I was lucky enough to travel to Turkey for 3 nights in May with Jet2 holidays. I had never visited Turkey before, so I was looking forward to seeing what it had to offer.
Our hotel – NG Phaselis Bay:
We stayed at the indulgent escape hotel: NG Phaselis Bay, situated in Kemer in the Antalya area, only 1 hour transfer from the airport. From the moment I arrived at this hotel to the moment I left, I was completely blown away. Upon arrival, we were treated to a glass of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries, which were very much needed after a long flight. Then we made our way to our rooms – we were staying in the Superior rooms with Sea View. The added extras in the room made the stay feel luxurious, for example, we had a fridge stocked with drinks and snacks which was refilled every day, a complete set of fresh towels every day, a complimentary bottle of Hendricks gin, 2 tote bags with the hotel logo and slogan on, dressing gown and slippers in the room, a lovely large balcony with a table and chairs, and a huge bathroom with 2 large sinks and a very powerful shower. The hotel had a variety of restaurants, catering for every taste. We visited the Nautilius restaurant on the first and last night which was open 24 hours a day and offered a range international foods. On the second night, we visited the Scallops restaurant, a seafood restaurant offering fish dishes such as prawns, calamari, seabass, and a white chocolate soup for dessert. On our third night, we visited the Phrygia a la carte and enjoyed a Turkish cuisine with a range of traditional Turkish starter dishes and meats for the main. We used the buffet restaurant for breakfast every morning – there was a wide choice of international foods from pastries, fresh fruit, cooked meats and sweeter choices like waffles and crepes. The NG Phaselis Bay had lots of facilities included throughout the hotel. It had a large outdoor pool area, a children’s pool and aquapark, an indoor pool, a spacious gym area, and a private beach with direct access to the sea. When sitting by the pool area, I enjoyed having my drink brought over to me by a waiter on roller skates! The service of this hotel was like no other, the staff couldn’t do no more to help. We were fortunate to have a tour of the hotel on our final morning and what really surprised me was that there are 7 villas that are also part of the hotel, and they are just as beautiful as the hotel itself. They can hold up to 8 people and have 4 bedrooms, each including their personal ensuite. I would highly recommend this hotel to both the family market and couples, as I believe it has facilities for everyone despite your age. If you are looking for an all-inclusive, hotel-based holiday with a range of high-quality restaurants, private beaches to soak up the sun, and beautiful, open planned rooms, the NG Phaselis Bay is the perfect stay for you.
What we did during the trip:
During the 4 days we were in Kemer, we visited a variety of hotels from 3*+ to 5* accommodations.
My personal favourites were:
1. Swandor Kemer Hotel – This 5* all-inclusive was very similar to the NG Phaselis Bay in terms of facilities and feel of the hotel. It was modernly decorated throughout and what stood out to me the most was its own indoor nightclub ‘Xone’.
2. Double Tree by Hilton Kemer – The staff were welcoming when we arrived here, they offered us a glass of juice to take round on the tour. The hotel itself had a wide range of facilities, such as a lovely Spa area – all treatments, apart from massages, are included in the all-inclusive package.
3. Sherwood Exclusive Kemer – This was a beautiful 5* accommodation. The choices of room types stood out to me – they offered rooms from the standard double or twin to swim up rooms and family suites. This hotel also has its own private beach with a lovely beach bar that can be accessed by a walkway over the sea.
All of these hotels have beautifully finished décor and 5* service, however they are a little out from the town of Kemer itself. So, if you are happy to get a taxi into the local area then these would be ideal hotel choices. Another thing to note is that the majority of beaches are pebbly.
We also did a guided tour to explore the old town of Kaleici, Antalya. I thought that the town was a beautiful area, full of culture and authentically Turkish. There was a lovely little harbour surrounded by traditional restaurants where the locals were enjoying food and drink in the sunshine.
On our final day we participated in a sugar art workshop at our hotel NG Phaselis Bay in the Patisserie. This was a light hearted activity where we all decorated a Spongebob Square Pants cake, instructed by a member of staff from the hotel. We were given our own aprons with our names embroidered on with the hotel logo which was a nice extra for them to do. All food from the patisserie is included in the all-inclusive package – they sell a variety of sweet treats and ice cream. I managed to take some chocolates home with me in my hand luggage as they were so delicious!
Overall, I had a great time on this trip and would recommend both the NG Phaselis Bay and the area of Kemer to a wide range of people, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Olivia Dainty – Lutterworth
