By: MJ + PJ
While in Sousse, Tunisia, we stayed at an ‘all inclusive’ resort for two weeks. This was an impromptu ‘vacation within our vacation’. We extended the time twice. We didn’t know what to expect, and so we got more than we expected. (This in itself is a valuable travel modus operandi.)
The resort we stayed at, Marhaba Beach in Sousse, was a nice-but-not-too-fancy type of place that fit our budget and is close to Europe. We had chosen Tunisia on the referral of our Worcester friends, and the impression of it given by our Bicester friends. Previously not on our radar of places to visit, Tunisia was suddenly at the top of the list!
The resort has quite a busy schedule of daily activities, with a team dedicated to the task of keeping guests entertained and participating in those activities. They would round you up to do anything from yoga to archery to nightly shows to darts competitions and to language lessons. These kinds of things were aimed at the adults. Good times and good fun!
More importantly, and what really consistently stood out, were the activities the team performed with kids. But what was most valuable within that, and the point of this post, was the quality of the interactions the team had with kids during the activities. It didn’t take long to notice that each team member had good intent, great interpersonal and group interaction skills, was fun to be around, and able to make a child feel both at ease and special. Kudos to them for providing something that is both human and invaluable.
A great example of this was the almost nightly Kids Disco. The format was simple – kids on the dance floor led by a team member, all singing and dancing through some songs from different cultures and languages. It was both fun and challenging for the kids and it let them get some evening wiggles out while learning something new. This disco always drew more adults spectating (not all of them parents or related) than there were kids on the dance floor. As you might guess, eventually the adults were performing the dance off to the side or singing along randomly!
All inclusive in this experience included something that wasn’t on the website and wasn’t on the list of inclusions on the booking, but should be. That being: Temporary extended family.
