Katy Holland from The Independent tells us why she had
such a great time with her family at the Sea Garden Beach Resort in
Turkey.
There's nothing quite like sitting in a beach bar on the water's
edge, toes dipping into the sea, cocktail in hand, watching the sun
go down over the sea.
And when your 11-year-old son skis past you as he takes his first
ever waterskiing lesson, spraying you with foam and waving as he
goes, the elated feeling you get is pretty unbeatable.
Moments like this are what a Mark Warner holiday is all about.
Exciting activities, beautiful scenery and a laid-back
atmosphere: these are all Mark Warner specialities, and their new
Sea Garden Beach Resort has it all, with knobs on.
I chose this resort, less than an hour up the coast from Bodrum
in Turkey, because I knew it had something to offer my whole
family. What I really wanted was a bit of pampering and a lot of
beach time. My younger son desperately wanted to try 'every single
water sport in the world' while my teenager wanted to sharpen his
tennis skills.
At the Sea Garden, the opportunity to do all these - and a lot
more besides - were on our doorstep.
The beauty of this little place is just how self-contained it is.
The four restaurants, accommodation, beaches, bars, kids' clubs,
swimming pools, mini-village and water sports centre are all right
there. Not to mention the truly amazing spa. But don't go thinking
this is a busy or overcrowded spot. Somehow you can have it all and
yet still feel an overwhelming sense of space and tranquillity.
The boys were kept permanently happy: they loved the sailing,
the kayaking, the beach volleyball, the fun boats, the football
matches, the table tennis tournaments and the organised fun and
games. They made friends easily (hello to Tomas from Cardiff) and
so did I (hello to Sam from Norfolk).
So what is it that makes the Sea Garden stand out from the
crowd? There's no doubt that from the moment you walk in, you know
you're in good hands. The managers are extremely friendly and
helpful, the kids' clubs are exceptionally well run (I love the
fact that children were divided up into groups of eight or so, each
with their own dedicated carer) and the food and activities were
fantastic.
The kids were reluctant to leave at the end of the kids' club
day (and sometimes, that was 9pm!). I even started to miss
them a bit! But it meant I could savour those moments sitting in
that little beach bar, watching the sea change colour. Bliss.
Take a look at our current special offers for holidays at
Sea
Garden Beach Resort, Turkey .