Planning a family holiday when you've got to take the needs of a toddler into account can prove tricky. While you might want romantic beach strolls and cocktails you can't pronounce, there's that small matter of the small person to factor in.

And, they're more keen on lobbing stones in the sea and trying their luck to have ice cream for breakfast. So where do you compromise?

Well, I think I've found the perfect family holiday destination, where everyone gets to do what they want.

I know it sounds too good to be true, but it really exists. And it's only a four-hour flight away.

Where we went

I visited Mark Warner's Kamari Beach Resort in Rhodes, Greece for a week-long break with my husband and our two-year-old.

As a family, we've not done a resort holiday before and I wasn't sure what to expect. We're fully in the midst of the 'terrible twos' at the moment, and seven day sun-filled trip *should* have been filling me with excitement, but instead I had that 'how are we gong to survive?' feeling.

Thankfully, I'm pleased to report that we did indeed survive the family holiday, and we loved it so much we're planning to return.

Where we stayed

Mark Warner Kamari Beach Resort is located near to Lindos, right on the south of the island, and about an hour's transfer time from the airport.

Kamari joined the Mark Warner family in 2022 and since then it's been upgraded and refurbished, so it's clean, modern and welcoming.

Our holiday began with a flight out of Gatwick, which was included in the price of the trip.

Our room was a sea view second-floor room, set in an annexe, slightly away from the main hotel.

At first I did wonder if all families with potentially 'lively' toddlers were put in that building. But when I discovered that the family rooms were right next to the restaurant, I realised that maybe that wasn't the case!

Our room was perfectly spacious, with a double bed and then sliding doors opened out onto a small sofa area, where one of the sofas had been converted into a bed for our son. Staff had put a bed guard up so there was no risk of him falling out, and the doors created a partition to make it seem like we had two rooms which was great.

The only trouble was my son's bed was at the back of the room nearest the balcony, which meant at night after he'd gone down we had to sneak past him to get to the balcony. But thankfully we became pros and he never stirred.

The food and drink

We were on a half board package, which meant breakfast and dinner were included, but lunch and drinks were at an extra cost.

Meals were a buffet and there was so much variety, with daily changing options as well as classic Greek cuisine.

The buffet was a great option for giving our son new things to try, because he could sample lots of different foods at every meal. Of course, the dessert selection was his favourite.

The waiting staff were so friendly and were especially good with kids, always going above and beyond to make sure everyone was happy.

One staff member in particular called Melina took a real shine to my son, and was miraculously able to cheer him up even mid-tantrum. If I could have brought her home with me, I would have!

For kids, there was also a separate buffet put on earlier in the evenings between 5 and 6pm. (Regular dinner was from 7.30pm onwards). This was great because my son could eat before they got too hungry of an evening and then could have some dessert or something small later with us.

Drinks were reasonably priced, and each day there was happy hour at the bars where selected cocktails were available for just 5 euros.

The childcare

One of the major draws of a Mark Warner holiday is the option for included childcare for your kids.

Before we left home, I honestly didn't think we'd use the service that much. But by day two my son was begging to go to 'holiday nursery'.

The staff are all fully-qualified and they put on a full roster of activities, from taking the kids swimming to doing arts and crafts.

At first, I did feel a bit guilty sending my son off to childcare on a family holiday. However, it meant we were all able to enjoy some time doing what we wanted – him splashing in the pool with other kids his own age, and me *finally* finishing the book I started six months ago.

Within the childcare offering, there was also a 'listening' service, where kids could go and watch a film before bed so that their parents could enjoy an interruption-free dinner.

We did this a couple of evenings after discovering that pretty much all the parents at the resort were doing the same thing.

The childcare was an absolute game-changer for us. We loved the fact we could all make memories together on holiday, but could each spend time doing things we enjoyed.

What is there to do at Kamari Beach Resort?

The question here is really 'what isn't there to do?'

This Mark Warner resort is known for its water sports facilities, and you can do everything from sailing to kayaking during your stay.

We ventured out on paddle boards one morning and it was glorious. The sea was really calm and clear you could stay out for as long as you pleased.

I wasn't brave enough to try some of the more intensive activities like windsurfing, but lots of people took full advantage and spent most days out and about on the water.

Cycling is another big offering at Kamari, and then there's aerobics classes, tennis, windsurfing, padel...basically, if you didn't want to spend a single minute on a sun lounger during your stay, you wouldn't have to.

(But, you could also do as we did and spend quite a lot of time by the pool or beach.)

While I didn't take part in any of the more strenuous sports, I did join one of the walks which took us out of the resort and into nearby Lardos, stopping for a coffee on the way.

It was great getting to explore the local area with someone who knew their way around, and Erin the instructor who was leading us was able to give loads of other insider tips for places to visit during our stay.

There's a bus stop right outside the resort where you can get buses all across the island. We spent a morning in Lindos which was about a 40 minute bus journey away. It's famous for its acropolis and beach. We visited neither but we did have a lovely lunch with gorgeous views over the  at a place called Rainbird.

'A game-changing family holiday'

Now that I've experienced this kind of holiday, I'm very much dreading the upcoming camping trip we've got planned.

We all had a fantastic time at Mark Warner Kamari Beach Resort and I honestly can't fault it. We went early in the season (late May) and I think the staff were still figuring a few things out but that didn't affect the overall experience.

If you're travelling as a family and want somewhere that you'll all have a brilliant time together but can all have some time to yourselves too, then this is the place.

My son keeps asking to go back to holiday nursery so maybe we'll be booking in for next summer too. Will i attempt windsurfing next time? It depends what's on the happy hour cocktail list...

Charlie visited Kamari Beach for a family holiday on a press rate.

A week at Mark Warner Kamari Beach Resort on Rhodes costs from £1,439pp based on 2 adults and 2 children sharing a Premium Family Room, departing 13th or 20th July 2024.

Alternatively, departing 31 August 2024 a week costs from £826.50pp, based on 2 adults and 2 children sharing a Family Room.

Cost includes flights from Gatwick, 7 nights half board accommodation, transfers, childcare and a range of sporting activities. Child prices shown are based on children aged 8 years old.