Mark Warner: San Agostino, Greece

By Les Webb

Like most nine-year-old boys, my son Elliot has an acute eye for anything that deviates from the norm, especially in people, so I’ve learnt to pay attention to his observations, no matter how arbitrary they might seem. “Daddy,” he asked as we strolled past the welcoming team at Mark Warner’s San Agostino resort, “why have those men got bandages?”

I shot a quick glance towards the resort’s main pool and, sure enough, limping around the edges of the relaxed throng were two middle-aged men, tanned, fit and outwardly healthy, except in one regard — each sported heavy strapping, one on an ankle, the other on a knee. And later, at the buffet dinner, there were more — not enough to make you think you had arrived at a Chelsea training session by mistake, but sufficient to have Elliot and his elder brother, Caspar, 11, exchanging amused looks and whispering: “Look, there’s another one.”

What could it mean?

After lunch the next day, I found out. Idling on a reclining chair by the pool, eyes closed, marvelling at the recuperative powers of Mediterranean sunshine, I was awakened from a favourite daydream by the words: “Hi there, we have a game of water polo. Would you like to join in?” Indeed I would, imagining a relaxed, “meet the locals” splash around the pool. But what was this — an umpire (complete with whistle), team colours, talk of tactics... surely some mistake?

Twenty minutes of leaping and diving followed before I was able to retreat to the embrace of the reclining chair, two contradictory thoughts swimming around my oxygen-starved brain. First, that the umpire, blonde, female and fit, was really quite attractive. And, second, that the lump on the back of my head was really starting to hurt. A voice from a neighbouring recliner put everything into context: “This is England’s middle management at play, the people who built the most competitive economy in Europe.” My wife’s comment was more succinct: “My God, what happened to you?”

Thus enlightened, I was able to explore San Agostino, 25 minutes from Kalamata on the Peloponnese, with new respect. The resort, with 63 hotel rooms over four floors and 130 bungalows, specialises in watersports, and a collection of craft, from tiny Picos and Lasers through to catamarans, lines a spectacular beach with views across a bay to white-topped ranges.

“San Ag”, as its team of sailing tutors refers to it, is a Royal Yachting Association-recognised training centre. From early morning the 800m beach is a focal point as sailors of all ages and levels make the most of the excellent conditions. “I can learn more here in two weeks than I would in six months at home,” said Alex Livingstone, a business development director from Kent. “So the holiday is a real bargain.”

Our RYA level-one class ran for two hours each morning and covered everything from tying a basic reef knot — yes, learning the ropes — to righting a capsized boat, a skill that some among us came to rely on more than others. In the afternoons we were free to choose from the craft on offer and put our new skills to the test. For the less confident, or merely lazy, a thatched beach bar with an excellent range of reasonably priced beers and cocktails, plus children’s drinks, offered the ideal spot to laugh off the morning’s misadventures and survey the mishaps on the water. “Oooh, nice jibe. Or was that a tack?”

If Caspar and Elliot’s sailing was progressing happily — can anything fill a working parent’s heart with greater dismay than the words “Sailing’s cool, Dad; it’s much better than football”? — so was their enjoyment of resort life. They had guaranteed a supply of fruit smoothies by providing their room number to bar staff — a surprise for their parents at check-out. And the main poolside restaurant and rooftop pizzeria offered excellent English or Greek options. For parents wanting a quiet night out, a taverna at the northern end of the beach (for over-14s) served traditional delicacies and excellent wines.

San Agostino’s children’s activities range from baby and toddlers’ clubs through to a younger adult group. The junior club (6-9 years) and kidz club (10-13 years) run six days a week. Older children enjoy volleyball, football, theatre skills and tennis, the resort’s other specialist activity.

