Malaysia road trip - Day 3 (Club Med Cherating)

Day 2 at Club Med Cherating started with an early wake-up at 7.40am. After getting ready, I headed for breakfast around 8.30am. On the way to Mutiara Restaurant, I passed the main pool and noticed a few early risers already participating in the morning activities, including paddle yoga on the water. It looked like a calm and refreshing way to start the day, but I was too lazy to join in that early.

When I arrived at Mutiara, the atmosphere was bright and relaxed. It wasn't overly crowded yet. The buffet had a good mix of food, from local Malaysian dishes to Japanese options and pastries. I was excited to try a bit of everything.

The fried eggs caught my eye immediately since they’re one of my favourites. Unfortunately, they weren’t being made to order and seemed pre-cooked, so they were only lukewarm and lacked those crispy edges I love. I asked if I could get a fresh one fried on the spot, but the staff just directed me back to the buffet line. On the bright side, the hash browns were excellent and perfectly crispy on the outside. The nasi lemak tasted similar to what we had for dinner yesterday, but it was still good. I also tried the baked beans, but they were quite clumpy and didn’t stand out much. The fresh juices, though, were a highlight. I had honeydew and watermelon juice, and both were refreshing in the morning heat.

The char kueh teow was another standout, easily one of the best dishes at breakfast. However, not everything was a hit though. The sambal fish was quite tough and very spicy. The prawn porridge was also just average, with a strong peppery taste that overpowered it. I also checked out the Japanese section. The Japanese egg stood out as sweet and pleasant, but the chicken was fairly ordinary, and the somen noodle soup didn’t leave much of an impression either. Apart from that, the sesame balls were chewy. There were also steamed lotus buns, red bean buns, and kaya buns, but I was too full to try them all. Overall, my favourites from breakfast were the char kueh teow, the crispy hash browns, and the freshly squeezed juices.

Mutiara Restaurant opening hours:

1. Breakfast - 7.15am to 9.45am

2. Lunch - 12pm to 2pm

3. Dinner - 6.45pm to 9pm

Paddle yoga

Bread station

Pastry station

Bagels

Cereal station

Fruits station

Condiments for bread

Condiments

Fruits and nuts station

Can fruits station

Puddings and yogurts

Cheese station

Breakfast tartine bar

Asian station

Condiments for shrimp and plain porridge

Fried kueh teow

Vegetables

Sweet potatoes

Chinese tea eggs

Sesame balls

Oatmeal with milk

Omelette station

Coffee station

Tea station

Fresh juice

Natto

Vegetables miso soup and condiments

Somen noodle and tamagoyaki

Marinated tofu

Chicken nimono

Keropok ikan

Stir-fried vegetable

Ikan sambal

Spicy anchovies sambal

Condiments for nasi lemak

Fried egg

Hard boiled eggs

Gluten free muffin

Baked beans

Chicken sausages

Bacon

Pancakes

Condiments

French toast

Potato wedges

My breakfast

Fresh honeydew and watermelon juice

My breakfast

Tea

After breakfast, we headed to the private beach, catching the 10am train from Enak Restaurant. The beach was calm and spacious, with soft sand and clear, shallow water stretching along the shore. Sun loungers were set up under the trees, offering plenty of shaded spots to relax. The whole area felt quiet and laid-back, with a gentle sea breeze and the sound of waves in the background. It’s a simple stretch of beach, but peaceful and well maintained, making it nice for a short stroll or just sitting by the sea.

We had originally planned to go sailing, but upon arrival, the staff informed us that it was low tide, which meant that sailing and other water sports activities were unavailable. Under normal conditions, sailing trips lasted up to 10 minutes and accommodated a maximum of four participants per trip. The venue also offered kayaking (minimum age: 6 years), paddle boarding (minimum age: 8 years), and sailing (minimum age: 8 years). All activities were offered daily from 9.30am to 12pm and 2.30pm to 5pm, and were subject to weather and tide conditions. Participants were required to know how to swim, and wearing a life jacket was mandatory for all water sports.

