Club Med Caravelle

Guadeloupe

Know Before You Go!

Have you visited Club Med Caravelle? We'd love to know what you think...
Please write a review with as much detail as possible. Tell us about the amenities, facilities and staff.

Click Here to post your review for Club Med Caravelle.

We had a wonderful vacation. Visited: March 2007 Posted by petyot We stayed in a Suite at Grande-Terre. The three things we liked the most were: 1) The food was amazing, both at the main restaurant Hibiscus (buffet style) and at La Biguine (à la carte restaurant); 2) Facilities were impeccable (rooms recently renovated, common areas, etc.); 3) Arrival, check-in, check-out and activities: everything was all well organized. To give you an idea: our plane landed at 11:30am and we were eating at the restaurant, checked-in, at 1:15pm… It’s hard to beat. The things we didn't like as much: 1) Beach vendors (too many of them, too much pressure from them, too familiar); 2) Local members of personnel were not particularly welcoming; 3) Basic cocktails were not mastered by most barmen/barmaids (there were only few cocktails in the menu and barmen did not follow any recipe, so your drinks never tasted the same from one time to the other). The food was absolutely amazing! Products were fresh and tasty, there was a great variety of products, and we saw different things every day. We are big fans of fish, and were well served at the buffet and the restaurant. There was fish Carpaccio every single day (tuna, mahi-mahi, red snapper, etc.). There were different fish as main meals, some with sauce, some simply grilled or panned. There was also a great variety of salads, meat, Creole specialties, and vegetables. The breads were excellent. We read many ecstatic reviews on the white chocolate bread, and can confirm it was indeed delicious! There was always a great variety of fresh fruits. We certainly recommend La Caravelle to couples and families. We didn’t think it was the best resort for singles, because there were not many of them. Most people were between 35-45 years of age, many with kids. There were older people, too (up to 70-75). However, young ones (between 20 and 25 let’s say) were very rare. There were many families. We were not at all disturbed by the kids, though. We intend to go back next year. 12 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had a lovely February vacation. Visited: February 2006 Posted by embyrne Club Med Caravelle is the best place for a couple or family to stay on Guadeloupe. The accommodations were lovely, and the beach and sports were fantastic. All of the delicious French and Creole food was included in the room price. You'll meet lots of families and couples from France and Canada. Club Med keeps the kids active in special programs all day where they meet many new friends. Since food and sports are included in the price, this the best value on Guadeloupe. Although Guadeloupe looked like a small dot on the map, it was actually huge. There was so much to see and do, that I did not have time to see the west island, Basse Terre, where the volcano and SCUBA were. Basse Terre, Marie Galante, and two of Les Saintes islands were visible from Club Med. We took buses to tour the southern half of Grande Terre, including Gosier (lovely), Pointe-a-Pitre (bustling), Le Moule (tranquil), St. Francois (walkable), and Ste. Anne (everyone's favorite). I felt very safe everywhere I traveled in Guadeloupe. The bus drivers kept all of the fare money in large open trays at the front of the bus and they make change if you don't have the exact fare. At Club Med, the windsurfing was great for all levels. Even people living in Guadeloupe came to the Club Med beach to windsurf. There was a small snorkeling area near the rocks and corals on the point at the far end of the Club Med beach, but you will need to bring your own snorkeling gear. There was a hidden beach around the point that you can safely snorkel, too. I do not recommend snorkeling past the little beach to La Toubana Hotel. La Toubana has piled up rocks to try to make a small rocky beach, but the strong currents and crashing waves make this area unpleasant for swimming or snorkeling. Club Med let their kayaks go anywhere within the reef that was visible from the sailing shack. The G.O.s will take guests on the big sailboat outside the reef, too. Guests are welcome to take the small sailboats anywhere within the reef themselves. If you don't like the cold winter of Miami, I would highly recommend Guadeloupe. All of the people I met were helpful and there was so much more to see that I didn't have time for in only one week. Taxis were very expensive, so I would recommend renting a car to get around Guadeloupe. Bus service between cities on Grande Terre was reliable and cheap (average $1 per trip, each way), so I would recommend that, too. The bus from Gosier to Ste. Anne to St. Francois was a great deal, and these were everyone's favorite nearby destinations. It would be advisable to learn to speak a little French before coming to Guadeloupe if you want to travel around a lot on your own. 12 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? There was nothing to do here. Visited: July 2004 Posted by wendicorleone 7/25/04 - I returned yesterday from my one-week stay at Club Med Caravelle with my friend (we're both 17), her mom, and her aunt. We were all extremely unimpressed with this resort having been to Club Med Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Basically, all there was to do was hang out on the beach, swim in the pool, volleyball, kayaking, sailing, windsurfing, tennis, and fitness programs. It may sound like a lot, but it really didn't amuse teens for a whole week. And even the adults traveling with us got bored. Virtually 99% of the guests were European, and only a handful spoke English. I don't speak a word of French, but my friend did, and we