average. As a representative Club Med resort in Southeast Asia, some of the accommodation facilities were old because they had been in operation for over 20 years. However, the cleanliness was satisfactory, and the lawn and trees around the accommodation were well maintained. Club Med Bali has a policy of continuously improving old facilities and maintaining the environment. In fact, the facility maintenance team was often seen diligently repairing various parts of the resort.
Club Med can be seen as a vacation facility with the special feature of being an ‘all-inclusive resort’. It is believed that the reason why resorts that advertised themselves as the second Club Med failed to settle down and disappeared is because they could not keep up with Club Med’s operational know-how. For those who want to experience a different vacation, Club Med may be a good choice to consider.
2024-09-05 07:34:11