"Relax as hard as you like"

Neilson Beach Club

Mandy Shilling, from our Chepstow branch was lucky enough to experience everything that Neilson's Phokaia Beachclub has offer, and she loved it!

Here's how she got on..

"Relax as hard as you like"

I have just returned from a fantastic stay at a Neilson's Beach Club. Not being a fitness fanatic by any stretch of the imagination, I wasn't sure what to expect; I thought this was a place for fitness buffs and water sport pro's – but that is not the case. This is a holiday that will suit everyone, from the proficient to the beginner, where you can definitely “relax as hard as you like”.

I stayed at the beautiful Phokaia Beachclub, about an hour and half transfer from Izmir, and 2 km from the local town of Foca. It has about 160 rooms split between the main hotel and 4/5 clusters set amongst beautifully landscaped gardens, with winding pathways to the shingle beach overlooking the stunning bay, where the conditions are perfect for the watersports on offer.

On arrival, I unpacked and wandered down to the lounge bar overlooking the pool for a cocktail or two before heading off to dinner in the beachfront bar where they serve a bistro menu, and watched the sun go down over the bay.

Sunset

"My 1st ever yoga class"

The next morning, full of enthusiasm, I headed of for my 1st ever yoga class! The instructors are first class and talk you through it all, the class lasts about half an hour, and was a great way to start the day. Now I still needed to unwind, so headed off to the spa. They have fantastic facilities here including a Hammam, sauna and plunge pool, but I was off for a massage (costs 120TL approx £30).

Using Temple Spa products, the therapist worked hard at getting all the knots out for me, and I came away feeling very relaxed. After lunch, it was time for a swim in the Olympic sized swimming pool before hiding away from the sun a little, on one of the many canopied daybeds. Feeling guilty, I joined in the aquafit session – another good workout for the day, before....oh yes, a little more relaxation by the pool. Early evening and time for a bit of fun, I headed off to the tennis courts for “Booze and Balls” - a social event that has 2 rules: a racquet in one hand and a beer in the other!

View from room

"Time to try some serious tennis"

windsurfing

Day 3 started with windsurfing tuition. All the equipment is provided, and the instructions given, in my case, for a complete beginner, on land before letting me loose on the water. Its great fun, and if you've never tried it before, it's a must! The beach here is perfect for it with its gently sloping shelf, so even if you fall off you don't have to be out of your depth, and if you stray too far, or have any difficulty, the safety boat is on hand to bring you back to shore.

windsurfing

After yesterdays social event, it was time to try some serious tennis, there were some great players here, who were very tolerant of my lack of skill, along with a very patient tennis coach! The evening was one of the non-inclusive nights, so along with my new found friends, we headed off into the town of Foca for dinner. The taxi journey takes about 10 minutes and only costs 15TL (approx £3.50). Foca is a small marina town, with lovely covered side streets, open air restaurants and a great variety of shops. We headed to Sahil Balik Restaurant on the marina, for an amazing feast of seafood delights. For a 3 course dinner with a plethora of drinks, and fantastic service, we still only paid about £40 per head.

"Finally something I was good at!"

My last day in resort, was either spent in the boat while others were water-skiing or wakeboarding, before having a go myself – not one of my finest moments but great fun to try, with excellent tuition and encouragement from the instructors. After lunch, and catching a few more rays around the pool, I tried another first for me, SUP - that's stand-up paddle boarding to you and me! Finally I'd found something I was good at!

windsurfing

"I can't wait to take my family in August"

There is so much more on offer that I didn't try; sea kayaking, mountain biking, dinghy sailing to name but a few, all with tuition available if you've never tried it before, or if its something your familiar with, you can just collect the equipment and head off on your own. All safety equipment is provided for all activities. Then there's the day trips to Ephesus, the bike rides to the local Turkish bazaar, the Aussie style beach BBQ and the sunset cruises...its hard to find time to fit it all in!

For the families, there is a whole range of kids clubs to suit the age of your child, and the staff do so many activities with them: kayaking, sailing, swimming, and for the older ones, there's windsurfing too. But the great thing is from 9 in the morning until 5 at night, you don't see them, unless you want to of course! On the non-inclusive nights the kids clubs run from 2pm-11pm giving Mum and Dad some time to dine and enjoy each others company on their own. The food served is of fantastic quality, buffet style with a range of salads and hot foods, a different menu on the hot plates each night with a mixture of local and traditional cuisine to try. All water is bottled water – ice cubes, the water the food is washed in, the water for the hot drinks – everything, so no need to fear an upset tummy either!

All in all I had an amazing time, and can't wait to take my family to Andriake Beachclub in August – I will be sure to try all the other things that I didn’t get chance to this time.