With ten artificial grass courts and eight Lawn Tennis Association-qualified coaches, the resort offers tennis coaching from beginner through to national level. As with sailing, much of the coaching takes place in the cool of the mornings, with the afternoons and evenings devoted to individual play and tournaments. Court use is free. For those with energy to spare, a session with a ball machine in the 40C heat of an August afternoon offers a challenge worthy of the Australian Open.

The head coach, Adam Malarski, who has worked with former world No.1 Jim Courier, understands that the most effective tennis coaching takes place off court, and a conversation at the clubhouse after the evening sessions finished amounts to a tennis masterclass. "Your game is good," he told me over a beer on my final night, "butsometimes your movement lets you down. Against stronger competitors, you will be caught out." As I gingerly checked out the state of the lump on the back of my head, I could only agree.

Need to know

Mark Warner (0870 7704227, www.markwarner.co.uk). Seven nights at San Agostino in August cost £1,291 per adult and £1,241 per child (7-12), based on two sharing a twin room, including flights, transfers, and meals with wine at lunch and dinner, sailing, windsurfing and childcare for children over 2. A RYA level-1 course costs £50 per adult and £40 per child.

Page 2: Les Webb at Club Med, Turkey
Page 3: Mark Warner v Club Med: the verdict
Page 4: Martin Symington at Sunsail, Turkey
Page 5: Martin Symington at Neilson, Greece
Page 6: Sunsail v Neilson: the verdict

()'Tennis, archery, a swim, a drink . . . even Louiz XIV would enjoy this'

Club Med: Palmiye Turkey

:image:New York, the architect Le Corbusier once observed, was “a machine for heightening human emotion”. The same description could be applied to Club Med’s flagship Palmiye Village resort.

A mass midnight rave around a vast outdoor pool, children and parents joining in the latest techno steps, and all ending with a spectacular 15-minute fireworks display? Well, it’s not something you’re likely to see at Butlins.

There are other wonderful surprises, too — rounding a corner on one of the resort’s garden paths in the early evening to find a quartet playing Hawaiian beach songs; looking up from dinner to see my sons open-mouthed as a Turkish belly-dancer sashays her way towards our table; watching in bemusement as a man with a striking resemblance to the long-departed Jean-Paul Sartre approaches on the tennis court, lights a cigar, and says: “I am your opponent. Shall we play?”

Palmiye’s secret lies in the word “village”. With expert tuition in a host of activities ranging from snorkelling to sailing, and excellent food, and surprises at every turn, it’s easy to feel part of some priviliged community that has managed to take the best from the modern world while leaving its grimmer aspects behind. No cash? No problem — a coloured wristband entitles the wearer to a choice of coffee, drinks and snacks from the poolside bars. For my two sons, who like nothing more than finding ways around their father’s benign embargo on soft drinks, it was a step into the enchanted kingdom. “What will we try now? The pink one? The blue one?”

This is a large village, with more than 700 rooms in either a bungalow setting among pine groves (the Villagio) or as suites in a four-storey hotel with views to the ocean or the Taurus mountains. The Villagio is surrounded by a Mediterranean garden, with palms, bougainvillea and cacti. Well- designed pathways offer a sense of seclusion on strolls between activities — from the children’s pool and circus school at the eastern end to the sports fields at the western end. In between lie two large pools, a massage centre with Turkish bath and sauna, a tennis complex with 11 artificial grass courts, an archery centre, and outdoor theatre. The beach offers catamaran sailing, kayaking, water skiing and windsurfing, with twice-daily snorkelling excursions on a Turkish barque.

Even with the choice of options available, my days fell into a happy routine of breakfast, an hour’s archery, then tennis, a swim, a drink, a swim... a regimen that would have had Louis XIV reaching for his Mastercard. Far from being in thrall to some spartan ideal, however, Palmiye brings a relaxed sense of ease to serious activity in a way that only the French seem to manage. Strenuous tennis sessions, for example, were preceded by a ten-minute discussion between coach and pupils: “Today we will do the backhand, no? Or you prefer the volley?” When the same tennis coach is seen later that night, in costume and make-up, part of an energetic children’s stage production, you appreciate how hard staff work to ensure the holidays’ success.

