Showing posts with label All Inclusive Package. Show all posts
Showing posts with label All Inclusive Package. Show all posts

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Club Med Kani Maldives - Paradise on Earth

A school of five silver color fish slowly makes their way to where I was sitting, a small little wooden platform at our lagoon suite villa, my legs dipped in the icy cold water, inches away from the green, oh so green seaweed on fine white sand, waving gently under the magical spell of the sea current.

Meters away, a lone black tip baby shark of a meter long, cruises by oblivious to my presence. A sudden disturbance in the seabed caught my attention. A grey mantra ray of almost three feet in diameter glides by.

The sound of waves beating against the concrete pillars of the villa coupled with the gentle sea breeze blowing onto my face and the dancing sunlight reflected on the clear blue seabed has almost an hypnotizing effect. For a moment, you are in complete total peace with yourself, with mother nature, with God. For that one moment, the world you know and left behind does not seemed to exist or matter.

There is only you, the sea, the blue skies with fluffy white clouds drifting by and the wind, blowing and singing her gentle soothing melody.

This is Maldives.
Club Med Kani @ Maldives is every bit a paradise on earth that she was advertised to be. We booked ours when Club Med ran their annual “Buy one free one” promotion and we went all the way, the exclusive Lagoon Suites, reputed to be THE way to truly enjoy Club Med Kani, and we were definitely NOT DISAPPOINTED!
The Lagoon suites are wooden chalets built on water, each with their very own wooden platform with a staircase leading down to the shallow clear water where one can easily access for a cold dip among the schools of wild seawater fish, an occasional mantra ray or even a black tip baby shark, gliding over the wavering seaweeds.
As I have mentioned in my earlier post, Club Med Kani Maldives is definitely a heaven for honeymooners or couples who would love to get away for a romantic getaway or simply to reignite the passion that often times, took a back seat in our hectic family life once the children arrived.
In comparison to Club Med Bali, Bintan or Cherating, I would still rate Club Med Bintan Island has having one of the best stretch of beaches with fluffy white sand but in terms of water clarity and marine life, Club Med Kani absolutely wins hands down.
In terms of guest mixture, just like Club Med Bali, 85% of the guests during our stay were from mainland China but then again, they are everywhere nowadays, especially with their cash, purchasing power and wealth. With their presence, expect their loudness, their knack of not understanding what queuing is all about and above all, their rather `LOUD’ sense of dressing and color matching (at least to us). But then again, that is who they are and just like anyone else, they are entitled to behave and wear whatever they desires. With my recent exposure in Beijing (where I have just recently relocated to), I have come to understand and accept these seemingly `weird’ sense of behaviour or dressing and underneath all those differences, they are just like you or me.
 
Food wise, Club Med Kani would rank just below Club Med Bali as far as we are concerned. There are still reasonable selection of dishes that changes almost everyday.
There is no Petite or Mini Club here, hence, bringing young children here would not be too advisable, unless you are prepared to baby sit them your entire stay. But then again, why would you want to fly half way across the globe and then baby sit your little `Energizer bunnies’ when you can do that at home, while the ocean and the waves beckons you to put on your sexy two piece and simply dive in among the sharks and the rays, with your other half.
Taking the Lagoon Suites, also provide some exclusive benefits such as the exclusive Mantra Lounge with free flowing beer, wine and champagne.
You could also arrange for your breakfast to be brought over to your suite at the time you specified so that you could simply just have your breakfast in leisure with your lover, with a view that one would die for, the ocean stretching endlessly beyond the horizon and an occasional curious seagull flying past.
I am also not sure if this comes with the fact that we stayed at the Lagoon Suites, but I get a full bottle of either red or white wine for every lunch or dinner we had. In fact, there was even one lunch, where the Restaurant Manager was so kind that he actually opened a bottle of rose and a bottle of chardonnay for both of us. Since, my wife hardly drinks, needless to say, the task of finishing both bottles were left entirely to yours truly, who is not complaining one bit. 

Although there are still plenty of activities to participate while holidaying in Club Med just like any other Club Med, this is one Club Med that you would rather spent some quiet, serene and private moments with your better half, which was we did when we were there, except taking part in two cooking lessons sessions.
This is definitely one destination that everyone should seriously consider at least once in a lifetime.

We took an evening sunset cruise and it was simply magical. More of that in my next post.

Monday, June 11, 2012

SEPANG GOLD COAST : GOLDEN PALM TREE RESORT (DISILLUSIONED)

We wanted to go for a short break in October 2011 and we wanted somewhere near. We heard much about our Sepang Gold Coast. Yes, you hear me right. We have one GOLD COAST right here in Malaysia, located at Sepang. Now, we have been to Gold Coast, Australia and we totally fell in love with that place.

