don´t bak on the weather !! (Club Med Rio Das Pedras)

Member Name: dfjordan

Product:	Club Med Rio Das Pedras
Date:	29/08/02 (453 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: quality of food, only 90 minutes from Rio, Brazilian staff

Disadvantages: weather, lack of amenities

I went with my wife and 12 yr old son for Xmas 2001. As far as Club Meds go, the accomodation was better than average; and there was TV for a change, but we think we know why-the weather is very very unpredictable!! Talking with the GO´s there, it seems that during most months of the year there is a lot of rain, and as the temperatures are not always high, this can make it cold and miserable, as it was for 4 out of the 7 days we were there. We had decided to pack up and go home if we woke up to yet another rainy day after 4 days of basically non stop drizzle. The sun came out so we stayed, and the rest of the week was not so bad, but it wasn´t good either.
On the good side, the food and variety served was just exquisite. There is no way anyone could find fault in the food offered. Apart from the variety of fruit that is standard in Brazil, the lobsters, giant shrimps, smoked salmon etc were wonderful.
The GO´s as always in Brazil were very pleasant, and were not the ususal 6 month stint people ; they were residents of Brazil who did the job on a permanent basis, and did it because they liked it.
As is becoming mnore common in the Clubs, there just weren´t enough facilities available to avoid those terrible long waiting periods which drives nayone mad. For children from say 11-15 years, there really is nothing suitable to keep them occupied, and the beach albeit long curved white sand, is really too steep combined with the generally rough sea to make swimming from the beach an alternative.
The general opinion that seems to be given by people after their stay at this Club is that whilst it´s not the fault of the staff or of Club Med as an organisation, they wont go back, just because of the unpredictable climate. I suggest Itaparica instead.

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