Since we couldn’t go ahead with sailing, we played paddle ball instead, which turned out to be a fun and relaxed beach activity. After that, we made our way to the Zen beach area, which had a quieter, more calming atmosphere perfect for slowing down and enjoying the surroundings. There was no lifeguard on duty, so visitors were expected to be extra careful while in the water.

We took a break and had some drinks. My partner ordered mango juice, while I had iced water. We also tried a Tiger beer, which was slightly bitter but refreshing in the heat. Rock climbing was also available daily, with a minimum age requirement of 11 years old. Before leaving, we checked out the area which looked interesting, though we didn’t try it this time. We then took the train back to Enak Restaurant at 12.15pm, wrapping up a relaxed morning by the beach.

Private sailing lessons (price list):

1. Kids (30 mins): RM 100

2. Adult (1 hour): RM 200

3. Couples (1 hour): RM 240

4. Family (3 pax, 1 hour): RM 340

5. Family (4 pax, 1 hours): RM 460

The Bayou menu (free flow):

1. Soft drink - Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Fanta Orange, 100 Plus, Soda water

2. Fruit juice - Orange, Pineapple, Mango, Guava, Apple, Cranberry, Lychee

3. Mocktail (non-alcoholic) - Sunshine (orange juice, Sprite, grenadine), Fruit Punch (orange juice, pineapple juice, grenadine), Refresh (guava juice, lime juice, grenadine syrup) and Baby Monkey (orange juice, apple juice, passion fruit syrup)

4. Cocktail (alcoholic) - Cherating Fizz (gin, Sprite, lime juice), Firefly (dark rum, orange juice, apple juice, passion fruit syrup), Baby Breeze (vodka, cranberry, pineapple)

5. Beer - Tiger

Zen pool bar menu (free flow):

1. Soft drink - Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Fanta Orange, 100 Plus, Tonic Aater, Ginger Ale

2. Coffee - Espresso, Americano, Cappuccino, Latte

3. Cocktail & Mocktails - Peach Blossom (gin, orange juice, peach syrup, Sprite) & Shirley Temple (Sprite, grenadine syrup)

4. Fruit juice - Orange, Pineapple, Guava, Apple, Cranberry, Mango, Grapefruit

5. Tea - Jasmine, Chamomile, Earl Grey, Peppermint, English Breakfast

6. Beer - Tiger

7. House wine - White wine, red wine, rose wine

Train to Club Med private beach

Path to private beach

Private beach

The Bayou

Watersport station

Sailing

Beach volleyball

Private beach

Zen pool bar

Mango juice, iced water and Tiger beer

Private beach

Rock climbing station

Rock climbing and train schedules to Club Med

Train

Pool game: paddle race

Snacks

The weather was extremely hot, and I felt really sticky. The others decided to head back to the room to freshen up, but I didn’t feel like going back and forth in the heat, so I went straight to Mutiara Restaurant for lunch instead.

Lunch was surprisingly good. The chicken rice was flavourful, with tender, juicy chicken that paired perfectly with the chili sauce, which was not too spicy. Besides that, the tomato egg dish was also enjoyable. The chicken 65 with masala rice was another highlight The chicken was well seasoned, crispy on the outside, and juicy inside, with a slightly spicy, aromatic coating. I also had the lamb dish, and it was soft with a mild gamey taste.

