We stayed at Club Med the first week of June, 2008 and couldn't have been any happier. Like some other reviews, it is not a top of the line resort but for the price you can't beat it. It includes 3 meals a day, snacks and drinks all day long. The rooms are ok but you are not there to be in the room....right? We did not feel that the bed was horrible and I am a very picky sleeper. I actually liked it better than my mattress at home. Make sure while in your room you do not leave any food out in the open. They have an ant problem and if you leave one little crumb you will have ants.

We went one night to Bloody Mary's for dinner (be prepared to spend some money) and met a couple that stayed at St. Regis and their iced tea at lunch was $12 alone!!! We walked around town and went to the market and the .99 grab bag of chips was $10, a can of corn was $4 and a tube of chapstick was $10. I loved the French Poylynasian but it is sooooo expensive! That is why I'm glad we went with Club Med or we would have never been able to enjoy such a beautiful place.

We would recommend doing all of the free stuff the resort offers. You can also purchase excursions from the hotel to do. We did the half day shark/sting ray tour and had a great time. It was well worth the money. I did hear however that you can book direct with some tour companies and save money. One the tours are cheaper and two the exchange rate is better. When we were there the dollar was only worth .68 at the hotel and .80 in town shopping so always ask what the rate is before purchasing things. Since on the subject of purchasing items, be prepared that souviener items are very expensive also. The cheapest kids shirt (cheaper made mind you) was $26. I could have gotten it at a flea market for $2.

We took a walk to Martira Beach one morning and it was beautiful. You can walk out in the water forever and it is still at your waist. The walk was a little longer than I had expected but it went by fast. Just watch out for the dogs!!! Dogs are everywhere and some are not as nice as you might think. We actually had one chase after us. I wanted to rent a bicycle to go around the island but just ran out of time due to airline cancellations and our trip was cut short.

The resort was great and the GO's couldn't have been any more friendly. I told some people it reminded me of the movie Dirty Dancing with all of the young workers. Food was great and always something good to eat. We were able to try some foods that we would have never gotten to try again on the "Ocean" night at the buffet. There were always some sort of fresh fish, raw fish and even steaks for lunch one day. I came home having withdrawls for the buffets. Only negative thing I have to say about the resort is the bar. If you like a fancy drink, find something else to drink!!! They are not the best bartenders but they do try hard! The language barrier doesn't help but their skills are not up to par either. Their juices there are not concentrated so they seem watered down to begin with and then they add the alcohol and it is just not like it is in the states. I drank some much fruit juices down there that my teeth actually started hurting because of the acid. But.......it was worth it. :)

Please make sure you bring water shoes, not flip flops, if you go to Bora Bora. We went to the Motu and it is not all sand. It is washed up coral and it killed my feet. My feet are very sensitive and I could not walk on the motu bare footed. The water around the resort is ok, not beautiful so go to the motu for the beauty of the water. They only have chairs for rent ($10) over there so make sure you bring some towels. The locals taking you to and from the motu are a hoot!

If you are a beachcomber...you will be in heaven!! Make sure to bring some Ziplock baggies with you to take your possessions home. We got some of the prettiest shells I have ever seen. Watch out for the hermit crabs though.

We were at the Club Med in Bora Bora in early June 2008 with our kids age 13 and 14 and had one of the finest vacations ever. Fred and the gang of GO's were entertaining to say the least. The accomidations while not luxurious were very comfortable. The food was good, every day a different menu, the desserts and baked goods were exceptional!!!( my kids went through withdrawl not having chocalate croissants and fresh vanilla sauce!!). The evening shows were also fun and clever. They have some they have written themselves with slap stick, singing and dancing, watch for Mathue and Chin, great comic routines.


We mostly stayed at Club Med the first week as they had wind surfing, hobby cats and snorkeling, Chin, Charlotte and Guilhem at the Boat house were awesome instructors and very funny. Try the Armada around the island with Charlotte, this is taking the hobby cats and sailing all the way around Bora Bora, breath taking... it takes about 5 to 6 hours and they provide drinks and lunch and is not an extra. Snorkling with Kevin is also alot of fun and a beautiful area to swim.


We ventured out the second week...


Guy the head man to find something outside the club to do is quite knowledgable.


We did the Lagoon Discover and swam with black tip and lemon sharks, sting rays and octopus, our guide, Willaim was quite the character. He sang and was a "fish whisperer " if there ever was one, he'd enter the water and they would come. Wlliam even caught an octopus and put it on my daughter's head and on my son's face, they are such a gentle creatures and curious. We also went diving with Top Dive, I highly recommend going with them, Erik taught my kids about diving so that they had a great time and were not worried about anything. We rented a car for a day and were amazed that we drove around the entire island in less than 45 minutes.


