Club Med Phuket FAM Trip
Despite feeling tired after an overnight flight from Dubai I landed excited to begin my adventure. I was travelling with a group of fellow travel counsellors and the mood was good when we arrived after an hour’s journey from Phuket airport. These good spirits continued when we were met by resort staff at the main entrance. Ushered into the reception area we were warmly welcomed with a refreshing towel and a cold drink, our Club Med experience had begun.
I was shown to my room that would be my home for the next four nights, although you will realise later that I didn’t see much of it. After a quick shower and change, it was time to meet the group at the pool area. This quickly turned into a nice get-to-know-you session as some of us didn’t know each other beforehand. The day quickly turned to night and it was time for dinner.
The restaurant had a great selection of cuisines from around the world and there was definitely enough to cater for everyone’s tastes, including a vegan section. The cooking stations that had a chef creating more speciality dishes also didn’t disappoint. Plus as I came to realise, there was always a warm welcome from the staff on arrival to dinner.
After dinner, I got to experience some of the Club Med's famous entertainment. This was also a new experience for me as I normally wouldn’t choose a resort that has this kind of program but I was pleasantly surprised. The first impression of the night was the guy behind the bar leading the party, I asked who he was because he was really getting everyone in the spirit. Turns out he was the general manager or the Chef de Village as they call them in Club Med. My previous experience with hotel GMs is they are usually a bit more reserved, but this guy was really leading from the front which created a great atmosphere in the resort that was noticeable throughout all the staff over my entire stay.
After a short night's sleep, it was time for breakfast followed by a complimentary snorkelling trip. This is included within the price as the resort only offers all-inclusive rates. A short drive to the jetty it was a 45-minute boat journey to the snorkelling spot in the Andaman Sea. It is a nice way to properly start the week.
It was an early start the next day as I and a few of the group had booked a paid excursion to Phi Phi Islands made famous by the James Bond movie The man with the Golden Gun and Maya Bay made famous in the Leonardo di Caprio movie The beach. An Hour on a rather choppy speedboat ride boat brought us to Maya Bay. It was nice there because we were early and there weren’t many tourists, which meant I could get some nice shots of the picture-perfect bay, typical postcard stuff. There were a couple of stops after that for snorkelling before we stopped at the main island of Phi Phi for lunch and a walk around the island. I took the chance to get a half-hour foot massage as I had been there before. Then it was off to another island close by to chill on the beach for an hour before heading back.
Thursday morning was another early start to going on a sightseeing tour of Phuket and the old town with a local guide. The first stop was the Big Buddha which has taken thirty years so far to build and it’s still not finished. You really need to see it up close to appreciate how big it is and also to appreciate the view from the top of the hill over the bay. A walking tour of historic Old Phuket Town followed. This is not what I would say is typical Thailand and that is what makes it special to the region.
Once back in the resort there was a Thai cooking class laid on for us where I got to try my hand at making green papaya salad, be careful this is a spicy one if you add one chilli too much! Although my dish tasted good and I was surprised by my efforts. I even made it when I got home and it wasn’t too bad.
Thursday evening we managed to fit in a trip up the road to Patong Beach which is probably the most famous part of Phuket due to its nightlife. In that area just about anything goes and I’ll leave it up to you to discover it whenever you’re there.
Friday was already the last day but we had, in my opinion, saved the best till last. We had the pleasure of visiting the Phuket Nature Elephant Reserve. Now I’m sure some of you are aware of the bad press that Thailand has had over the years regarding animals used for tourist attractions. I’m happy to say this place is breaking the mould and really working hard to shatter that image. The reserve has presently two elephants, Lotus and Boe and they have a great life wandering around freely. When I think about it who wouldn’t be happy being fed all day your favourite foods followed by a wallow in the mud with a wash and scrub down later, Idyllic. The whole experience of seeing those great beasts in their natural environment and being able to get up close to them was just magical and will remain in my memory forever.
It was soon time to pack the suitcase again and leave the resort for another overnight flight back to Dubai after a thoroughly enjoyable, if not exhausting few days.
I always find it fascinating on trips like this one. You start the week not knowing anyone and gradually over the space of a few days you create friendships for life. That’s my life as a Travel Counsellor and I love it!