got around pretty well. I must say, we didn't encounter any particularly rude or unfriendly foreigners, as we expected. Everyone was generally courteous. The food was pretty good. I'm extremely picky, and I found something to eat at every meal - the pizza at the buffet and the burgers at the beach bar were excellent! The nightly entertainment was pretty much terrible if it was put on by the GOs, but two guest dance troups came to perform and they were exceptional. The nightclub was interesting... teens should go after 12 when middle aged people have stopped pretending to be youthful. I did witness discrete drug dealing on two occaisions as mentioned in some other reviews, but it was nothing to worry about. Most people seemed entirely unaware of it unless they were looking for drugs. Local people were allowed to use the Club Med Beach, which could be irritating if you're a young, relatively cute female - they would call us over to talk to them, and try to get us to meet them and what not. When I think of the rooms, the term "no frills" comes to mind- bed(s), dresser, closets, nightstand, bathroom, TV (english channels- BET, CNN, NBC), alarm clock, and this was the top-price "luxury room". Maybe the luxury was the CD player built into the alarm clock because that was the only non-essential thing in the place! Oh well, you don't go to Guadeloupe to stay in your hotel room. In addition, I highly recommend massages by Michele, and henna tattoos by Adrien. Also, the La Biguine restaurant was a nice alternative to the buffet for lunch/dinner 3 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Don't bother if you do not speak French. Visited: May 2003 Posted by queensny Went to Club Med in Guadeloupe May of 2003. It was my first time at this village and my third vacation to a Club Med. A number of Americans made up approximately 1% or less of the guest population during my stay. Language was a problem, as I do not speak French and that was the language spoken by the majority of the guests. Meal time was a problem, because the few that spoke English did not make an effort to speak it. One gentleman said to me "When we go to the States we are expected to speak English, you come here you should speak French." Many of the people were very rude at the table and most of the G.O.'s did not speak English. It was a struggle. Also during this time of year, the temperature was very, very hot and very humid. The entertainment in the evenings was horrendous. The facilities were kept very clean and the food was good. I had a massage by an Italian who did speak English, and her hands were wonderful. However, the ambiance at this club, was somewhat mellow and people were not very friendly (including the staff). 0 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? An outstanding option in Guadeloupe. Visited: April 2003 Posted by jbullard Our family celebrated a 75th birthday at Club Med Caravelle and we had a blast. The kids (five of them from ages 15 to 11) signed up for whatever they wanted - and the trapeze was the highlight. The rooms were simple, clean, and air conditioned; and the meals were delicious and could last two hours if you were not in a hurry. We also received free wine with each meal. The trips to snorkel and scuba dive were excellent. The beaches were pure soft sand and the Parisian topless women were a bonus. The sailing, the kayaking, the archery, beach volleyball, and pool all added up to a very busy and somehow still relaxing visit. The GOs were all helpful and language was not a problem. Most of the GOs spoke at least three languages and some of them five. The area was fogged for bugs at dawn and dusk, so there were no bugs. If you don't enjoy this Club Med, you need help! 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Very Disappointing Visited: June 2002 Posted by mcdsd I've visited three Club Meds before and always have had a great time. The management at Guadeloupe was completely uninterested in the fact that our room was in need of repair. The air conditioning did not work and we were told, "If it was not so hot, it would work better." The chef du village avoided my requests to meet with him and finally told me, "Americans have too high of expectations." The child's club had very little in English. My letter addressed to the Club Med vice president in Florida was not answered by him but by another person. I think the attitudes seem to originate at the top. I guess we were spoiled at the Club Med in San Salvador. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Great time for all! Visited: July 2001 Posted by frankoski My wife and I had our second visit to Club Med Caravelle, however, this time we had five Japanese relatives and friends accompany us. The village did not seem as crowded as during our previous visit (1999) and this time I would estimate that about fifteen percent of the GMs were from the U.S., far more than in 1999. Despite the language barrier our Japanese cohorts had an absolutely wonderful time. The seven-year-old boy had a fine experience in the Kids’ Club, learning to play tennis, swimming, trapeze, etc. For the adults it was a restful break from a hectic lifestyle. General comments: great food, beautiful beach, interesting excursions (even for second go-around for my wife and I), plenty of activities—and shopping much enjoyed by the ladies. A surprise bonus: we met two GMs from England, Chris and Liz, whom we had met in 1998 at Club Med Paradise Island. All in all, a wonderful eight-day vacation. We were not happy campers when we had to leave - c'est la vie! Our thanks to the many GOs who provided us with a great time. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Very French. Visited: May 2001 Posted by grizzj1 I had a great time during our stay at Caravelle, but the language barrier made social situations like meals difficult. Even though we knew some French many other vacationers were not willing to attempt to communicate. We met fewer than 10 Americans or English speaking people visiting during our stay. Other than this, I highly recommend this village. Food and amenities were good and the staff was very helpful. The beaches were also very clean and many excursions were offered. I saw no sign of drug dealing here, as described in a previous review. 0 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Great place but beware Visited: March 2001 Posted by fng18 My family and I traveled to the Club Med at Caravelle on March 25, 2001. The children (13 and 12) quickly found some friends their age to mingle with. This must have been one of the best beaches we have ever seen. White sand and turquoise water coupled with palm trees that afford you some shade and a nice breeze that is always skimming the tree tops were the staple of that beauty. The food was not that good with the exception of some great French breads including the raditional baguette. The rooms are a notch up from your old college dorm but then you spend so little time in the rooms, you eventually overlook that small detail. Howver, one of the most disturbing things about the resort is the drug dealers roaming the beach. In fact, one of those drug dealers approached my 12-year-old daughter. When the police showed up, they simply "talked" to the guy and in discussing the drug dealer with the police, the security knew him on a first-name basis. One cannot but notice that security was always absent around the southeast entrance to Club Med. When I discussed that issue with Tom Keidel, the Chief of Village, he simply became very defensive and said that they cannot chase these drug dealers away because it is a "public beach", which I believe is a tragedy. If you do go here, please be aware of these activities that the management of Club Med seem to take a very cavalier attitude towards. 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? My whole family had a great time! Visited: April 2000 Posted by tempuspub My husband, my nine-year-old son and I all had a great time! My husband and I spent most of our time at the beautiful pool while our son was mesmerized by the activities of the Kids Club; we couldn't tear him away! It gave us time alone to relax and play. The rooms are nice and very comfortable—we never had to adjust the air conditioner the whole time we were there! It was always pleasant in the room. The food was great; the breads/cheeses and desserts are always a treat! The staff is gracious and well-organized. The beach is beautiful beyond words—as perfect as a picture postcard! The main facility is very interesting architecturally. A huge cavernous roof spanning the entire building defies the imagination as to how it was built. The resort is peaceful and quiet throughout the day and welcoming and imaginative in the evening. All in all, we'd go back. We are visiting Punta Cana Club Med in February of 2001 and plan on visiting a couple other family facilities while our son is young. This is a great place for couples, too! Thank you Club Med for our wonderful vacation! 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Impressions of a recent one week stay at Club Med Caravelle Visited: May 1999 Posted by frankoski My wife and I spent two weeks in Guadeloupe (May 1-15, 1999). The second week was at Club Med Caravelle. From the moment of arrival until departure we received first class treatment - which we expect having been going to Club Meds for about five years. Caravelle was the fifth club we have visited. Our accommodations were just fine, fronting on the beach and very clean. The food was the best that we have enjoyed at any Club Med and that means SUPERB! We are tennis players and enjoyed the tennis instruction and matches. I believe that there are half a dozen courts at Caravelle. Having done prior sightseeing in Guadeloupe we only took a Club Med sponsored shopping trip to Point a Pitre which is about 45 minutes away by bus. The beach was excellent, but a bit disappointing for snorkeling - perhaps I scared away the fish. The water was clear and clean. There is also a large swimming pool which we did not use. This particular club caters to families, but the children are taken care of by the GOs (Gentil Organizers). The language spoken by most of the guests was French but many if not the overwhelming majority of the GOs are fluent in English. We received the best rate of exchange (dollars into francs) at Caravelle - considerably better than that which the local banks offered. As an example of the efficient manner in which Caravelle is operated: Noticed a tiny crack in the room's ceiling which was moist from a rain. At lunch we ran into the Village Chef, Jean Pierre, and notified him of it. Within two hours amaintenance person had arrived and repaired this tiny crack. Will we return to Club Med Caravelle? You can bet on it! And, for at least two weeks! 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?

Other Popular Properties

	Sofitel Auberge de la Vieille Tour Guadeloupe - Guadeloupe Sofitel Auberge de la Vieille Tour Guadeloupe is a 3.5-star hotel. This beachfront resort hotel is situated in a three-hectare park complete with an 18th-century windmill in Grande-Terre on...		Canella Beach Residence - Guadeloupe This property was converted from one of the cities fine Edwardian homes nestled behind secure walls. A quietness that is derived from security and special rural condition created with the...
	La Sucrerie Du Comte - Guadeloupe La Sucrerie du Comté is situated on the northern extremity of the island of Basse-Terre, between the town of Lamentin and the village of Deshaies, at 30 km from the...		Karibea Salako Beach Resort - Guadeloupe Karibea Salako Beach Resort is a 3.0-star hotel located in the heart of Guadeloupe’s Riviera, the resort overlooks the finest sandy beach in Gosier. Rooms...