We also went to Bloody Mary's and had a great dinner, I was expecting something totally different and was suprized by the decor I loved it!!! Any place that you can check your sandals at the front door is OK by me!! the kids loved the the sinks in the restrooms, it took them a while to figure out how to turn them on!!! We also ate at the Fare Manuia and it was divine!!! We all had something different, the foi gras appetizer was to die for and they were not stingy with the portions, I could have just had that and been happy...my husband's steak was at least 2" thick and juicey, the Carbonara was the best I have ever had.


The weather the first week was not that great as to a monsoon south of Tahiti, but the sun shone everyday and water as was amazing, very little difference from air temp to water, the second week was glorious and this is during their time of winter with days getting shorter.


A word about the cost, I can understand some people's reaction to the cost, but to us as we live in a Ski - Tourist town in the Rockies we are used to inflated pricing so we were not quite as taken aback as some.


It was with tears in our eyes that we said good bye to our new friends at Club Med.


Go and Enjoy!!!!


Zibet

I hate giving Club Med only 3 stars, as we did have a good time there and would go back. It was dirt cheap compared to other places. However, if you are going all the way to Bora Bora, I would highly recommend staying at a resort for at least part of the time. Club Med compares poorly to the other places where we stayed for a variety of reasons. It started out like a hotel and towards the end we felt like it was more of a youth hostel. The problem with Club Med is that it isn't as polished as the resorts.

The GOs are nice and friendly but more like camp counselors. The front desk will make dinner reservations for you, and there is an excursion desk that sells Club Med tours. Information on non-Club Med tours is nonexistent. The shuttle to town is 1000 xpf per person. If you want to get a free shuttle to a pearl store other than Nyco's (the store at Club Med, which has a larger store in Vaitape), then you will have to make the local call yourself and on your own dime. Nyco's must have a contract prohibiting any other competition. Also, if you call a shuttle from another company, the shuttle won't be able to drive all the way into Club Med and will have to pull off of the main road. Not a big deal, but penny wise and pound foolish in my opinion, as trying to restrict where guests shop seems kind of pathetic.

Prepare for chickens and roosters to wake you up at 5:30 a.m. Cute at first, but annoying by the end of the week.

The rooms are more than adequate, and the photos on Club Med's web site actually don't do the rooms justice. The beds are firm and a king bed is really two twin beds pushed together. However, this was OK. The room had fresh flowers when we checked in. It also had a bottle of water, mini-fridge, hot water pot with instant coffee and tea, and a TV. There is ample storage for clothing. Garden rooms have a sliding glass door with a small patio. The air conditioning worked well. The bathroom has a stand up shower (no tub) with a good shower head and good storage space. There is an open window that has no screen and is just a shutter. This is quite charming but bugs will enter the room this way.

The food is pretty good and there is ample bottled water. There is one restaurant, and it's buffet. As one reviewer mentioned, the hours are pretty strict and some food becomes unavailable towards the time the restaurant is closing. The restaurant is nicely decorated with wood tables and chairs, and it appears that the staff take pride in the restaurant. Food is basically French, American, and Japanese offerings for all meals, plus local food and whatever the night's theme is. The hot food wasn't the greatest, as it's been sitting under heat lamps. Each night has a different theme. One night there was a gigantic merlinfish, one night there was a roasted whole pig, etc. We found the cold food to be better, particularly the appetizer table. There is always fresh bread, fruit, and a salad bar. Dessert was OK but not great (think lots of Cool Whip-like items renamed "mousse" -- I'm sure the desserts cause French people to cringe as they tasted nothing like real French desserts), but local ice cream flavors were in abundance.

The drinks were good and plentiful. There isn't a huge bar scene, but the bar is open pretty much all day. At night they generally offer a signature drink. We became addicted to their alcohol-free "Clubber Colada," which is great all day long. Also, the espresso in the bar is much better than the coffee at the buffet. Hors d'oeuvres are nightly and consist of 1-2 hot hors d'oeuvres and some chips and olives.

The shows were entertaining. There is a Polynesian fire show and a Polynesian culture/dance show, both with outside performers. The variety shows by the GOs were cute.