Curious of what our very own gold coast has to offer, we did a search and came across this very interesting resort known as the GOLDEN PALM TREE RESORT. Again the design of this resort resembles something similar in the Middle East, with villas branching out from the shore line to the sea, just like a palm tree.
Pictures from the website looked impressive. However, the prices were rather steep. But then we were thinking, a place charging this kind of prices can not be that bad right?

We made a few calls to see if we could just walk in to check out the place but were told that only guests could go in and most of the weeks we called, we were told that they were running at full capacity and occupancy. Now, that seemed like a good sign, or so we thought.

We found out also from their website that they too have an `All Inclusive' package which include room stay, breakfast, lunch and dinner. This package even include `all you can drink beer"! I was like "Wow! This is like Club Med!" The inclusive package is not as pricey as Club Med or Tanjung Rhu Resort in Langkawi that I posted in my last post, but it was not cheap either.

We were still cautious, and hence, we only booked for one night stay.

Getting there from Subang (with the help of a GPS) was not difficult and we had a pleasant drive. Upon arrival, the lobby was spacious and impressive. The service we received from the front desk was reasonable and we were quickly checked in and a buggy drove us to our villa. We got upgraded to the Canary Palm Villa (a promotion if we paid full upon booking).

Now, we asked for a room towards the tip of the branch for the best sea view and we got it. No complains. But on the downside, it is a long long walk to the club house, restaurant and the pool which are all located at the center of the palm tree. From our room, it was easily a 10 minutes walk and not particularly nice, if it rains as it did in our case.
The room was new and nice. Very comfortable and with an excellent view of the sea. It would even be nicer if the weather held up. There was one king size bed on one side of the room and  two single beds on the other side, separated by a very nice living area.
The infinity pool at the club house is also excellent, with a little shallow end for the children and a deeper end that stretches towards the sea for the adults. However, one must watch over the children playing on the shallow end carefully as they could easily climb over the ledge separating the shallow and the deep end, and ended up struggling in the adult pool immediately.
What we were not particularly happy about during our stay here was the service at the restaurant and their `All Inclusive' package. Firstly, their `All Inclusive' package meals were from a different fixed menu. Our lunch at their Chinese Restaurant, Hai Sang Lou was pathetic. We were served a small bowl of porridge and some fried dim sums. If we were to order any extra, all those would be chargeable.

Our unpleasant experience continued when we were dipping and swimming in the pool. Beer was definitely free and inclusive and so was coffee and tea. But when my wife wanted to order a cup of Milo, we were shocked to find out that that too is not part of our `All Inclusive'. Milo is chargeable! We somehow had that feel that `All Inclusive' customers were second class customers who opted to an fixed inferior menu as compared to those without the `All Inclusive'.

Our nightmare with these `All Inclusive' package extended to our dinner. We were told that it is going to be an international buffet dinner at their Bila Bila Restaurant by the pool and the operating hours were from 6pm to 10:30pm.

We managed to get to the restaurant by 8pm after getting the children ready and braving the rain, walking a full 10 minutes with our umbrellas. By the time we got there, most of the dishes were empty and many tables left uncleared. We found a table and sat down and patiently waited for the dishes to be refilled but sadly, the staff did not seemed to have any intention of filling them. Finally, we went up to the manager and complained and then only we see some of the dishes being refilled by the staff by which time, we have already lost our patience as well as our appetite. And neither the restaurant manager nor the staff were apologetic over the issue.

Would we go back again for another visit? I seriously do not think so. And if you are thinking of a visit, I would strongly suggest not eating at the resort. There are plenty of good seafood restaurant only a couple of minutes drive away.

On the day we check out, we were walking behind this Caucasian male personnel of whom we presumed to be of the senior management team through his mannerism. We would be expecting him to be smiling to the resort guests that he bumped into but oh no...not him...he is high and mighty...

As we were walking out, there was this row of chairs which was supposed to be lined nicely against the wall. Well, one chair was out of the order. And this high and mighty senior management team Caucasian personnel walked up to that chair and .....using his LEG, kicked the chair back against the wall, and this was in full view of all other resort's guests!

With that, I began to understand why we were treated the way we were treated at the restaurant the night before.....emmmmm....and they are rating this as a 5 star resort ......go figure!
Gold Coast Australia boasts of miles and miles of white sandy beaches. Gold Coast Sepang has miles and miles of dark muddy shoreline. I wonder who was responsible in coining up the name for this location and what was in his mind ....????

Friday, June 8, 2012

Tanjung Rhu Resort : Unparalleled Service

Another reason why we go back to Tanjung Rhu Resort again and again and given a chance, we would not hesitate to go back is because of their rooms and above all their service rendered right from the point of arrival.

We took a flight from Kuala Lumpur and upon arrival at the Langkawi airport, we were greeted by a cheerful driver, assigned to pick us from the airport. The mode of transportation was also impressive, a brand new 7 seater Estima.

