Club Med Bali a little unique

Main bar at Club Med Nusa Dua.

I just got here too, says Tonky. I only arrived at Club Med Bali a couple of hours ago and Tonky, a.k.a. Supriyanto Dermawan, beat me here by just a week. Originally from Jakarta, hes the new the new Club Med Business manager here, but has been with the company since 2008, previously working elsewhere in the Indonesian archipelago at the companys Bintan Island property.

Club Med is a little bit unique, Tonky tells me as we set off on a tour around the resorts 14-hectare site, on the beachfront at Nusa Dua. Hes referring to the fact this is an all-inclusive resort: very nearly everything is included in the price, from meals and most drinks to the kids and teens clubs, sporting activities and airport transfers. (Extras like spa treatments, excursions and the Baby and Petit Club Med, for very small children, are not.)

Im staying in a plush suite thats as big as a decent-sized one-bedroom apartment, but Tonky also shows me a few of the more affordable room options. Some have balconies or terraces, and some interconnect for families with younger children. The resort has about 300 guest rooms, and renovations are currently taking place that will include a refresh to all of these rooms. Other new facilities include the new Baby Club Med and new childrens facilities including a music academy and art studio.

The main attraction here is really whats on offer outside the rooms, and the facilities are extensive.

Club Med is known for its sporting facilities, and includes instruction in various sports in the package price. Guests can take part in water sports such as kayaking, windsurfing and snorkelling at the public beach, and swim in the big family pool or new adults-only Zen Pool. There are five tennis courts, a soccer pitch and squash courts, plus archery targets and a nine-hole golf course. In the undercover sporting area, we find a father and son playing an energetic game of badminton, although this space can also be used for basketball, volleyball and futsal. There are also yoga and other fitness classes, a weights room, and a flying trapeze academy.

For something a little more sedate, the spa offers various treatments including its signature, the four-hands massage with two therapists. Tonky shows me the couples treatment rooms, which are housed in traditional-style thatched lumbungs and look out over the gardens. The spa also has a Quiet Pool with a jacuzzi and shower room, all of which guests can use for free when they come for treatments.

There are also various cultural activities on offer. Tonky shows me the Balinese amphitheatre, used for folklore dance performances, and my visit coincides with the weekly Balinese evening, which means that various local cuisine is on offer in the Agung restaurant, along with a Bahasa Indonesia language class. Theres also a boutique on site, live entertainment every evening, and a nightclub, and staff can organise day trips and outings.

With everything on offer, something about the resort reminds me just a little of a very spacious, very leafy cruise ship. Theres so much to do that you could quite happily spend your whole holiday within the resorts walls. And indeed many guests do just this Australians in particular, apparently.

The resort has a nine-hole golf course.

Original post:
Club Med Bali a little unique