Condiments

Salad station

Bread station

Cheese station

Honeys

Vegetables spring roll

Mezze platter - humus, babaganoush, chickpeas, tomato salad, paprika dip

Tuna carpaccio with vinegar herb sauce

Fruits station

Dessert station

White chocolate and raspberry wholemeal bread pudding

Dessert toppings

Homemade gelato and sorbet

Roasted chicken

Sauce for the roasted chicken

Fragrant chicken rice

Tomato egg

Stir fried vegetable with oyster sauce

Chicken dim sum

Vegetarian dim sum

Indian station

Condiments

Masala rice

Chicken 65

Red kidney beans masala

Aloo mutter (vegetable peas curry)

Chapati

Vegetarian burger served with sweet potato fries

Condiments

Fries

Nuggets

Chicken sausages

Burger station

Japanese station

Pickled ginger, yellow radish and cucumber

Japanese noodles

Condiments

Japanese style hamburger steak

Vegetables pesto pasta

Tomato sauce

Beef bolognese

Plain pasta

Pizza margherita, tuna pizza and four cheese pizza

Condiments

Condiments for Terengganu chicken noodle soup

Terengganu chicken noodle soup

Vegetables

Grilled fish

My lunch

Roasted chicken

Lamb

Fruits

Desserts

After lunch, we went back to the room and took a short nap until 4.30pm. Surprisingly, we all felt quite tired, which we hadn't expected. Perhaps it was the heat that had left us feeling drained. Later in the afternoon, my partner and Jlo headed off for an archery session. I joined them afterward for a few rounds of ping pong and pickleball, which turned out to be a fun and relaxing way to spend the rest of the day.

Archery

Club Med beach

Security guard with a K-9

Snacks

The day before, my partner had made a reservation at Enak Restaurant for 7pm. We were looking forward to dining there because it offered an ala carte experience with a starter, main course, and dessert, unlike Mutiara Restaurant, which serves a buffet. However, when we arrived, we discovered that the restaurant was closed for the day without any prior notice. We weren't the only ones caught by surprise. Several other guests also turned up and faced the same issue. In the end, we had dinner at Mutiara Restaurant instead and managed to reschedule our Enak reservation for the following evening.

At Mutiara, I had the duck confit with potato lyonnaise and mustard veloute. The dish was enjoyable, although it was slightly on the salty side. I also ordered the miso ramen, which was warm, comforting, and one of my favourite dishes of the meal. The tteokbokki was very spicy, while the gimbab was nice and light. To end the meal, I sampled the chocolate panna cotta, which was deliciously creamy. The harum manis cake, however, wasn't quite to my taste, and the mango served alongside it was quite sour.

Cheese station

Salad station

Tomato jam brie cheese tartlet

Salmon gravlax with beetroot, orange, ikura, pickled cucumber, spring onion served with sweet chili sauce

Fruits

Dessert station

Seafood

Tofu with dried chili and mushroom

Stir-fried bitter gourd with egg

Hot and sour shredded potatoes

Lemon chicken

Fish curry

Dosa - rice & lentil pancake

Fish finger

Beef burger

Japanese & Italian station

Radish and cabbage kimchi

Tteok-bokki

Gimbap

Duck confit with potato lyonnaise and mustard veloute

My dinner

Miso ramen

Desserts, fruits and nuts

Birthday surprised from the Club Med staff

Hand washing station

After dinner, we went to the theatre for the Night of Living Legend show and joined the queue at 8.50pm. The doors opened shortly after at 9pm, and free popcorn was available for guests. The show was a live stage performance featuring dramatic lighting, music, and a strong focus on acrobatic stunts. The performers delivered impressive aerial moves, flips, and coordinated routines that kept the energy high and made the experience very engaging visually.

Around 9.45pm, I stepped out to use the restroom and sat outside for a while as it was too warm inside. There was a screen set up outdoors, though without sound. The show ended at 9.50pm and all of us decided to chill at the main bar and ordered some drinks. I had rose wine while my partner ordered a pina colada (white rum, pineapple juice, grenadine syrup) and a refresh mocktail (guava juice, lime juice, grenadine syrup). The rose wine was smooth but very light in taste.

We returned to the room around 10.30pm and called it a night. After a full day in the heat filled with activities and good food, it felt good to finally wind down. However, the room was still quite warm, which made it a little harder to settle at first. We eventually went to bed around midnight, ending the day on a quiet, restful note.