My sons, when not testing the limits of a cashless society, adapted to local customs, twice slipping away from their kids’ clubs to indulge a new-found passion for snorkelling. But it was their introduction to the circus skills that was a major hit with Elliot, who declared that “this is what I want to do when I grow up”. Do children still run away to the circus?

Activity requires sustenance, and Palmiye’s three restaurants (one à la carte) excel with a mix of French, Turkish and Italian cuisine. As befits a French establishment, evening meals become grand social occasions as families mingle under outdoor lights. Considering at least 6,000 meals are served a day, the quality and variety of the food is astonishing.

All of which explains the last surprise, a parade on the final evening by chefs and kitchen staff who are given an enthusiastic standing ovation by appreciative guests — including my two sons. Perhaps the circus will have to wait.

Need to know

Club Med (0845 3676767, www.clubmed.co.uk). A club bungalow costs £1,165 per adult, £915 per child (4-11), £540 (2-3) and £215 (under 2); a club hotel room costs £1,281 per adult, £1,007 per child (4-11), £596 (2-3) and £237 (under 2). Prices are based on a seven-night package, including flights and transfers, all meals with wine, beer and soft drinks, open bar and snacks, kids clubs plus group classes in water aerobics, windsurfing, snorkelling, waterskiing, wakeboarding, sailing, Club Med fitness, tennis, archery and flying trapeze.

Page 2: Les Webb at Club Med, Turkey
Page 3: Mark Warner v Club Med: the verdict
Page 4: Martin Symington at Sunsail, Turkey
Page 5: Martin Symington at Neilson, Greece
Page 6: Sunsail v Neilson: the verdict

()Mark Warner v Club Med

Mark Warner
Bed and board: Choose between hotel rooms, all with sea views, and garden bungalows, most with sea views. Good-sized family suites, plus some twins and singles. All rooms are air-conditioned with fridges and hairdryers. 8/10
Activities: San Agostino is a specialist sailing centre that also offers tuition in waterskiing, kayaking and windsurfing. Excellent tennis programme, plus beach volleyball and table tennis. Family pool and swimming pool. 9/10
Food: choice of traditional English and Greek specialities with wine at lunch and dinner. Rooftop pizzeria and beachside taverna. 8/10
Value for money: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

Club Med
Bed and board: Rooms are distributed between the hotel (with balcony) and bungalows in a superb garden setting. All rooms are air-conditioned with fridge, TV, personal safe, and hairdryer. 9/10
Activities: Seemingly limitless choice with catamaran sailing, waterskiing, kayaking, windsurfing, snorkelling, archery and tennis, aerobics, table tennis and football. Or try the flying trapeze. Two large outdoor pools, a children’s pool and slide, and one indoor heated pool. 9/10
Food: exceptional, with theme nights offering Turkish and Italian delights. 9.5/10
Value for money: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

Conclusion
Mark Warner delivers what it sets out to — an excellent resort for those who take their activities seriously. Club Med offers five-star choice, superb cuisine plus magic and spectacle, two qualities that make it unbeatable.

Page 2: Les Webb at Club Med, Turkey
Page 3: Mark Warner v Club Med: the verdict
Page 4: Martin Symington at Sunsail, Turkey
Page 5: Martin Symington at Neilson, Greece
Page 6: Sunsail v Neilson: the verdict

()Wild bunch

Martin Symington at Sunsail, Club Perili, Turkey

:image:Take two parts Ottoman, one part Art Deco, shake with a dash of Portmeirion, and there you have Club Perili. The self-contained village consists of a whimsical mansion and a scattering of cottages, villas and sculpture-strewn courtyards, arches and passageways created by an eccentric Turkish oil magnate.