On the way to airport, I asked the driver where I could buy some beer at local prices as I do not intend to spent too much buying alcoholic drinks (which is not part of the all inclusive package) from the resort. He was kind enough to bring me to this huge warehouse like store where locals shop. Everything there was cheap, especially if you compared them to KL prices. I bought my cartoon of Carlsberg for less then RM40 (if I remember correctly). In KL, you probably get a cartoon for RM98 or RM88 (during Chinese New Year promotions) from the major hyper markets. The cheapest you could get from the black market would still be between RM70 to RM80. So, Langkawi is definitely an alcoholic haven!

5 minutes before arrival, the driver radioed the resort of our impending arrival. Once we reached the resort, a couple of resort staff was already on hand to greet us by name. From then on, one assigned staff led us straight to our room and all documentations for checking in was done in the comfort of our room. Once that was over with, our fun begun....

Throughout our stay, we find every staff that we encountered, friendly and we got to know a couple of their staff pretty well which goes a long way to get even better service and favor. As I have mentioned earlier in my previous mail, the restaurant manager even prepared two special lobsters dishes for our lunch with was not in their menu ....

We were actually `accidentally' upgraded by the resort. So, our rooms were superb, complete with sea view and personal Jacuzzi. We only found out when we checked out and true to a resort of this status, they reimbursed us the extra charge once they found proof of the type of room we actually originally booked. I am quite sure that this would not happen again.



The resort and spa is set with a tropical theme and hence, there are plenty of trees, plants, water scape within the resort grounds, creating a feel that you have truly entered a tropical paradise and where money is not an `issue'. (since you can order anything and everything that is in the menu). I never knew how much mango juice and mocktails my wife can drink until we were there...hahahaha

A view from the lobby looking through some tranquil water scape out the open sea beyond ...The building housed the Rhu Fine Dining Restaurant ..

The children's sandy pool.....well shaded and a small little haven for the little ones to play sand and swim at the same time....

Part of the pool..

Since we brought our maid along for this trip and she can take care of our son, we took the opportunity to relax and try out their spa. Needless to say, it was simply heaven on earth ....


Entrance of the JivaRhu Spa ....

Getting ready for our massage ....


We had a great time way back in 2010 when we last visited this place. We have not been back the last 2 years because we were too caught up visiting the different Club Meds within this region such as Cherating, Bali and Bintan Island. You can also read about them in our earlier posts. We have booked to Club Med Maldives this September and we are definitely looking forward to that.

Meanwhile, about the all `All Inclusive' package, there are other resorts who also offered similar packages but at times, there are more of a marketing gimmick than anything else. One such resort, unfortunately is the Sepang Gold Coast Resort. We took their `All Inclusive' package and was in for a real surprise....Stay tuned to find out why in my next post.....:)

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Tanjung Rhu Resort : The All Inclusive Package!

If you are considering going to Tanjung Rhu Resort, Langkawi and wanted to be treated like a king and eat without having to worry about the price tag but yet wanted to savour everything that the resort has to offer, then I would definitely suggest that you take their `All Inclusive' package.

We took this package every time we were there for several reasons:-


  • We really don't fancy having to drive out to look for food if we have paid so much for a nice resort and we really want to maximise our time there.
  • We really don't want to blow a hole in our pocket when eating in.
  • We really wanted to eat all the nice food that this resort has to offer without having to think about the price tag.

Just one of their many restaurants offering fantastic food ....

Tanjung Rhu Resort's `all inclusive' package offers all you can eat while you are staying in the resort and the beauty of this package is that all the food available on the menu can be ordered, including room service. The only one thing that they do not cover is alcoholic drinks, but then again, you can easily stock those up when you arrived, since they are so cheap on this duty free paradise.

If you do go, make sure that you make your reservation early if you want to dine at their Rhu Fine Dining Restaurant and I strongly recommend that you do. The service is excellent and the food succulent. However, there is a dress code. Just make sure that you do not walk in round collar T-shirt, short pants and slippers.

The Mediterranean theme restaurant, Safron also offers some fantastic Mediterranean cuisines that you must try.


The view from Safron, the Mediterranean Restaurant ...what a view ...

And now pictures of some, just some of the sumptuous food that we ordered and had. Just posting them here, makes me hungry .....

 
The first time when we were there, we had the opportunity to play a round of golf at the Datai Golf Club. We wanted to play another round this time but the green fees was simply exorbitant. Instead, we opted for a round at the Gunung Raya Golf club, an equally interesting golf course for beginners and low handicappers as well.


On the day before we had our golf, the restaurant manager got to know about our plans and he promised us that he will prepared us a special lobster dish for our lunch when we get back from our round....


They served us two different lobster dishes which is not in their menu. Now, that is what I call customer service and ensuring customer satisfaction. Needless to say, we are totally impressed and promising to go back for more....

Tanjung Rhu Resort's `All Inclusive' room rate starts from RM1,850 excluding taxes per room per night for their basic Damai rooms to the RM3,950 for their Anjung Sea facing rooms. I will post some pictures of the resort and the room we got when we last stayed there.