My last “real” holiday was a long-deserved trip to Taiwan with my better half, in December last year. So, when I was informed by Samsung Malaysia that I won a 4D/3N all-expenses-paid holiday to Club Med Cherating Beach, I was chuffed. My beach bum ambitions were one step closer to reality, I thought.
First, a little bit about Club Med Cherating Beach. Now, I’ve always heard stories about Club Med (some pretty wild!) but have never actually set foot in nor experienced any of the global franchise’s resorts.
In Malaysia, it’s nestled in the heart of lush greenery – over 80 hectares in fact, 30kms north of Kuantan town, Pahang on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is in fact, the first Club Med resort in Asia.
The great thing about Club Med Cherating Beach is its back-to-nature vibe. Just a stone’s throw away from the resort is unspoiled green, a wide sandy beach and the South China Sea.
It’s a fantastic place for family, kids and friends, with plenty to do the entire day.
An unforgettable holiday? You bet.
With shorts, shades, sunscreen and flip flops packed; and armed with the latest Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017), off to Cherating we went.
The travel companion: Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
Here’s a couple of things that make the Galaxy A7 (2017) the perfect travel companion for this trip.
Firstly, it’s got IP68-rated dust- and water-resistance. Which means I have complete peace of mind when I’m on the beach or chilling at the pool. With the sometimes outlandish activities (there are even foam parties) and watersports, I know that the Galaxy A7 will come out unscathed. And by the way, it’s the first time ever that the Galaxy A Series boasts such a feature, previously found only on the flagship S and Note series.
Next up, is the big 16MP f/1.9 cameras on both front and rear. The rear shooter boasts PDAF, so autofocus is fast and accurate. On the front, the 16MP whopper has a fixed focus wide-angle lens.
What’s also great is the large and bright 5.7-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display, with 2.5D glass. It’s great even under bright sunlight, and perfect when I want some quiet time with Netflix or iflix on-the-go. Also, Samsung has adopted the much-loved Always-On Display from the Note5 and Galaxy S7.
Lastly, the live-wire nature of the Galaxy A7 can be attributed to its massive 3,600mAh built-in battery. This means I don’t need to lug a powerbank around the resort.
Do anything, or do nothing
The great thing about Club Med, we found, was that you define what kind of stay you want. You want to do a watersports thing? Go sailing or kayaking. You’re the sporty type? Go play football, tennis, ping-pong or even try your hand at archery (which we did and loved). Feeling a little adventurous? Try the jungle walk.
Just remember, don’t feed the monkeys.
Or be like my wife who attended a batik-making class, under the tutelage of a local batik master.
But you know what, if you just want to sit back and chill, you can, too.
Talking about chilling. The no-kids-allowed Adult Zen Pool is beautiful – an infinity pool that’s so chill, you’d want to stay there forever.
Or maybe not.
Because… every single day at Club Med is some kind of themed activity day. There’s world-class variety shows every night at 9PM. There’s dancing (a whole lot of dancing in fact). There’s mind-blowing acrobatics. There’s even a kids show.
There’s unexpectedly a foam party at mid-day. Then there’s all-day gourmet dining and an all-day, all-night open bar. And when you think all is over, there’s limbo rock on the beach. Seriously.
This is the life, guys.
And one aspect about Club Med that I love is the people. They’re the genuinely warm, friendly and attentive GOs (Gentil Organisateurs or guest officers) who come from all over the globe. You’ll find GOs from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, France, South Africa, China, Japan, Korea, and more. And you also get a Chef de Village Youssef who’s so bafflingly energetic and charismatic throughout the day, you wonder what he’s smoking! I can guarantee you’ll never find a Hotel Manager as live-wire nor as full of life!
From the minute we arrived at the airport, to being shuttled to the resort and being welcomed at the door, the GOs always made us feel welcomed.
Saying goodbye at the end of the 4D/3N stay was the toughest, but here’s hoping we’ll be back soon.
Want an unforgettable holiday? Head over to Club Med Cherating Beach. Need the perfect travel companion? Bring along the Galaxy A7 (2017).
Enjoy the photos! All shot on the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) unless otherwise stated.