However, on our second day I finally agreed to stop banging on about Turkey. “Yes, Dad, this is a fantastical place on an amazing coast, marinated in Lycian history . . . whatever. But haven’t we come here for sports and fun?” implored my 13-year-old son.

Sebastian was right. I needed to lighten up, and enjoy this “beach club” out on the remote Datca peninsula for what it was: “The ultimate escape for those who like to get away from it all,” according to the Sunsail brochure. It certainly felt far enough flung after a delayed, four-hour flight to Dalaman and a tedious three-hour coach transfer. However, the quality of welcome was first rate: bottles of chilled water on the journey and late supper waiting for us, while bags were delivered to rooms. Notes were left confirming times for the sailing lessons we had booked, and telling Seb about the “Beach Team” for 13 to 17-year-olds.

Teenagers are a tricky bunch to keep happy on holiday, but Sunsail seem to have cracked it. Rather than a kids’ club for older ones, Beach Team took the form of laid-back gatherings around a shack on the sand, where the youngsters could chill together, or join in activities with hip, young staff who managed to radiate infectious enthusiasm for the beach volleyball or windsurfing sessions they were organising. Seb and his new pals could come and go as they pleased, but they naturally gravitated to where the teenscene was happening — less so the older teens, but certainly the 13-15s. Seb’s verdict: “It’s brilliant, there are some cool guys... and girls.”

Because I was (for the purposes of this trip) a single dad, Seb’s ready-mixed social life might have left me at a loose end. So it was a real bonus to find a camaraderie around the beachside bar.

Meals varied from buffets to barbecues to sit-down waiter service. The food was best when it was Turkish, but rather bland when “European”. After that, entertainment was in the hands of the ebullient staff, who — not for lack of enthusiasm — didn’t quite hit the right note: their quizzes, floor shows and unfathomable “in” jokes were a bit too Butlins-in-the-sun for their middle-class audience.

Still, staff were unfailingly helpful, particularly on the beach when they were on hand to rig and de-rig any craft at a moment’s notice. There was a bountiful selection from windsurfers and Lasers through to the 30ft day yachts for experienced sailors. As virtual sailing virgins, Seb and I booked (at extra cost), an RYA dinghy sailing level-1 course. Our inspiring instructor, Phil Clark, had the pair of us tacking and gybing solo on our first sessions. “I never expected to get so far, so quickly,” said Seb as he set off across the bay for the twin-humped outcrop, dubbed “Anderson Island” (think Pamela). To preserve the peace of this enchanted spot, there is no water-skiing here (unlike at other Sunsail clubs). There were mountain bikes, a couple of tennis courts and a fitness centre on hand, but Sunsail’s main focus is sailing. By the end of the week the pair of us had become proficient dinghy sailors, had made new friends and had had a cracking good time.

“I’ll take you to Turkey another time,” I told Seb as we left.

Need to know:

Sunsail (0870 4270077, www.sunsail.co.uk). Seven nights at Club Perili cost £1,199 per adult or child over 12 leaving July 28, based on two people sharing. Three and four-bed family rooms available. Prices include flights from Gatwick or Manchester, transfers and half board (some days dinner, others lunch), use of land and watersports facilities, and daily sailing and windsurfing “clinics”.

Beach Team activities (and all children’s clubs for over-2s) are also included. RYA courses, private tennis tuition and scuba diving are extra.

Page 2: Les Webb at Club Med, Turkey
Page 3: Mark Warner v Club Med: the verdict
Page 4: Martin Symington at Sunsail, Turkey
Page 5: Martin Symington at Neilson, Greece
Page 6: Sunsail v Neilson: the verdict

()'Sailing wasn't the only focus. There were girls . . .'

Martin Symington at Neilson, Portomyrina Palace, Lemnos, Greece

:image:“Relax as hard as you like” invites the slogan on staff T-shirts. Our early morning flight was on time, the 20-minute transfer from toy-town Lemnos airport was smooth, as was the reception at the 132-room former five-star hotel, now a Neilson “Beachplus” club.

