My experience in Club Med Phuket, Thailand

Believe it or not, I’ve never been to a Thai girl show. Never.

I’ve lived in the Red Light District in Amsterdam, risked life and limb while backpacking Eastern Europe to follow a couple of guys I just met to see the darker side of Georgia, but as for Thai girl shows, it still remains on my bucket list.

I’ve been to Thailand a lot of times. It was just a series of unfortunate events that made me miss the famous shows our neighboring country has to offer.

This is my fifth trip to Thailand.

I was there to check out the newly renovated and revamped Club Med Phuket in Thailand last month. This is my very first time at a Club Med resort and the legendary Club Med hospitality with the GOs interacting with the guests was a pleasant surprise for me.

You don’t feel like you’re in Phuket (which can get a bit rowdy) at all. You’re greeted at the airport and as a GE, whisked away to the village. The serenity in Club Med makes it insular – in a good way, since you can always head out to the low end party scene of Bangla Road whenever you want and come back to the lap of luxury. ;)

I like the little touches at the resort – the Club Med trident in the ash trays are so much like cappuccino art, with a fresh orchid.

This is the poolside bar where you can order whatever you want. Club Med is all-inclusive, that’s part of the appeal – you can eat and drink as much as you want – it’s all included in the price.

The Oval Concept Bar is a great place to chill out – there’s an awesome view of the ocean and most of the resort, including the swimming pool.

The main pool is the hub of lots of water activities like water yoga. It’s a great place to lounge and chat with fellow guests and GOs too! :)

There’s fresh coconut juice and snacks in thoughtfully placed refreshment stations as you stroll about the huge resort…

I’ve even come across desserts at tea-time which I took the opportunity to sample. I ate a lot during my stay at Club Med. If it wasn’t for all the activities, I’ll have gained quite a few kgs by the time I got back. Heh.

There were even cold towels handed out by the friendly GEs to wipe yourself with in the humid temperature of Phuket.

You just cannot beat that.

There are also activities that you can participate in every day – everything from golf lessons to snorkeling, whatever rocks your boat. Pun intended.

I made it my personal mission to master the flying trapeze. You can see my efforts here and during the 4D/6N (we flew in at night) I’ve only missed my lessons once.

I got to know the Circus GOs (which stands for Gentils Organisateurs, or Gracious Organizers) and finally managed to do backflips and catches, which was worth all the pain of waking up with aching muscles.

I still have my certificate!

We also went snorkeling on the very last morning. The GO offered us Dramamine pills for sea sickness – individually wrapped – again, it’s the little touches like this that makes you feel welcome.

We went from a small longboat to a large ship before anchoring at a nice spot…

…and spent a good 45 minutes under the water.

I really liked that too – the water wasn’t very clear that day, but it was fun! I love being in the water – it’s so peaceful.

There are a lot of free activities in Club Med Phuket – one thing you won’t be while you’re there is bored.

The adults-only Zen Pool is a new addition which offers a view of Kata Bay.

Yes, you can swim inside, it was officially opened when we were there. You can also get cocktails and lounge by the relatively quiet poolside while reading a book or just enjoying the ambiance.

I had a massage right after I got my flying trapeze certificate – a very apt reward. :)

The new Club Med Spa by Payot makes you feel relaxed just by walking in.

I was quite impressed that the spa of the Club Med village in Phuket is one of the few that’s done by Payot. Payot is a French luxury brand and their spas are legendary.

The masseuse worked through all my sore muscles and the spa only use Payot products.

There’s singles and couples massages with a wide range of treatments. It’s part of the newly completed renovation and a very welcome addition. :)

We had dinner in conjunction with the launch of the newly renovated Club Med Phuket at Chu-Da restaurant. It’s a completely new 98-seater restaurant and we all got a purple scarf as the theme of the night.

Chu-Da is a specialty restaurant that’s also free but requires booking and is adults-only. It’s perfect as a more private dining experience and the pavilions at the al-fresco dining area is very comfortable. I saw a person in a boat of the Zen pool inside the restaurant and thought it was a prop…but no, it was an actual person. Heh.

I gorged myself on Alaskan King Crab that night.

This is probably the longest domino cocktail I’ve ever seen.

Watch it fall!

Club Med is also famous for their nightly performances. These can range from heavily themed circus acts to parties.

My personal favorite was the beach party.

There were fire twirlers…

…and lanterns you can send off into the skies with a wish!

My wish didn’t come true, but I like to think of it as it *hasn’t* come true yet. Thanks for helping me record an emo personal moment Ji San. Haha. :)

It was the perfect way to end a perfect trip. :)

P/S – A bunch of us went out to Bangla Road on the very last night but it was closed due to it being Buddha Day. It was like a ghost town. Thus, the Thai girl show experience is still in my bucket list.

Nevertheless, it was an awesome and unforgettable experience at Club Med Phuket. There are a lot of resorts coming up with similar concepts but nothing beats the original Club Med hospitality. Thanks Kelsey, Kelly and all the GOs from Club Med and Ji San, Kenny, May Kay, Celia and Charlotte who came on the trip! I had a blast! :D

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