The love for travel is the love that only grows. There’s always a newer destination, a newer experience, people, cultures, cuisines and the stories that come of this. Is that how the also define wanderlust? Because this desire is difficult to satiate for once but must be fed well.
After travelling across 12 countries and planning another 13, Maldives was definitely not on my immediate bucket list. I thought it was too relaxed for me. And, I couldn’t be more wrong!
We were invited by Club Med to experience their property, Club Med Kani in Maldives.
Too many new names there? Let’s go through it, one at a time.
About Maldives
Maldives is a tropical island country to the south of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean. It comes as no surprise that the economy of Maldives thrives majorly on tourism and there are over 300 resorts across various islands, some on private islands.
Maldives is an Islamic country and the local customs and practices are all in accordance with Islamic laws. Areas like the airport, the capital city Malé and some local islands have conservative norms, especially for women. These norms range from covered clothing to alcohol and substance ban. Resorts on private islands come without these restrictions, serve alcohol and have no dress code for women.
Picking the right resort
One of the key parts of planning your trip to Maldives includes picking the right resort for your stay. With the structure and planning of these resorts, most are likely to offer similar facilities such as rooms with private beaches, overwater villas, water sports and other beach activities.
Maldives is typically popular amongst 3 kinds of travelers- honeymooners, luxury travelers and adventure travelers for water sports. Factors like budgets, deals and reviews come majorly into consideration while picking the perfect one for you.
This country can spoil you with its beauty, vibe and newer heights of luxury!
While we were super excited to explore a new destination, the one that we hadn’t planned and researched for it was the experience that we were excited about.
Club Med
We were headed to experience the one of the many Club Med resorts from around the world. But what was different about Club Med?
Club Med is a French resort chain with resorts across all 6 continents. The specialty of these resorts is the one-time all-inclusive fee structure that made holidays an even more enjoyable and hassle-free experience.
At Club Med properties, you pay once while booking your stay and then pay nothing except for exclusive activities.
Your room (including the mini-bar), food, drinks and activities are all covered for the duration of your stay. Club Med properties are typically like mini villages with a vibrant atmosphere unlike most resorts which encourage you to stay aloof.
At Club Med, it’s not a possibility, it’s the culture to make your travel not just about down time and luxury, but meeting new people, making new friends and exploring newer activities.
The Real Club Med Kani Experience
So, what was it like to stay at Club Med Kani, in Maldives?
To start with, Club Med has 2 resorts in Maldives- Club Med Kani, the vibrant party property and Club Med Finolhu, the premium property with more privacy and luxury.
We were staying at Club Med Kani. After landing in Malé, we took a ferry from the port (right outside the airport entrance) that was arranged by the resort and reached Kani after a 20-minutes ride.
I don’t know think we had the right idea about the real beauty of Maldives. While it looked all perfect and enticing in pictures, the real experience was further more enchanting. Shades of blue and green surrounded us with clear skies, clear turquoise waters and its variations on beaches with white sand. Heaven was here!
Rooms: Why get out of bed?
We were staying in a deluxe room with a beach front.
Every room had a huge bathroom and shower area, all well equipped with high-quality fragrant toiletries! (That’s a winner)
The bedroom was tastefully done with gorgeous minimalistic décor. There was a King size bed, sofa, wardrobe with iron and board, mini bar with snacks and soft drinks, kettle, study table and TV. The best part of the room was the bed with the view of the sea right outside. Our rooms also had a porch with sun beds to relax and enjoy the beach vibes.
The view from our bedroom at Club Med Kani
Now isn’t that a real winner?
In case you thought that a gorgeous and luxurious room would mean staying indoors all day, you’re wrong all the way!
Property: Aren’t I the best of all?
Club Med Kani is a gorgeous property set on a kilometer long stretch of an island, all of which is walkable. It’s highly recommended that you walk around whole of the property in the duration of your stay and explore various parts of the resort.
On our second day at the property, we took a walking tour of the property and explored some of the best Instagram-worthy spots, list of free activities and the superior areas of the resort.
Ideally, what more can you ask for with the gorgeous sea water surrounding you? But that changes at Club Med. Beaches, sunbeds, hammocks, water sports, yoga & meditation, food, drinks, spa… this kilometer long stretch of land covered everything!
We also toured the overwater villas, the prime attraction in Maldives. These villas (for adults only for safety reasons) offered the dreamiest views at Club Med. Imagine, waking up in the middle of the ocean? Or diving into the turquoise waters straight from your balcony? Bliss!
Beaches: Hey Beach Bums!
Why a special mention for beaches? Because these are the best ones I’ve ever seen all my life. I simply cannot get over the crystal clean water, which looked gorgeous to say the least!
