Peter Matthews

Review of Club Med Resort, Bintan Island

Recently retrieved 2014 review ~~

Recently retrieved 2014 review ~~
I spent only 1 week at Club Med Bintan Island, but that was a week I will never forget. The beach is just lovely, so close from even the most isolated accommodation in the resort. The sand is white, the water clear, and a bar so close to the water I was never without a cocktail!
That said, waves and sand are not every customer's preference, so Club Med Bintan (CMB) provides a pair of crystal clear swimming pools free for all customers. I was lucky enough to experience a swim in the pool during a rainstorm, with the rain hitting the water creating beautiful little splashes.

The food was exceptional, so many different cultures and culinary backgrounds in one place. Each nationality's food is found in a different section of the Waterfall Restaurant (CMB's main restaurant), with a central buffet providing even the most unadventurous pallet some worthwhile tucker. Any customer could be as creative (or boring!) as they wanted, with a lovely selection of breads, fruits and cheeses allowing for a spot of light eating after a swim in the pristine pool, and the unlimited supply of enticing wines did not go unnoticed either.

The activities at CMB are many and exciting, with my favourites being kayaking and snorkeling. Snorkeling takes the customer, not that i should say customer when it is included for free, out around a rocky island about 1 km from the resort. Here, after a brief safety instructional, the GM (which i shall use instead of customer) heads into the water and experiences the fastest 45 minutes of their life. Hundreds of little fish swirl around the GM against a backdrop of vibrant coral, creating an overwhelming sensory overload which left me grinning from ear to ear. The fish must be used to humans, as they swim alongside and even in front of the GM. Eels poke their heads of their rocky caves for a cautionary glance at you, before slipping back inside with only a small cloud of sand showing they were ever there. A life jacket supports the GM, which i am glad of, as I dare say I was so enchanted with this place that I may have neglected to swim. When time is up, the whole boat is a chatter of excited voices, each telling another of their amazing underwater adventures.. I especially loved this, as the group that had been quiet on the way out was now a mess of introductions and newly forged friendships.