Club Med Bora Bora
Written: Mar 19 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: All-inclusive foods, drinks, sports, entertainment ... best value for your money on Bora Bora.
Cons: 2 to 3-star quality for rooms and amenities. 9 a.m. check out time.
The Bottom Line: Bora Bora is very beautiful, but expensive, which makes Club Med's all inclusive foods, drinks, and activities very attractive, in spite of its lack of amenities.
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| hpndcn's Full Review: Bora Bora |
... We stayed at Club Med, Bora Bora in September 2003. We recommend travelers to fly between Papeete and Bora Bora during the day to enjoy the breathtaking view of Bora Bora from above. The various ocean depths gives Bora Bora’s water incredible shades of purple, blue, gray, turquoise, and green -- we cannot do justice with words to describe such colors.
... Bora Bora’s tiny airport lies on a strip of land with gorgeous 360 degrees view. Upon getting off the plane, most tourists stopped immediately to capture the scenery on their cameras and video cameras. A “water taxi”, i.e. two-decked and air-conditioned boat, took us on a beautiful and breezy trip from the airport to a waiting van, which then took us to the Club Med resort.
... Our first impression of this Club Med resort was not very favorable, especially since we just left Papeete’s upscale Beachcomber Resort that morning. We waited for a few minutes while no one else was at the front desk. The front desk computer had a soft-porn picture on the screen, which created the atmosphere of a college dorm. However, the village manager arrived shortly thereafter and greeted us warmly by our names, as if he had been eagerly expecting us. His warm welcome made us feel more at ease.
We asked for a quiet room and were assigned a beach front room at the far end of the resort. It was a blessing, since we later discovered that the evening activities can get very loud for guests trying to sleep in the rooms nearer to the center of the resort.
... Our room was spartan, but reasonably clean. It has air conditioning, king size bed, small safe, adequate closet, telephone, TV without any English-speaking station, no clock, and 2 well worn out towels per day. Perhaps this resort is comparable with the Best Westerns in the U.S.
Each room comes with an old-fashioned key, which is attached to a magnetic card to activate the electricity in the room. This means that when one of us left the room at night, the other was left in complete darkness.
.... The resort’s boat dock sits over a reef with wonderful and colorful fish. The kitchen staff leaves left-over baguette in a feeder by the dock for the fish. By mid-morning each day, the feeder is empty and the fish are well fed.
... No one swims at the beach by the resort, perhaps due to the floating algae in the water. The resort has no swimming pool. However, there is a nearby motu (i.e. island) which is wonderful for swimming and sun-tanning. Several times a day, the resort’s boat takes guest on a 15 minute ride to this motu, which is private, quiet, with white sand and calm water. By the way, some Americans might have to adjust to the topless sun-bathing European women there.
Be aware that there are no bathroom facilities on this motu. Guests must remember to bring water, sun block, beach towel (limited to one per guest), snacks, camera, and whatever else that they need before hopping on that boat. Upon returning from the motu in the afternoon, we recommend guests to check out a clean towel for use the next day. The resort ran out of clean beach towels a few times while we were there.
... We went on one snorkeling trip (free, but guests must sign up in advance), but were very disappointed. The resort allowed too many people per trip. A few ignored the captain’s request not to stand on the reefs. Some shoved and kicked others with their fins in their rude quest to see the fish. Perhaps due to the unruly crowd, there was not much to see in the water.
.... Most staff members at this resort are young, perhaps in their 20’s or so. They handle different duties at various times of the day. Some speak English more fluently than others. Many switch effortlessly from one language to another -- English, French, Italian, even Japanese. Most take some role or another in the evening entertainment program – dancing, acting, lip-synch singing, m/c, etc.(the production is amateurish, but done with great effort).
We find the level of service at the resort to be not as professional and courteous as at more upscale resorts, but with a youthful touch and enjoyment of their jobs.
The village manager sought us out during our first dinner and invited us to the evening entertainment program. We were surprised that he introduced us, as well as other new arrivals, to the audience. If he was trying to make everyone feel welcomed at the resort, he succeeded.
... Food at the resort is served buffet-style, with many choices to choose from, some good, some bad, some so-so. Certain good foods disappear fast. If you enjoy eating, it pays be an early bird at meal times. There are many varieties of bread, all delicious. The pastry deserts look good, but need improvement on quality. The ice cream is very good, with the popular flavors running out quickly. However, by our fifth and last day at the resort, the buffet food began to look the same to us. We were glad that our stay was not longer. There is no non smoking lounge and/or bar area.
Guests had unlimited access to red and white wines (the water-down version) and tap beer during meals. American guests have wrist bands which entitle them to unlimited drinks and snacks at the bar. However, we found the cocktails disappointing.
... We met another couple who took a taxi to dinner at Bloody Mary’s, a restaurant highly recommended in the tour books. They were shocked by the taxi cost, the restaurant’s bill, and the mediocre quality of the food there.
... By the way, the resort requires check-out at 9 a.m., which is too early. Late check-out at 1 p.m. is allowed during low season. However, you can still eat and drink all you want until your bus pick-up time. If you need to shower after check-out, they will assign you a room for a 15-minute shower and quick change.
Do we recommend the Bora Bora Club Med to others? Definitely. The all-inclusive foods and drinks compensate for the lack of amenities at this resort. While we normally choose more upscale resorts, we're very glad that we stayed there.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Sep - Nov
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Epinions.com ID:
hpndcn
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Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 0 members
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