Here is my Club Med Cherating Review. This beachfront jungle resort located in the quiet part of Cherating Beach is suitable for couples, families, and friends.
What’s Special About Club Med?
Club Med is the first and world leader in all-inclusive holidays. So, what is an all-inclusive holiday? It’s a holiday where everything that you need is already included in the price that you have paid – accommodation, full board meals, free flow drinks, sports & leisure activities, childcare, nightly entertainment, WIFI, and even travel insurance during your stay in the resort.
About Club Med Cherating
Club Med Cherating is the largest Club Med resort in the world and the first in Asia. The resort opened in 1979 is in the jungle and built in the distinctive longhouse architectural design, is the world’s longest wooden structure on stilts with an 850m long corridor. Monkeys and lizards are commonly seen around the resort.
Club Med Terminologies
Club Med has a few terminologies used in the resort. Here are a few to get your started:
- GMs or Gentle Members are guest of the resort (i.e. You!).
- GOs or Gentle Organizers are Club Med staff of different nationalities that help run the resort. They will join you during lunch or dinner and perform the nightly entertainment.
- GEs or Gentle Employees are Club Med local staff. They help with housekeeping, kitchens, and reception.
- CDV or Chief de Village is the General Manager of the resort.
- Crazy Sign is a signature Club Med dance that is done at the pool side, on the dance floor or after the theatre show.
Accommodation
Club Med Cherating offers 3 types of accommodation – Superior, Superior Sea View and Suites.
Superior
The Superior room size is 21 sqm and faces the garden. The room can fit maximum two adults plus one child and one infant. Basic amenities include hair dryer, safe, kettle, (empty) mini bar and separate toilet and shower.
The bedding is two single beds that can be put together with a top layer to make a double bed. You can request your preferred bed configuration at time of booking. Each room has a small balcony, but I would advise against putting anything there as monkeys might take them away.
For families interconnecting room is available with an extra fee.
Superior Sea View
The Superior Sea View rooms were formerly Deluxe Rooms with one-time free mini bar and extra amenities like bathrobe as well as iron and board. It was changed to Superior Sea View a few years ago, thus the mini bar is now empty, and the amenities standardize with Superior.
The room size is 21 sqm, same as Superior, just the view is different. Sea View rooms are located closer to the main area. Interconnecting rooms are also available for families.
Suites
The suites at located at the end of selected block for added privacy. The room is large at 55 sqm, comes with a separate living room and a terrace with deck chairs to catch some sun. Suite benefits include room service continental breakfast and mini bar that is replenished daily with non-alcoholic drinks.
Full Board Meals
Club Med Cherating has three restaurants – Mutiara, Rembulan and Enak. You can eat as much as you want as all three restaurants are already included in the price that you have paid.
Mutiara Restaurant
The Mutiara is the main restaurant and located in the main area. It opens for breakfast, lunch and dinner serving International Buffet style with live cooking stations. Dishes and meals include choice of Chinese, Malay, Korean, Japanese, and Western.
Rembulan Specialty Restaurant
The Rembulan is located on the other side of the resort at Pantai beach. The restaurant is open for late lunch serving ala carte main meals and appetizers buffet style. For dinner reservations is required and must be made at the entrance of Mutiara during breakfast. Space is limited so you need to be early. Dinner is served as ala carte with option to upgrade your meals at extra cost.
After eating here, you can still go to Mutiara for buffet to continue eating if you wish.
Enak Noodle Bar
The noodle bar is open for late lunch and late dinner when Mutiara is closed. Choose from a choice of noodles as well as soup base. Meals are ala-carte buffet so you can order as many bowls as you can eat.
Snacks
Light meals like sandwiches, fruits, cakes, samosas are available in the main bar area and Zen Pool in the late morning and afternoon.
Club Med GOs may join you during meals
One unique feature about Club Med is the GOs may join your table for lunch or dinner. I have many interesting chats with GOs and many have become my friends till today. Due to Covid-19, the GOs are now having meals separately from the guests.
Free Flow Drinks
Club Med Cherating has 3 bars – The Orchid, Bayou, and the Zen Bar. Drink as much as you want as its included in the price that you have paid. Sometimes drinks can taste a little watered down. I usually ask the bar team to make my cocktails strong.
The Orchid
This bar is located at the main area of the resort. The choice of drinks is quite extensive. Choose from coffees, teas, beers, wines, alcohol, cocktails, mocktails and juices. There is also option to purchase premium drinks such as champagne and wines.
The Bayou
The Bayou is the beach bar is located at Pantai beach close to sailing, kayaking and beach volleyball activities. Choice of drinks are not as extensive as the main bar.
Zen Bar
The Zen Bar is in the Zen Pool. The choice of drinks is limited.
Sports & Leisure Activities
Club Med is the largest sports school in the world with more than 60 sporting activities in all Club Med resorts and Club Med 2 sailboat. You can do as much as you want or do nothing at all. It’s your choice.
Club Med Cherating offers an extensive list of free activities:
Main Area
- Jungle walks
- Aqua fitness
- Flying trapeze with circus activities
- Tennis
- Badminton
- Squash
- Archery
- Futsal
- Table tennis
- Yoga
- Zumba
- Tree Top Adventure (Currently closed)
At Pantai Beach
- Rock Climbing
- Kayaking
- Sailing
- Standup Paddle
- Beach Volleyball
Group lessons are included for selected activities.
For those who prefer a quiet space, head to the Quiet Pool, also known as the Zen Pool located at the Pantai area.
Note: The Tree Top Adventure is currently closed for maintenance until further notice.
