Birgit's travel scout report from ROBINSON SARIGERME PARK

Our Travel Scout stays are always in great demand , as our TennisTraveller to simply wonderful tennis locations. In September we were looking for a travel scout for a very special tennis destination, ROBINSON SARIGERME PARK He could not only look forward to a week of club vacation, but also to a tennis camp with Nicolas Kiefer, ROBINSON brand ambassador and TOP tennis expert .
Among the many, many applicants, Birgit from Ismaning was the lucky winner. Together with her daughter, the Bavarian autumn holidays at the beginning of November were spontaneously used for a mother-daughter travel scout trip. how Birgit and her daughter experienced the tennis week at ROBINSON SARIGERME PARK and the tennis camp at Kiwi in Birgit's wonderful Travel Scout report . Very detailed and with beautiful photos.

Birgit's travel report - let's go!

"After the last two planned tennis camps in Turkey during the Easter holidays had to be canceled due to Corona, the anticipation for the camp in the autumn holidays was even greater. For us it was the first trip to the Mediterranean since the summer of 2019. The first week of November is Last days of the season in which the Robinson Club was open, only 190 of the 600 beds were occupied. So it was really relaxed and sometimes almost “empty” in the spacious club facility , in which the weather changes. That's why we had 3 days of rain during the week. But the last 3 days we were treated to a pleasant 23-24 degrees in the evening. The outdoor pool was already too cold for a comfortable swim (17 degrees) - unless you swam quickly. The sea, however, was still 21 degrees and was therefore the more popular place to cool off in the water.

On the first evening, after dinner at 9:30 p.m. there was a welcome cocktail reception with all camp participants at the hotel bar. The three coaches Nicolas, Jens and Tim introduced themselves and showed us what would happen over the next few days. A total of 18 participants registered for the camp, the ratio between men and women was relatively balanced, most of them over 40 years old.

On Saturday morning we had to get up early: at 9 a.m. we met at the tennis courts in order to divide up groups based on individual skill levels. Contrary to the weather forecast, which had predicted rain, fortunately it was only cloudy but dry. The 3 coaches each sent 4 tennis players to a court and examined the players' basic strokes. After half an hour we were also supposed to play points with serve. After about an hour we were divided into six groups of three. The first 3 groups started with a 1.5 hour camp, the other 3 groups had a break first. Before we parted, each participant received a Robinson Tennis Camp shirt from K-Swiss. Opportunity enough for the hotel photographer to take an official group photo.

The camp was basically structured in such a way that you trained with one coach for 30 minutes and then moved on to the next coach, so that you had a session with Nicolas, Jens and Tim every day. On the first day the focus was on groundstrokes, i.e. forehand and backhand. The units were varied and also strenuous, so that despite the temperatures not being mid-summer, you worked up a sweat. The 1.5 hour passed quickly due to the coach change.

In the following days there was always an “early group” that trained from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., the “late group” was allowed to sleep in and start at 10:45 a.m. On the second day the topic of volleyball and smashball was on the agenda. On the 3rd day we were supposed to focus on serving. However, Monday was completely rainy, so playing tennis was out of the question until early afternoon. You could have done your free swimmer on these places.

Luckily it stopped raining around midday. And by 4 p.m. the pitches were somewhat playable again, so that the two groups were able to continue until dinner. Instead of serving, we trained “transition” – i.e. the transition from the ground stroke to the attack ball, to the point at the net.

Tuesday was a “rest day” – so no tennis camp. On Wednesday, the serve and return game was on the program as planned. In the afternoon you could take part in a tennis tournament that the Robinson Club organized for all tennis enthusiasts on the complex. Thursday was the last day in camp. Together with the coaches, doubles were played in “Bundesliga” mode. In some clubs perhaps better known as “Place King” 😉 The three coaches came up with the double pairings.

On the last evening there was a dinner together with all participants. During the aperitif at the hotel bar, everyone received the group photo including an autograph from the 3 coaches as a farewell gift.  

In summary, I would rate the camp as follows:

The training sessions were, for the most part, engaging and varied. The most important subject areas were tackled. At the age of the camp participants, you certainly don't expect a complete change in technology - but important details have definitely been improved. Jens definitely had the greatest “animator” spirit – he was the one who moderated the whole camp and also the one who spread the most fun on the pitch. He always had a funny saying ready - and still imparted a lot of useful tennis knowledge. Nicolas was the coach who was most able to improve technique. And Tim was the strongest “athletic” coach who made you run the most 😉

Starting training at 9 a.m. was very sporty... Personally, I always find it annoying when you have to set an alarm in the morning while on vacation. You simply don't go to bed before midnight on a club holiday like this - so starting training at 9:30 a.m. or 10:00 a.m. would be more relaxing. At this time of year you no longer have to expect mid-summer temperatures that make tennis training at midday too strenuous.

The Robinson Club Sarigerme Park is beautifully located - right by the sea with great water sports options. Anyone who likes sailing and surfing will get their money's worth here. The water sports guys were incredibly committed and friendly. After the surfing course, they invited us on a ride on their motorboat and took a little joyride around the nearby islands.

The fitness offering in the club is also diverse, yoga, cycling, kickboxing,... however, the number of participants per course was so limited due to Corona that the courses were usually fully booked seconds after they were activated. You had to be very lucky to get a place.

The Corona restrictions were otherwise only noticed when eating: you had to wear a mask in the restaurant and there was no self-service at the buffet. For a week now, people have been allowed to dance outdoors on the dance floor in the evenings again - and this was exuberantly implemented by all the guests. When the DJ turned off the music at midnight, the disappointment was always great 😉 For further entertainment, there was a show in the theater every evening at 9:45 p.m. The entire staff at the hotel was extremely friendly and welcoming. The hotel manager was very present and in regular contact with the guests.

Weather-wise, it would be great if the camp took place 3-4 weeks earlier. Then you would have a guarantee of good weather, pool temperatures suitable for swimming and you wouldn't need a down jacket in the evenings. Otherwise, I had a great week, met really nice people and really enjoyed enjoying the sunset on the beach with a glass of rosé without worrying about the renewed Corona restrictions at home. I'll look at the photos often in the next few days and think longingly about the wonderful vacation."

Fancy a tennis holiday at ROBINSON SARIGERME PARK?