Join the Sicily club

May 2 2008 By Georgina Rodgers

Kamarina resort with its family-friendly ethos is the perfect holiday destination

Dangling upside down from the trapeze from just my sun-kissed knees and swinging through the hot air, I felt a rush of excitement and fear as the blood went to my head.

Peering down I could see some upsidedown children's faces grinning in my direction and further away the ocean toppled on to the sandy bay.

It was the first time I had tried out my circus skills.

Despite my initial reluctance to have a go, as I walked away from the aerial equipment towards the beach, I was already planning my next session.

But the all-important question was: When was I going to fit this in to my hectic schedule? Between cycling, tennis, sailing, salsa classes and, of course, those all important afternoons relaxing by the pool or on the beach with a cocktail in one hand and a book in the other, I was struggling to find a window in my weeklong holiday diary.

Jackie, our friendly Club Med rep, told me it was impossible to get bored at the Kamarina resort. By day one of our holiday, I could see exactly what she meant.

The most evident thing about Club Med was its family-friendly ethos.

Also included in the price of the holiday are a well developed range of kids' clubs. The clubs are open for six days for nine hours a day and a special team of GOs (Gentils Organisateurs) keep the children occupied and happy. Despite the fact that Club Med is a French company and their clientele mostly French and Italian, they said there would always be a fluent English-speaking GO. In fact, we found that most staff spoke English anyway.

Mealtimes were also very childfriendly, with each of the four village restaurants equipped with high-chairs and dishes suitable for children and babies.

There is also an outdoor bar serving an endless stream of alcoholic drinks, iced Italian coffee and fruit juice cocktails which can be found on the biggest and best of the resort's two beaches, adjacent to the two beach volleyball courts and the popular sailing school.

As the coach pulled into Kamarina at the beginning of our holiday, the GOs stood greeting us as we disembarked, handing us drinks, spiriting our luggage away, and guiding us through picturesque cobbled streets to our rooms where champagne on ice awaited to soothe away the one-and-a-half-hour ride from the airport.

The atmosphere at the village was fun and upbeat.

The GOs worked tirelessly throughout the day, and by 9pm they would be on the stage in brightly-coloured outfits for the evening show.

Across the 96-hectare village, the rooms are split between the main hotel and the villagio.

If you want to leave the resort, there are also a number of trips on offer.

Kamarina is set near Ragusa and 80 miles south of Catania on the south-west coast of Sicily.

However, Club Med excursions take in the magnificent castle of Donnafugata, the ancient city of Caltagirone and a day trip to Malta.

We took a half-day trip to lively Vittoria where we witnessed the buzz of a traditional Sicilian market.

During our break, Europe's tallest and most active volcano, Mount Etna, was spewing lava 400 metres into the air, which briefly closed Catania Airport and sent ash and smoke into nearby towns.

We decided to stay nearer to the resort and on a couple of occasions we left the village to go cycling around the Sicilian countryside. If joining the Lycra-clad Euro-elite on a 45-mile morning pedaldash looks a bit like hard work, settle for the more leisurely afternoon ride.

The two rides my partner and I joined were actually rather challenging - especially when my chain fell off while climbing up from a valley.

Lucky there was an ever friendly cycling instructor on hand to get me back up and pedalling in no time at all, back to the village to watch the sun set on a fantastically fun-filled holiday.

Travel facts...

Georgina Rodgers was a guest of Club Med which offers Sicily holidays with seven-night stays during May at Club Med Kamarina from £719 per adult and £472 per child (4-11) and from £250 per child (2-3). Price includes return flights ex-Gatwick, personal holiday insurance and all meals with wine, beer and soft drinks, open bar and snacks, various group classes and various sporting activities.

Free child places subject to availability. Manchester from £733 per adult and £480 per child. Glasgow from £769 per adult and £522 per child.

Club Med reservations: 08453 676767 and www.clubmed.co.uk