Since Joyce was in Europe, I had the opportunity to experience Club Med’s Body and Soul event a few weeks back on behalf of KinkyBlueFairy! It was a 4D3N trip in Club Med Bali and all I did was eat, swim, do yoga, talk, and drink! I was with 2 other Malaysian members of the media (Claudia from Tongue in Chic and Evelyn of MissyBlurKit) and Lena, the representative of Club Med who was our guide during the trip.
Club Med from France has been known for being the original and premium all-inclusive vacation resort, with 80sun and snow resorts set in exotic locations around the world. Established in 1950, Club Med today has vacation resorts scattered around the world from Europe to Asia, and is considered one of the best go-to resorts especially for families. We even have one here in Malaysia itself – Club Med Cherating in Kuantan!
A premium package in Club Med usually includes:
– return flights (special arrangement upon request)
– accommodation
– gourmet international buffet 3 times a day and all-day bar + snacks
– bars and nightclubs with free flow of drinks
– sports and leisure activities
– night performances
– child care services
Club Med upholds a longstanding company culture that is unique. All staff are called G.Os – Gentils Organisateurs (Gentle Organizers); whilst customers are G.Ms – Gentils Membres (Gracious Members). The resort is known as a village, whereas the resort manager is called the Chef de Village (Village Chief). There are 94 G.Os in Club Med Bali of different (18!) nationalities, so no G.Ms need worry about language barriers.
In 2013, Club Med came up with a programme named ‘Body and Soul’ – an annual retreat focused on health and wellness to boost and transform overall well-being filled with activities based on 4 colour themes – Yellow, Red, Green and Purple.
The event was initially launched in Club Med Cherating and Bali, but this year it was decided that Bali is the best location for the retreat, with the program being extended for a month. Club Med Bali is located in Nusa Dua, a secluded premium location with breathtaking scenery that is only less than half an hour away from the airport via the new highway in Bali.
Another great reason why Bali is the best destination for the Body & Soul event – their new Zen Pool was just launched in March!
Club Med Bali is huge. Initially I wondered if i would have some time to step out of the resort to explore Bali a little, but it turns out four days weren’t even enough for me to fully explore the resort area! Each night’s walk was a new discovery for me.
The Body & Soul event is designed with optimal relaxation in mind, as Club Med recognises the need to awaken our spirits and hearts, heal our bodies and transform our lives. With the belief that colours deeply affect us in our daily life (from how it impacts our moods and emotions, to our sense of well being) the event tagline was – 4 colours in 4 days: Get rejuvenated, energised, balanced and revitalised inside and out.
The retreat spans four days, with each day featuring a different colour.
Yellow is the day for rejuvenation;
Red representing energy;
Green for balance;
Purple for revitalisation.
Each day offers different specialized classes designed by international relaxation experts, colour-coded fitness activities, and healthy colour-coded meals.
There were yoga lessons twice a day to focus on detox + balancing for our body and soul.
Morning yoga lessons were usually carried out by the beach area, with fresh morning sea breeze and calming sound of waves to boost our morning mood. Our instructor for the lessons was Samantha from Hong Kong, a patient and smiling spirit who was always gentle and calm with everyone.
Trapeze lessons available for all ages!
The most challenging part of the trip was how to do EVERYTHING in what suddenly seemed like a short span of time. There were so many activities, fun games to play and beautiful areas to explore. There are lush green fields everywhere, up till right to the front of my room which tempted me to pack food from the restaurant to have a picnic on.
Read more about my experience in Club Med after the jump!
Ahhh i’m not the best at keeping track of what mags i come out in but i’m trying!
Thanks to NÜYOU mag for doing a feature on Sueann, Claudia, Didi and i.
The article is in Mandarin so i have no idea what it says :p *fail*
Love this shot of us! Didi and i going all Mean Girls.
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Thanks also to WW magazine for this huge spread of Vivy and i as fashion bloggers in Malaysia! I think there are 7 pages of me plastered all over them – i’m honored! And it was much fun getting dressed up in Givenchy, DVF, Moschino and the likes!
It was my first time doing a shoot with Vivy (wait… we have done another shoot together, ok it was our first time just the TWO of us :D)
My fave pic of Vivy in the shoot! More pix after the jump.
Ahhh i’ve been pretty busy since i really SETTLED back into KL the past week. Trying to find a balance between work, seeing my parents, catching up with friends, spending lots of time with Clem, and well, trying not to rush all the time and stop to smell the roses.
Here are more random pix i took when i was in London!
Laych and i had lunch together at Leicester Square. We spent much shorter time together than the last time we met up, which was when she took me to Greenwich (which i never posted pix of -_-) and we mooched around for a whole day.
We had boiled fish slices in spicy chilli oil. I love Sichuan food!
I was wondering whether i had enough time to pop into an exhibition after lunch, but decided against it. My schedule in London was such that i’d visit my grandmother in the hospital most mornings and afternoons in between hanging out.
My poor grannie had a fall and hit her head which caused bleeding in the brain, and she had to return to the hospital a second time for the doctors to remove more blood. I think it was the perfect time for me to be in London… cos she’d have one extra family member visiting her so she wouldn’t be so sad and bored!
My Mama! She’s 85 this year.
I’m so impressed by the hospitals and staff there… incredibly efficient, professional, and it’s all free!
I love this picture of my mama, aunt Gerry and i! It was taken outside the hospital.
We’d bribe her to exercise by saying we can only make calls to family members outside (which is kinda true) so she’d go.
I LOVE eating in London! There are SO many amazing diverse restaurants peppered throughout the city. Despite kickstarting my “trying to eat healthy” phase in life, it’s hard to stick to it when i’m on holiday there…
I used to waitress at Pere Michel when i was 18 years old, and i think it’s a great experience for any teenager (to wait on people that is). To throw your ego aside and put others before you is a humbling experience, and makes me appreciate great service all the more. Pere Michel is an authentic French restaurant near Sussex Gardens and Hyde Park, and it’s been around since 1983, proving that amazing food stands the test of time. Just read their rave reviews on TripAdvisor *here*.
This is my Aunt Gerry. She’s enjoying her soup de poisson.
It’s one of my favourite French dishes and one of the loveliest i’ve tasted!
I had the escargots.
I don’t how something that looks so unattractive can taste so scrumptious in my mouth!
My mains were the rack of lamb, perfect at medium rare.
(Writing a food blogpost while waiting for Clem to return home with dinner is a mistake.)
I caught sight of Uncle Mark’s organiser and was mesmerized by how TINY and NEAT his handwriting is!
Man. I don’t even know where to start with Awesomeness Fest. It was like, the BEST thing i ever went to in 2013… and there is SO much to tell about it, not to mention the HUNDREDS of pictures i took over the four days it happened.
I made so many amazing new friends-for-life from all over the world, stretching from Africa to New Zealand.
I learnt, partied, laughed, cried, and EVOLVED.
I learnt SO MUCH STUFF, things which i’ve been sharing with lots of people since i got home, but i think it’s about time i start sharing it here with you all too, cos Awesomeness Fest 2014 is happening soon this June 12-15 in Phuket.
I FIRST heard about Awesomeness Fest when i went to Mindvalley for an event in January last year. Loved it so much i blogged about it *HERE*
After watching it i was like, “What the hell is this… i have NO IDEA but i WANNA GO.”
What IS Awesomeness Fest?
In a nutshell, it’s a festival held annually in a paradise location, for anyone who is interested in:
– connecting with people from all over the world
– starting their own business/being an entrepreneur
– personal development and growth
In their words:
Some of the best speakers in the world are flown in to the resort to talk to everyone about entrepreneurship, leadership, meditation, managing people, new scientific discoveries, everything! If you asked me… I’d say it’s a festival to teach you how best to live your life the way you want.
Just one example of a brilliant speaker is Lisa Nichols ofMotivating the Masses. She is probably THE most powerful speaker i’ve personally experienced. She’s been interviewed by Oprah and Larry King, and has even spoken to up to 10,000 people in a stadium! (Afest includes an intimate complimentary workshop with Lisa which is amazing!)
But all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
Besides all the talks in the daytime, a big party is thrown every night at different venues where Afest organises drinks, entertainment, dances, everyone socialises and parties till late… and every morning, there are different yoga, workout and meditiation groups for one to join. There’s a LOT going on!
Some pix of my experience in Afest Bali last year >
There is no age limit for Awesomeness Fest. I met people aged from 18 to 60. I saw children (whose parents attended the fest) sitting in on the talks and listening intently. Supre cute! As long as you understand English, anyone can reap inspiration and education from Afest.
The first step one has to do is send in an application. Yup. You can’t just pay and go for it, you have to fill in this form on what you do and what you think and why you want to go.
The reason Afest does this is so that they can filter it down to the right kinda people to attend the event – people who are driven, want to or are running their own business/es, want to better themselves, and want to contribute to the community/world. Every year, thousands of applicants vie for only 250-350 spots in Awesomeness Fest.
Awesomeness Fest is a 100% non-profit event. So all additional money it generates is donated to different global charities.
