Club Med's fun for children of all ages

Club Med's fun for children of all ages

Club Med and its marketing consultant in Bali, PT Bali Holiday
Village, recently invited journalists to view the renovation of
its holiday facilities and to promote its services in Nusa Dua,
Bali. The following is The Jakarta Post's Ivy Susanti's report.

NUSA DUA, Bali (JP): A seven-year-old boy stared anxiously at
the artists who were teaching children how to perform on a
trapeze, while his parents were bathing under the morning sun at
the nearby beach facing the Badung Strait.

His tanned face glowed with delight when a trapeze artist
asked him to join the act. Seemingly tempted by the radiant
atmosphere, he climbed the ladder and grasped a bar while the
artist taught him in his mother tongue what he was meant to do.

A few seconds later, his tiny body swung while he tried his
best not to look down at the ground. When he managed to return to
the bar's stand, the trainer and the other children gave him warm
applause.

The boy and the 20 other children were members of a club
called Speedy, which was organized by Club Med for children aged
six to seven.

At the Nusa Dua Club Med resort, children have the freedom to
choose their own daily program.

"This club is designed for families. We have a wide range of
facilities for children that they can use all day long while
their moms and dads have a good time elsewhere by themselves,"
said Mety A. Aricioglu, chef de village at the resort.

The children are divided by age into four groups. The Petit
Club is for those aged two to three; the Mini Club for children
aged four to seven; the Snoopys for four to five-year olds and
the Speedys for children aged six to seven.

Club Med offers baby sitters for no charge to take care of the
toddlers. Parents are requested to complete a form when they
register at the travel agent. It boasts baby sitters who can
handle up to 30 kids in the Petit Club.

"We offer lower prices to parents. They can decide whether
they will take care of their kids or have our baby sitters do the
job for them," said Khalifa Helmi, commercial director of Club
Med Indonesia.

The other clubs are the Kid's Club which provides children
aged eight to twelve with various sporting activities and
contests, while teenagers are free to choose whether they want to
join the teens club or do activities designed for adults.

"The teenagers want to do activities like adults, but they
can't so the organizers plan activities that suit the youngsters.
But we don't want to force anybody to join anything," Helmi
added.

Many people simply chose just to sunbathe around the swimming
pool or do beach activities, Dana, a Polish woman living in Kuala
Lumpur, was accompanying her 70-year-old father at the archery
site.

After exercising for about half an hour, Dana and her father
went to the main bar and passed the time waiting for lunch by
chatting with other Club Medders.

"I have three kids, the youngest has joined the Petit Club,
the second is in the Mini Club, and the eldest is hanging around
with other teenagers," she said, explaining that her eldest son
had refused to be organized in the teens club.

Later that evening, Dana and the rest of her family watched
the live cabaret show, where spectators were asked to participate
in each performance which included dancing, singing and magic
shows.

In a cheerful atmosphere, she took photographs of her kids and
her husband when they were roped in to perform folk dances.

Heated by disco melodies like Go, go, go, allez, allez, allez
and YMCA, kids, teenagers and adults waved their hands, swayed
their bodies and gyrated their hips, doing various dance moves
from swing and salsa to Mauritian folk steps.

Although the collective dancing ended a few hours before
midnight, the happy hour extended in the nightclub, where the
music played on until the night owls got tired and left the club.

Price

Apart from the good standing of the Island of the Gods, price
does not seem to be the main consideration when picking a place
for a vacation, particularly for those who earn their salaries in
currencies other than rupiah.

Shige and Emiko, a Japanese couple, had planned to spend their
honeymoon outside their country when they got married in February
this year.

"I wanted to visit a place where I could see and play in the
rolling waves. We saved our money ever since to fulfill the
dream. We chose Bali ...," Shige, who works in a state-owned
company, said.

In September, the couple flew to Bali for a one-week vacation.

"She told me that she had put on weight after spending time
here," Shige said, winking at Emiko, who smiled at him in return.

Club Med has a holiday package which costs less than usual and
lasts through the end of this month to compensate guests for the
fact that the resort is being renovated. For the following five
weeks it will be closed so the work can be completed.

The price per night for adults and teenagers is US$80, for
children aged four to 11 $52 and for babies under three $8.

The package includes twin-bed accommodation, breakfast, lunch
and dinner, beverages during meal times (you can choose from
wines, beer, soft drinks, juices etc.), sports, equipment and
qualified instructors (Club Med offers golf, windsurfing,
kayaking, tennis, squash, circus, fitness, aerobics, archery,
etc.), children clubs, a live cabaret show every night, disco,
service charge and government tax.