The biggest pros of these beaches would be:
- Clear waters
- Shallow waters, enough to allow you to walk in comfortably for about half a kilometer away from the shore
- The biggest winning point here would be the marine life! The fact that the water was so clear and shallow, made it easy for non-swimmers like me to experience the beauty of the marine life!
It was like meditation, you could forget the world and keep going after those marine animals!
Parties: Every night’s a Party Night!
Even as you walked out of the water on either sides of the property, there would always be a beach truck or a beach bar round the corner to quench your thirst! With alcohol, all covered in your charges, there was no end to this party or to the order of drinks! Don’t be surprised if you happen to have more beer than water on this vacation!
As the sunsets, the vibe changes and Club Med Kani is ready to get the party officially started. With a unique theme for each day, there’s no end to drinks, dance and music! The Club Med Kani team also puts up a show with different themes each night for all guests at the property! So you can dance away to the Saturday night tunes or simply enjoy the performances you see, every day at Kani is the day for you to party!
Alternatively, you can always sit with your partner/family by the private beach and enjoy the experience of a starry night by the beach. This experience never gets old or boring!
Food: Nom-Nom
It’d be unfair to deny food to be a major factor of happiness, especially when it comes to holidays! FOOD IS, WAS AND ALWAYS WILL BE PRIORITY! And Club Med Kani remembers that.
Imagine a stretch of one kilometer having 2 restaurants and 2 bars?
The main restaurant at the property is Velhi, which offers one of the biggest buffets I’ve ever seen. There are counters for salads- fruits, vegetables, deserts, breads, Italian, Japanese, Chinese (authentic Chinese), Mediterranean, Continental, and… INDIAN food. Each counter has its own range of three courses of a meal. The variety of meats, vegetables and fruits will have you confused over what to eat! Whatever you pick, it’s a win-win! This is your go-to restaurant for all meals and it also has outdoor seating facilities for you to enjoy the sea view while you eat.
You can also find French cuisine and late meals at Kandu. Of course, this too offers the sea view ad has the Iru Bar right next to the restaurant for drinks post sunset and entertainment nights!
FOOD COMA IS A CERTAIN STATE!
Hospitality: Make friends of strangers!
Like I briefly mentioned early on, hospitality is the key to the success of Club Med Resorts. The staff at these resorts are divided into GMs and GO’ (Gentle Organizers). GMs are the senior managers who keep switching resorts across Club Med chains. GOs are your go-to junior staff who will help you with everything you need to make your stay a memorable one. These are usually locals or staff members from near buy countries. While their staff is extremely friendly, the culture at this property bans a guest-server relationship. You’re likely to find them striking conversations, drinking and dining together and of course partying together.
This takes away the sense of entitlement that becomes a part of the tourist attitude because of the money being paid. This way, Club Med properties tend to be more than just resorts, especially with majority time being spent in the village.
This is not just a distinguishing factor, but a notable one. A culture that more hospitality chains must adapt and encourage.
Activities: Challenge the Lazy in You
You just cannot stay in your gorgeous room all day while at Club Med Kani! There’s always so much to do, you need to plan your schedule well.
Other than walking, drinking and partying, you can join the many ball games by the beach with fellow guests and GOs.
For water sports, there is scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding, surfing, sailing, all-inclusive in your package. In case you don’t know how to, there are also lessons by professional instructors for each.
Read about our recommended water sports at Club Med Kani, Maldives
For peace of mind there are yoga, sunset yoga and meditation sessions.
Exclusive of your package are activities like parasailing, waterskiing, sunset cruises, whale watching, tour of capital city Malé.
There’s a lot that you can do at these resorts, that can make you forget your phone and other gadgets!
Wellness: Beauty is Bae!
There is a dedicated spa area at Club Med Kani with trained professionals offering a range of wellness services including Balinese Massage, Body massage, Hot Stone Massage, Beauty Massage all with a range of exotic oils.
Even though these services are not included in your package, I’d totally recommend that you opt for them during your stay. The masseuse did such a good job with the whole treatment that the effect lasted for days after.
Club Med Kani Again?
Anyone would be a fool not want to Club Med Kani! Despite competition, Club Med gives you the vacation that most resorts cannot with ultimate luxury and great company, cuisines, culture and everything on the property!
The fact that you don’t have to think of money once your vacation begins is one of the biggest luxuries, right?
Now, to think of it, Club Med has resorts across 6 continents. You know what I’m opting for 😉
Check out our video on the complete Club Med Kani Maldives experience!
https://youtu.be/YW4cBHIpFHM
We’re still in the awe of our Maldives trip, if you too wish to be smitten by fine beauty, luxury & hospitality of Club Med Kani do write to sales.india@clubmed.com with our reference! Go crack yourself a good deal 😉
If this post made you want to explore Maldives & the Club Med properties, pin it & share it! 🙂
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