Our recent holiday to Levante Beach Resort in Rhodes had so much to offer in the way of five star facilities, great food and activities for all ages.
I’ve already written an overview of our holiday, which we took over May half term, but there is so much I want to write about I thought I’d post again about why the resort is so good for families.
Here are my top five reasons why, from a #MarkWarnerMum
1. The childcare is amazing
I’ve never been on a holiday before where there is any childcare and it was a real game changer. Not only because it allowed me to have some one-on-one time with each of my children – most days one did the morning session and the other the afternoon – but they absolutely loved it too.
I found it to be so organised and secure, I had absolutely no worries about leaving Sam and Florence with the childcarers, and they had no worries about staying. The children are split up into groups according to their ages and the sessions are divided up into hour-long activities so there is always something new going on.
The childcare block was just opposite the main entrance to the resort and behind the restaurant, and each child was signed in and out each day. When they were looked after in the evenings, the little ones were given wristbands with their names on too.
The activities were posted on noticeboards outside the entrance to the childcare area which meant – especially for the older kids – they could choose which ones they wanted to do and dip in and out throughout the day. Sam, who is eight, did things like a water relay in the sea, an art session where they painted pebbles from the beach, ball games and swimming.
Florence, my three-year-old, had free play inside as well as picnics on the grass, trips to the on-site play area, a mini windsurfing session in the pool and playtime on the beach.
The activities really were varied and being in the groups meant by the end of the holiday both children had made lots of good friends.
I’ve explained more about how the childcare works in my previous post, so please head over there if you want to know more.
2. There are indoor and outdoor pools
Swimming is top of most children’s lists on a holiday like this and the fact that there are so many pools at Levante means they never get crowded. In fact, we found them to be quiet and most people gathered at the heated outdoor pool nearest the beach. The main pool is really sizeable but at the end of May it was still pretty chilly to play in. It didn’t bother Sam but I found the two or three times I swam in it it was just a little bit bracing!
The indoor pool was great too as we had a day or so of rain and thunder and still managed to fit in an afternoon of swimming time.
It’s worth saying there are a few baby pools which are perfect for little ones who just want to paddle. The outdoor one is partially shaded too.
3. The food is seriously good
Our holiday was half board so breakfast and dinner were included, and the food really was so good and extremely fresh. There were plenty of healthy options as well as treats and the kids were free to eat as much or as little as they liked.
This cut down on having to make decisions on where to eat, what they would eat, how long you would have to wait for the food and how expensive it might be! It also meant that they were able to try new foods without having to commit to ordering something different and having so much choice really encouraged my kids to try as much of it as they could.
My personal favourite dishes were the vine leaves or dolmades, which were available I think at every meal (still can’t get my head around the people who ate salad at breakfast!), the grilled squid and the barbecue style pork and lamb. The deserts also deserve a mention as there were loads of tiny taster pots so you could try a few different things each night. Big shout out for Sam and I’s fave, the tiramisu cake! He always picks tiramisu because it was his dad’s favourite too.
4. Kids can have time on their own – and with their parents
Everyone needs a bit of space on a family holiday and as much as your kids love being with you, I think they benefit from a bit of time with other people too just so they don’t get bored of you! Or is that just me?! I think if it were just the three of us on a villa holiday they would have bickered more and not enjoyed it quite so much, as they are both outgoing kids who love making friends and have a lot of energy.
I found just having this few afternoons to myself a breath of fresh air, it really helped to relax me and make me feel like it was a break for me too. It’s hard being a single parent, you have to be both mum and dad and answer every question, do every loo trip and every bedtime, and a bit of time out from that is a life saver.
5. You’re never stuck for something to do
There are so many activities to try at Levante there is literally never a dull moment. You could choose to fill every moment doing something sporty if you wanted to, or equally you could choose not to do any of the things on offer and chill out on a sun lounger! It’s the fact that everything is right there for you and in easy reach that makes it so good for families. There is no piling everyone in a hot car and finding a parking spot at the beach – all you do is stroll down to the waterfront and see what you fancy doing.
I think we were kind of the average Mark Warner family – not over active (probably due to the ages of the children) but wanting to try as much as we could. We tried the crazy sofa (an inflatable pulled by a speedboat – ace!), had a game of tennis, went sailing, did a lot of pool swimming and tried out the spa.
We didn’t go cycling – I think if I were with another adult I would have liked to have signed out a bike and going for an explore, but solo I just wasn’t sure about heading off into unknown territory. The group cycles looked properly hardcore and I knew I wasn’t up to a 30 miler. Maybe next time!
x Julia
2 Comments
Newcastle Family Life
July 4, 2017 at 12:25 pmThis sounds like the perfect destination for a family holiday. We have been looking at here for our family honeymoon as the childcare really appeals to us. It sounds like you all had a wonderful time xx
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Sarah Christie
July 11, 2017 at 4:37 pmOMG I am so excited I cant wait to visit now Julia it all looks so much fun I know the boys are going to just love it x