Before I became a mother I dreaded the thought of going on a club holiday, nothing was further from my mind. It was from my friend Caro who had a one-year-old that I first really learned about Club Med because she had tried one of their locations in France. I still remember how excited she was to stay there. About the activities, the staff and the (free of charge) childcare her little son loved so much. It was then that I never quite lost the idea of one day staying at a Club Med. In 2017 that day finally came when we visited Club Med Kani in the Maldives (read about my experience) and I’ve pretty much been hooked since. It’s very low-brow, eye-level holidaying with a strong emphasis on good food, fun activities and a feeling of community not only between guests but staff and guests which is not something I take for granted.
With this perfect memory in mind I was excited to accept an invitation from Club Med La Pointe aux Cannonniers in the Maldives, one of two Club Meds on the island. The 4-star resort located along a long stretch of fine sandy beach and in a small town in the popular North of Mauritius, not too far from the capitol and merely a few minutes drive away from shops and restaurants which I came to find out is not a given when staying anywhere in Mauritius. The North is also quoted as one of the better parts of the island to stay at during the winter months from April to October when heavy winds take on this part of the world.
Not too long ago our author in Mauritius although her perspective differs from mine as she went there with a group and without kids. I spent 5 days here alone with my son who is 5. What I came to find was very much a confirmation of my first impression from staying at Club Med Kani that Club Med really puts a lot of love and effort into what they are offering their guests. At no point did I feel like the staff didn’t put their everything into their jobs and that guest satisfaction was the highest priority. Here is a list of 10 things I really enjoyed about Club Med La Pointe aux Cannoniers.
The location
As mentioned before, the North tends to get better weather than other parts of the island and there is a lot more local life an infrastructure here than in the East and South. I really enjoyed being able to simply walk to shops and restaurants, to ride a bike that I rented from the resort to the large mall nearby and to be able to really explore the island’s local life without having to take a car.
The beach
Speaking of location, the resort expands along a beautiful and clean beach with lovely fine sand and all the umbrellas and sun loungers you could ask for. There is towel service, a beautiful à la carte restaurant and some very inviting bean bags to watch the sunset from. The ocean itself here sees some choral and algae growing but that also means more fun snorkelling without heading too far into the sea.
The pools
Pool or sea? My son and I definitely prefer a good pool, something about salt water that doesn’t sit well with us. If this is you also, you’ll love the 3 large pools at Club Med La Pointe aux Canonniers, one for families, one for kids and another for adults only. All pools come with towel service and round-the-clock supervision which feels really good when you’re traveling with little non-swimmers.
All inclusive
All inclusive gets a bad rep but I am here to tell you that when traveling with kids in particular it’s absolute heaven. There is no disagreement over who picks up the bill, you don’t need to get upset about ordering a $15 dollar main for your little one that they eat exactly two bites of and there is unashamed day-time drinking which really gets the holiday-mood going, i can tell you!
I will say that quality of food and drink can vary widely among all-inclusive resorts which is why I was very pleased to find that the quality of both is very high at Club Med. At lunch and dinner various chefs take on a cooking station where the dish of your choosing is being made to order for you. And they really brought out the big guns! From scallops to Filet Mignon – it was all there for the choosing.
One of my favorite parts of all inclusive life was the extended breakfast available between 10 and 11.30 at the beach restaurant (the main restaurant serves it until 10am) which came in very convenient for me, as I love my eggs first thing of the day but I am also intermittant fasting so I typically don’t start eating until 11am.
Speaking of favorites – another big one is the espresso machine for guests to make their own lattes, americanos and cappucchinos at any given time of day. So much yes!
The free laundry
When we arrived at Club Med we had already spent 2 weeks in Mauritius and I was completely out of clean clothes. Just as I was gearing up to dish out on expensive hotel laundry service the friendly receptionist at check-in told me about the laundry room where guests can wash and dry their laundry completely free of charge. 100% my personal idea of heaven, nuff said.
The Animation
Never a dull moment at Club Med with constant programming 7 days a week. There is dancing at the pool around noon, games in the afternoon, live music before dinner, it’s impossible not to feel entertained. If you enjoy mingling and being social this resort will give you endless opportunities to make friends and meet others. If being reclusive and enjoy the silence you will still find plenty of corners allowing you just that, there is enough space for all desires and preferences.
Every evening at 8pm 9pm there is a show put on my staff for kids which is somewhat improvised but always huge fun for the minis with plenty of laughs and interaction with the audience. This show is followed by another one for the whole family which usually involves plenty of dancing and showmanship – an epic treat for the end of each day and best enjoyed with a cocktail in hand.
The sports
Over the years I have come to really love engaging in sports activities whenever I travel, it’s just a nice way of doing something for yourself and treating your body to something good and healthy. Plus, when you’re a mom like me, this definitely counts as quality me-time.
Club Med had one of the best offers of classes and activities I have every seen and I had a hard time choosing between fitness and yoga classes, diving, fencing, archery and aqua fitness. Very often I ended up at the gym just spending a good hour or so on the treadmill while catching up on some Netflix.
The kids club
The kids club at Club Med here was one of, if not the most impressive club for children I have seen in my 5 years of traveling with a little one. First of all, it is huge. There are compartments for babies, toddlers and older kids and youth even have a separate area entirely. The carers are among the best I have encountered on the island with constant smiles on their faces and never in shortage of a joke or two. The kids club opens 6 days a week (Saturday is their day off) from 9am to 10pm, so very long hours if you fancy that kid-free dinner or a private moment with your partner.
Apart from constant activities like swimming in the pool (adjacent to the mini club), looking for seashells, playing sports or building sand-castles, kids can also enjoy lunch, afternoon cake and dinner together and at 8pm they get the show performed by their carers. Tough work for the staff but they made sure to make it look like fun all the way!
The rooms
The resort itself was built with a colonial chic theme that has been modernised since it first opened. I really enjoyed the beautiful 2-3 storey buildings which came with small but very comfortable rooms. We scored an awesome room with a terrace overlooking a large lawn that led to the beach, ensuring that we were never far to catch a good sunset or grab a quick dip in the sea.
As a proclaimed fan of bamboo I especially loved all the warm brown tones, the rattan lamps and surprisingly comfy beds. There was also a really generous closet and a mini bar complete with a fridge.
We had a truly unforgettable 5 days at Club Med aux Cannonniers and particularly for families with kids I’d always recommend coming here. More so it has made me quite curious to try out other Club Med resorts. Let’s see which one will be on our list next…
Disclaimer: Club Med La Pointe aux Cannoniers has kindly invited us to 5 complimentary nights. All opinions expressed are my own.
