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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

sunsail holidays

17 replies

webmum · 28/04/2004 12:25

has anyone been in the last couple of years? comemnts?
we're looking at Galini and vounaki clubs.

Also wnated to ask if children are permitted at dinner, in case we cant get ours to go to sleep early!

any comments appreciated,

thanks!

OP posts:
janinlondon · 28/04/2004 12:35

Webmum - We've been to Galini with DD when she was 20 months. Loads of kids around at dinner time (well at any time actually - you have to expect it at these things). There are lots of stairs at Galini, as its built on a steep hill. The beach is not exactly sandy - more stones as I recall, but the toddlers pool was good - under cover etc. The nanny we had was lovely. They take the kids for all day care at Sunsail (unlike the Warner thing where they give them back in the middle of the day) so you can get a car and drive around the island if you want. It is a lovely place to visit, esp if you haven't been before. I would offer a couple of warnings - there are often lots of wasps in July/August on Lefkas. Most of the kids got stung at some stage while we were there. And in August there were not enough sun loungers around the pool. They may have rectified this of course. If there is anything else you need to know just post and I'll try to remember.

CountessDracula · 28/04/2004 12:40

Willow2 went - I think she won one through Mumnset.

Original poster
webmum · 28/04/2004 13:44

thanks janinlondon thats' v helpful, we'll be going in June so hopefully there will be less kids and wasps around1!!!

OP posts:
Freddiecat · 28/04/2004 13:55

Went on flotilla and then a bareboat holiday from Vounaki several years ago - no kids though.

Vounaki has a great pool where the edge faces out over the bay. No sure how child freiendly that bit was but I'm sure they have other stuff for the kids.

Lovely beachside taverna there with a pizza oven and all the staff are really nice and helpful.

MrsWobble · 28/04/2004 16:15

went to vounaki last summer with 3 children (aged 8,6 and 3). No problems when children stayed up for dinner - the 3 year old got a special mention on the theme night - "Hollywood movies" and she had her Sleeping Beauty Disney dress with her - essential holiday packing for a sailing holiday when you're 3!

The children enjoyed the clubs and the older two did the RYA Level 1 sailing course. All the sailing kit was in very good condition and the accomodation was good. I was slightly disappointed in the food - loads of it but not particularly good although maybe I'm just being fussy. The children weren't particularly keen on the children's food either which is why they stayed up for dinner most nights.

Highlight of the holiday was probably either the earthquake or the forest fire - very exciting. I felt sorry for the club manager though who was going around muttering "it'll be a plague of locusts next"

bluebear · 28/04/2004 21:10

Hi, Also went to Vounaki last year with ds (2years)..accomodation was nice -our room very spacious..the terrace pool is nice, and there is also a safer one for children and a covered one for the babies. Sailing equipment was great..staff were lovely.
Drawbacks - it's on a steep hill and crawling back up from the water's edge is a pain if you're 6 months pg and it's a heatwave
The food was pretty awful - however, on our last night the sunsail food inspector was there, he sat on our table and we made our thoughts known so maybe it'll be better this year.
Kids often seen at dinner, there is usually also a video club at sunsail clubs where they can watch a video (supervised) whilst adult's eat dinner..and there is a free babylistening service for the ones that do fall to sleep and then wake up just as dinner is served (ds!).

I have been on 2 sunsail holidays so far (the other one to Farmess which I think is shut at the moment) and both were superb.

Original poster
webmum · 29/04/2004 10:08

bluebear and mrs wobble

was the food so bad that youw ouldn't go back?

I'm trying to decide where to go, but cna't make up my mind!!!

thanks for your help

OP posts:
minniepumpkin · 29/04/2004 10:31

We went to Marverde last year with our 2 girls who were then 18 months and 3 years. We had a great time and the girls loved the kids clubs. In fact we couldn't fault it and are due to go to Javelin in 3 weeks. There were rarely kids at dinner, but you can have babysitters who will put them to bed for you - we just used the baby listening as our kids were always pretty much out for the count by 7 as they had such busy days! I hear Vounaki is lovely too. Let me know if you want any more specific info!

carriemac · 29/04/2004 10:38

We thought the food was excellent at Gallini

janinlondon · 29/04/2004 10:53

Food at Galini was fine when we were there - sometimes a little basic, but nothing actually wrong with it.

MrsWobble · 29/04/2004 12:01

Webmum - the food wouldn't put me off going back - we're not going back because we decided that the children were too young to really enjoy the flotilla week and 2 weeks at the club would be too much for me - I don't mind sailing but don't really like it enough to spend 2/5 of my annual holiday allowance on it.

The food was disappointing because for me, one of the best bits of a holiday is trying different food and enjoying a relaxed evening meal and neither the type/quality of food nor the service (it was very slow and the meals invariably started late - which wasn't ideal with small children) lived up to expectations.

sponge · 29/04/2004 12:06

We've been on 3.
Colonna in Antingua when dd was 9 months, Farmess in Turkey when she was 13 months and Perili in Turkey when she was 2.
Perili is the one I'd go back to - really pretty setting, rooms spacious and pretty comfortable, good pool, great kids club. Only drawback is quite a long transfer. I think the kids get more out of it the older they get as they start to make friends, join in more activities etc, but however old they are its great for you to get some peace and quiet!
In my opinion the food is adequate but not great in all the Sunsail clubs I've visited - you can have enough mezze and lamb kebabs after 2 weeks - which is why we went somewhere different last year. But I would go back, especially for the quality of childcare.
Loads of kids around at dinner and not a problem at all.
We've always been in June and there are still lots of kids around. In fact, a word of warning - they have limited childcare places for the under 4s and they go fast so don't leave it to the last minute.

cab · 29/04/2004 16:11

Sponge: Is there a toddlers'pool at Perili? Do they take the wee ones swimming at Snappers? Did you use the day boats at all?
(Only been to Maverde last year - they had 3 pools which was great, good availability of day yachts, food ok, good kids' staff, accomodation not impressive.)

bluebear · 29/04/2004 19:52

Webmum - It really depends on how important food is for you - our family is vegetarian so that can cause problems in itself...Also we were expecting fab food because that is what we had at Farmess (very fresh mezze, lovely BBQ, lots of veggie stuff, had a local chef who used local ingredients)..what we got was edible and didn't poison anyone but it was 'english pub food' and the veggie option was often cold and incorrectly cooked..there was no effort to use any local recipes/produce...it was very disappointing after Farmess. HTH

willow2 · 29/04/2004 22:49

Hi, we went to Terra Mare last year - and yes, I did win the holiday. The child care was fantastic, and the nearest town was really sweet, but I'm afraid that's about as positive as I can be. Other guests who had holidayed with Sunsail at other resorts weren't particularly impressed, so maybe we just picked our resort badly.

Sushicat · 30/04/2004 15:44

Having been keen sunsail supporters we've crossed over to Mark Warner for our watersports now that we have a little one (14 months). This is not based on experience (other than my husband attending Mark Warner as a child), but we were so impressed by the brochure and reputation of Mark Warner in terms of being child friendly that it seemed a no-brainer.

In the past we have sailed with Sunsail and it's been great. I would have thought the clubs were child friendly - but it's a presumption only.

Blackduck · 05/06/2004 14:06

minniepumpkin...were you at Javlin this week just gone (22nd May??)

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