Lunch was good, too — the first of many top-notch buffets on a sun-drenched deck, featuring barbecued meat and fish, and a wide selection of Greek and more “international” nosh. So far, so contentedly relaxing for me and my sons Toby, 15, and Sebastian, 13.

Less so the scramble to sign up for activities after the evening briefing. A scrum formed round the waterskiing/wakeboarding table, where many of the popular slots had already been grabbed by savvy second-week guests. Toby and Seb were offered 7.30 in the morning or nothing, but later managed to schmooze the speedboat guys into squeezing in a few “pulls” (no sniggering!) at more appealing times.

As with Sunsail, there was a varied supply of windsurfers and dinghies along beautiful Avolonas beach. Rigging them wasn’t officially part of the deal, but the helpful beach staff were happy to do this anyway. However, the instruction sessions were cursory; Seb and I took an “improvers” course in a group of ten, which didn’t begin to compare with private, professional instruction.

Sailing wasn’t the only focus. Others included tennis, with large numbers signing up for tuition. Far too many, it turned out, for the trio of courts. Sessions were held in groups of eight — a number that does not work well on a tennis court; and booking court time other than the roasting mid-afternoon was easier said than done.

On the other hand the quietly spoken Latvian coach, Aleksandrs Sergejevs, was first rate: “He helped me with my ground strokes sooo much,” Toby enthused.

The two boys joined the so-called TAGs (Teenage Activity Group) with gusto. Games of waterpolo and volleyball were well organised and fun; they enjoyed the sea kayaking expeditions and pronounced the Gary Fisher mountain bikes “awesome”. However, perhaps because there was no specific location in which to “chill”, the TAGs didn’t seem to gel socially. I also overheard the gripe: “Those girls have only got the hots for beach instructors.” Who can blame them?

And as (again) a single dad, I found that the club lacked conviviality. On the evenings when the boys joined the TAGs for a barbecue, I was that saddo sitting alone with a beer.

What did make a difference was the proximity of Myrina, the island’s captivating little castle-crowned capital with its string of harbour restaurants. Five minutes’ pedal into town (or 15 at an easy stroll) and hello, we were in Greece. More specifically, the northeast Aegean, where Mount Athos puts in a brief, silhouetted appearance after sunset.

For me, it was this evening glory that offered the most enduring memory of the week. For Toby, it was the sports, though “I was hoping for more nightlife”. Ditto Seb, whose triumph of the week, no contest, was successfully to get up on a monoski — a feat his older brother has yet to manage.



Need to know:

Neilson (0870 9099099, www.neilson.co.uk). A week at Portomyrina Palace costs £1,285 per adult or child over 12, leaving July 28, based on two sharing. Price includes flights, transfers, most meals, and sports with basic instruction. Teenagers’ activities included.

()Sunsail v Neilson

Sunsail
Bed and board: Huge variety among the 103 rooms — doubles, twins, triples, inter-connecting. Most are simply furnished with no TVs or phones, but have air-con and fans. Food variable, but reasonable on the whole. Breakfasts were best. 7/10
Travel company service: Service with a cheeky grin and a “no problem!” 9/10
Activities/entertainment: Fantastic facilities for sailors. Evening entertainment needs a bit more thought. 8/10
Value for money: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

Neilson
Bed and board:
Choose between rooms in the main hotel (convenient for the restaurant) and the two-storey beachside villas in the grounds (my strong preference). TVs, phones and air-con in all rooms. Food quality is consistently high. 8/10
Travel company service: Strong service ethic. Staff always helpful and friendly. 8/10
Activities/entertainment: Some facilities overstretched. 6/10
Value for money: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

Conclusion
Sunsail delivers a little more than it promisesand is great if you are serious about sailing and want to make new friends on holiday. Neilson has a wider range of activities and wins in the gourmet stakes.

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