The beach at Club Med is decent but rather murky (at least on overcast days) compared to other places on Bora Bora. There are some coral areas for snorkeling. Canoes, windsurfing, and hobie cats are free. We were a bit put off in that hobie cat lessons are advertised as "daily" in all of the information but not being offered on the day we went for a lesson. Also there is a sunset cruise, but this fills up quickly, so book as soon as possible. There are other activities throughout the week, such as a picnic on the motu, nature walk, etc.

In addition to the small Nyco's store, there is a gift shop that sells Club Med and local souvenirs. A photographer takes pictures daily. Laundry facilties are abundant and it costs about $11 USD to do a load.

Club Med rents part of a motu, and a boat goes to the motu several times a day. It's a short 10 minute ride. The water at the motu is beautiful and shallow. The boat ride to the motu is lovely. If you want a snack, take it with you to the motu as there is no food there. There are no lounge chairs on the motu unless you want to rent one for $10 USD, but there is plenty of sandy beach. Dogs roam the motu freely and are friendly. There is organized snorkeling and "aquagym" water exercises almost daily. The motu is definitely the highlight of Club Med. The motu is not raked, etc. like other beaches but is still lovely. There is no pool or gym, but there are tennis courts.

Club Med is not the place for a romantic honeymoon, but it can be a lot of fun for a small price, especially in French Polynesia. We certainly realize the value of having three meals a day provided. There are definite kinks in the system and this is not a luxurious place to stay. However, if you know what you are buying before you arrive, it can be a great time.

One suggestion is to bring an inflatable raft, which you can take to the motu. Also bring water shoes, as it can be hard to get on and off the boat in flip flops, and bring a lot of bug spray!

We have arrived at the club med Bora Bora on June 15th. Someone from the Club was waiting for us at Vaitape (main city in Bora Bora - we had to get there by boat from the airport) and we then took a 20 minutes drive to get to the hotel. We then checked in and people at reception were very kind and we felt really welcomed especially by Muriel and Paola. We then were offered a welcome cocktail and flower neckless and a GO gave us a tour of the club and took us to our room. The gardens are beautiful, very luxuriant, very well maintained. I cannot say the same of the room, we had a beach bungalow (booked as Deluxe Sea view room) with a very nice sea view, but the beds were extremely firm and the rooms really need to be refreshed (some of the wall paint was falling apart). We were a little dispointed by the Club Med beach but only for a short time.

We have met a lot of GO's, they were all very kind and friendly, especially Gaelle and David from the restaurant which were so nice and always with a smile, we had special requests concerning our diet which they respected and did whatever they could to please us. Also, at the bar, Romain and Aurelien were always smiling, friendly and concerned about pleasing all the GM's (clients) and we had lots of fun with them. Nicolas from the Economat department was very nice to us and did his best to make sure we were pleased with our stay at the clubmed. We were not really lucky for the wheather, we had our first 3 days with lots of wind, clouds, rain and below average temperatures, but what can we do, this is the only thing no one can control. From the 4th day we really discovered the beauty of the lagoon and the marvelous shades of blue that you can only imagine until you see them.
There is a small island (Motu) that is part of the Club med 10 minutes away by a free boat shuttle (3 departures daily) where most of the guests went to have a swim and sunbath, as well as go play some beach volley or snorkle and see the rays and other exotic fishes with Kevin (GO), which was very kind and nice to everyone. You will be amazed by the water surrounding this Motu, it really is turquoise and as clear as a glass of water. The only really disappointment we had was the beach itself which was full of pieces of shells and corals, meaning not at all the white sand beaches we can find in the carribeans and mexico.
If you go to Bora Bora, it really isn't for the beaches but for the beauty of the lagoon.

Although they are pricy, we really recommend you to do the excursions such as the lagoon discovery (half a day snorkeling experience in feeding stingrays, black tiped sharks and admiring the coral life) as well as a visit to the Spa of the Intercontinental Hotel.

Also, after visiting some of the beautiful surrounding hotels (overwater bungalows), you will realize that you have chosen the best option in Bora Bora in terms of price (all these hotels are extremely overpriced - between 800$-1300$ per night without food - breakfeast only varies between 40-60$ per person and all of these hotels are dead in terms of activities and night life) and even though this clubmed's nightlife is very slow compared to other clubmeds mainly due to the fact that most of the clients are honeymooners, you still have a nice show every night and you can enjoy a good drink at the bar after until approx. 11:30 to midnight. If you are a single traveler, this is not the place for you.
Overall, my wife and myself had a great vacation at the Clubmed and we can only recommend it. Apparently, the best time of the year to visit Bora Bora is from June to October (dry season), after that, it is the rainy season and it can apparently rain for a few weeks in a row. Enjoy your trip.