Childcare
Childcare for children 4 to 17 years is included. Just leave your kids with the friendly Club Med GOs and they will look after them from morning till evening. There is even a pajama club from 7pm to 11pm when GOs will babysit your children while you relive your younger days with a late dinner or dancing.
| Kids Club | Age | Cost |
| Baby Club Med | 4-23 months | Extra Cost |
| Petit Club Med | 2-3 years | Extra Cost |
| Mini Club Med | 4-11 years | FREE |
| Passworld | 12-17 years | FREE |
Ensure that your children bring the proper attire – swim suits, sports attire, and shoes to participate in the childcare activities. Parents bringing their babies to the Baby & Petit Club Med will be required to show their immunization records.
Club Med takes exceptional care for the little ones. A Baby Welcome package includes a baby cot and a bathtub in the room, while the Baby Corner located beside the Mutiara Restaurant includes sterilizer, blender, bottle warmer, microwave, mineral water, and small jars of baby food.
Nightly Entertainment
Club Med has a dress code every evening, ranging from all white to neon colors. The theme can be found in the Club Med app and announcements made every evening before the theatre show. The next morning, the theme will also be displayed at the boutique. It is not compulsory to follow the theme but since majority of people are dressing up, why not join in?
The nightly entertainment is performed by the GOs in the resort. Theatre shows from musicals, comedies to acrobatic are performed nightly. After the show, there will the Club Med signature dance, the crazy sign followed by dancing or live entertainment at the main bar area. After 12pm, the party will continue to Night Club until 1 or 2am. Just follow the GOs to the location of the night club.
Come As A Stranger, Leave As Friends
Through the many years that I have been to Club Med, I will always end up making a couple of new friends on every visit. The Club Med GOs are the heart and soul of the resort. They make all the difference in your holiday and we stay connected with each other until today.
How to get to Club Med Cherating?
By Car
From Kuala Lumpur, Club Med Cherating is approximately 3 hours by road. The drive is quite easy except for the stretch near Genting Sempah which is a little steep.
By Flight
The nearest airport is Kuantan. Daily flights are available from Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines. From Kuantan airport, it is approx. 1 hour by road to Club Med Cherating.
Is It Worth Going To Club Med Cherating?
Club Med Cherating has been open for over 40 years and the building and structure may feel dated.
I would say go the mindset to relax, reconnect with friends or family, relish the friendship that you will make with the GOs and enjoy nature. The rooms are reasonable size and the bed is comfortable for a good night sleep. If you are looking for luxury, this is currently not the place to be.
Club Med Cherating Tips
Here are some helpful tips for Club Med Cherating
- Open air parking inside the Club Med grounds is available for self-drive guest.
- Check the information board outside the theatre for the latest updates on activities.
- Don’t carry food stuff or leave your belongings like phones or iPads on the deck chairs. The monkeys will take them.
- Request for your favorite drink from the Bar Team. Drinks are not limited to the drink’s menu.
- Head over to the Zen Pool for a relaxing morning.
- Check-in is after 3pm. Early check-in subject to early arrival fee.
- Check out is 11am. You need to vacate the room by 11am but can remain in the resort until 3pm. Lunch is provided on the last day of your stay.
How to book Club Med Cherating?
If you are interested to book Club Med Cherating, contact Travelution Holidays and they will get everything arranged for you.
Conclusion
I hope that my Club Med Cherating review has been helpful. If you have any questions, do let me know in the comments and I will do my best to answer them.
Hi. Your Clubmed review has been very informative. I am planning to go too but upon checking their website, they now listed only 4 land activities eg. Tennis, Rock climbing, Archery and Flying Trapeze. I wonder what happened to the others? Closed due to covid? And their daily activities will be the same? Will you happen to know the activities available in mini clubmed and will kids be really under supervision all the time? I am a bit worried as don’t know what to expect if i leave the kids or if they will come our searching for us.
Hi Marissa, the 4 land activities are those with lessons. There are still other activities like Zumba, Stretching, etc. The only activity that is closed is the tree top adventures. The daily activities remain the same.
The Mini Club activities are supervised all the time by Club Med GOs. It’s seldom that kids will search for parents as GOs will keep them busy with activities.
Hi Eugene. Thanks for the reply. I just returned from my trip. I was fun however compared to the time I went there some 15 years ago, sad to say the services deteriorated a lot. They were obviously lack of warm friendly GOs which I missed a lot. Food was awesome. Hope the next time I return will b so much better.
Hi Eugene. Thanks for your informative and helpful review. Fyi, I just booked and the booking confirmation says check-in time is after 4 pm and check-out at 10 am. With such timing, is there still much to do with a 2 nights stay? If I were to arrive early, I can’t join any activity because I have not check-in, right? Am I allowed to head to the beach or roam around first, then? Appreciate it if you can help shed some light.
Hi Judy, official check-in is after 3pm. You can arrive slightly before 3pm (2.30 – 2.45pm) to avoid being charged early arrival fee. Depending on room occupancy, you might not get your room when you check-in as Club Med needs to sanitize the room after other guests check out. Once you complete your check-in, you can enjoy all the facilities and inclusions of the all-inclusive package.
Appreciate for your response, Eugene. Your advise on the check-in time is well noted. Thanks again.
Hi Eugene, thank you so much for your detailed review on Club Med Cherating. I just booked for next month and was browsing for more information and also what to bring.
Your review answered all my questions that lingered in my head!
Thank you sooooo much!
You’re most welcome Pelly. Have a wonderful time at Club Med Cherating!