Watersports Haven (Mark Warner Holidays)

Member Name: salgirl

Product:	Mark Warner Holidays
Date:	24/05/01 (2113 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent facilities

Disadvantages: Hubby can think of one...

Mark Warner specialise in water-based sports holiday, within a club environment. I went on one a few years back and had a blast, even though I can't stand doing anything overly energetic.

Hubby won some Mark Warner holdiay vouchers in a work competition, and we decided to go to Club Barbati in Corfu.

ACCOMMODATION.

The brochure pictures looked great, and when we arrived, were suprisingly accurate. Set up on a cliff, it had wonderful views over the rocks and sea. There was a lovely, but steep, walk down to the sundecks which was always busy, and the bar was well stocked and clean.

The rooms were nicely furnished with the basics, and there was a maid service to do the beds and generally clean up the bathroom. Good sanitary arrangments meant that we didn't have to lob tissues in a bin, and could flush them away. A major bonus. We had a balconey with a great sea view, and our own little lizard we called Larry.

There was one thing, and seeing as how hubby won't be reading this, I'll tell you....

There was a party of 3 rather gorgeous young blondes who arrived. Tummies were spontaneously and immediately sucked in by men on sight. They had the room next door to hours, and one night during a sudden coughing spasm, my hubby broke wind very loudly (a moose coughing is a good comparison). The girls next door started to howl with laughter - so, remember that the walls on these places are very thin!

The main lounge area had comfy seats, tables, a pool table, a bar and the obligatory wonderful views. At night the floodlights were switched on, and the sea looked fantastic.

All meals were taken outside on the balcony. Large tables were stocked with the most marvellous cooked food, (she was an English girl called Jane and what a culinary star she turned out to be), and it was set up as a buffet style event. The food was always fresh and of a really good quality, and lots of familiar products as w
ell as the traditional food was available. Still one of the best Mousakka I have ever eaten was cooked there.

Usually a member of the staff would join each group at the table and it was always funny, friendly and very informal.

STAFF

The staff were great. Very friendly, very helpful and very athletic. I hated the way most of them could bounce pennies off their ironing board stomachs, but I forgave them because they were all so nice. They were always game for a laugh and really helped make the evenings into something interesting, rather than everything petering out in a drink induced stupor.

ACTIVITIES

Now, this is where I have to be brutally honest about things. There was waterskiing on offer. Boating. Sailboarding. Aerobics on the Sun deck and a myriad of other things to do on the site. Did we do them? Did we heck!

Neither of us would have booked a watersports holiday because we're always too busy just chilling out somewhere to be bothered.

Every day we got into the car and drove off round the island (See op on Corfu in General - Frolics in Corfu), leaving the other guests leaping up and down, running on the spot, jogging in the grounds, or generally skimming very fast across the surface of the water and sweating brick-sized beads of perspiration. Not for us this life of healthy living and exercise, oh no!

At the end of our two-week stay, there was a big do in the evening where medals were presented to the most improved Waterskier, the best sailor, the most humourous accident etc etc, and hubby and I were presented with our own set of medals for the couple who did Bugger All all holiday. A proud moment indeed.

The night times usually had some kind of activity arranged. A visit to the local bar "Kinda Lingers" (yes, yes, yes, that is the joke of it) happened weekly, as did the entertainments evening when the guests had to provide a turn or two. Hubby and I took part in a k
araoke singing session, while others did their version of the balloon dance with condoms borrowed from the nymphomaniac guest (she had brought two cases full of sex toys!). There was also a games night, and party night in Ipsos and then themed food and drink events usually took up the other evenings.

SUMMARY

Mark Warner's Holidays provided a memorable fortnight, with excellent food, accommodation and great staff. I don't imagine it was cheap, so I'm sure that price wise you could find more competitive prices with something similar, but I'm not sure that you'd be able to beat the experience.

Water lover or water hater, this is a club that prides itself on being able to give you a good holiday, whatever your reason for being there!

Summary: