THERE are two types of holidaymakers in this world.
Those who are full of energy and get up at sun rise and then the more, er, chilled ones who prefer to spend their day loafing around the pool drinking strawberry daiquiris.
I very much fall into the latter camp . . . or at least I did, until my recent activity break with Neilson Holidays.
I was staying at the beautiful Messini Beachclub, one of the travel company’s seven energy-pumping beach resorts, close to Kalamata in southern Greece (yes, where the olives come from).
Its getaways, which are dotted around Europe, have something for everyone.
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Love to ski or fancy giving it a try?
There are plenty of slope-side packages for beginners and even hardcore winter sports fans.
What about sailing? You can book a trip on the water where you’ll be able to spend days island-hopping and diving into the ocean with your snorkel whenever you please.
Then there are the beach resort getaways, like ours, which have practically everything else from cycling to surfing.
And with no set agenda, you can really do as much or as little as you want.
Trips are perfectly tailored to individuals, no matter your circumstances — and solo travellers, couples, friends and families are all extremely well catered for as well as little ones who have the use of kids’ clubs, split according to ages.
I was visiting with my friend Lisa on a seven night club-board holiday, which included a buffet-style breakfast and lunch every day, plus dinners on four of the evenings — meaning we had some freedom to potter into town and dine at some of the local tavernas on some days.
We spent our first night at Messini’s poolside barbecue, though, which is out of this world with an abundance of delicious cooked and cold meats, salads and sides.
As the sun set over the beachside resort, Lisa and I raised a glass of ice-cold Aperol Spritz to our break while a live band hummed away in the background.
After sinking a few (too many!) more spritzers, our contemporary room in the main building was a blissful place to recharge ahead of a day of exploring all the activities included in the price of our stay.
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In the morning we wandered down to the beach where the water-based sports on offer include wakeboarding, waterskiing, stand- up paddle boarding, kayaking, dinghy sailing and windsurfing.
The sea was crammed full of those energetic types mentioned above and it did seem a little overwhelming for a novice like myself.
But the experienced instructors teach based on ability and are extremely patient.
Lisa had never waterskied before but was a natural and was soon skiing one-handed to whoops of encouragement from the instructor.
If you haven’t yet gained your sea legs, back on dry land there are plenty of activities to engage in from the gentle yoga and stretch classes to more high-octane fitness sessions — including a particularly punishing spin class — to release those feel-good endorphins.
The tennis courts are shared with Buca Beach Club, Neilson’s adults-only hotel next door, and there’s a volleyball area next to the pool which often sees rather rowdy but good-natured tournaments between staff and guests.
There’s even a rock climbing wall to scale if you’re feeling brave enough.
If all of that feels just too exhausting, you could always indulge in a treatment at the spa and wellness centre — I told myself it was technically an activity, albeit a less strenuous one.
I’d opted for a Drift Away massage which comes highly recommended and does exactly what it says on the tin.
The resort also has e-bikes for when your legs are a little tired.
One day our group assembled to cycle into Kalamata to explore the city and grab a glass of something cold in the sun.
Absolutely buzzing
Make sure to swing by the breathtaking Kastraki-Meteoro restaurant while you’re here too, which is a replica of a mediaeval castle, high in the hills above Kalamata’s bay.
Either by accident or someone else’s clever design, we arrived just in time to watch the sun go down, which was truly magical and a memory that will stay with me forever.
If you fancy a break from all the action, then Messini still has a huge pool to laze around.
A dip, followed by a couple of hours of soaking up the rays with a strawberry daiquiri in hand (as I said, I’m not a fully reformed character) was just what we needed after a busy few days.
On Saturday evenings, the resort is absolutely buzzing, and after seven days of bonding with your fellow holidaymakers, you’re treated to an awards ceremony at the poolside bar.
It’s a lively affair with lots of laughter, dancing and swapping of numbers — the perfect way to round off our active break.
The company’s mantra is #goodenergy — and they couldn’t have chosen a better phrase to describe what to expect if you chose to holiday with them.
Don’t get me wrong — I certainly won’t be invited to join Team GB anytime soon, but this experience has changed my view on fly-and-flop holidays.
Just as long as the odd strawberry daiquiri is still on offer.
