Why Not?

We decided to plan a getaway for New Years 2019. I was on maternity leave at the time and would usually not get the opportunity to have time off during the new year break so we thought “why not?”

We wanted to go somewhere festive but also relaxing. We had initially thought of Dubai but after doing some research found it too expensive. I had heard and read about Antalya as a great holiday destination so decided to do a bit of research.

I found that a lot of the hotels had activities and galas on during the new year period (which we wanted) and it was a fraction of the price of going to Dubai so we were sold. Now to find the perfect hotel.
This is “my thing” lol. I love to find the perfect hotel for us whenever we are away and my family always approve! I’m usually looking for somewhere child-friendly, luxurious but affordable with modern/ contemporary style rooms and of course good food.

I spend A LOT of time doing research: looking at pictures and reading reviews on multiple sites ( my go-tos are tripadvisor, booking.com and hotels.com). I will even try to find YouTube vidoes of the hotel and room type we will be staying in just to make sure it is exactly what I am looking for.

Needless to say I am a self-proclaimed luxury hotel expert and after hours of research I settled on the perfect hotel for us.

Our Hotel

I chose Rixos Premium, Belek for our new year stay and it did not disappoint. It is a 5* ultra all-inclusive luxury hotel in the golfing town of Belek, Antalya. It has 8 restaurants (including a buffet and a la carte options) , a patisserie as well as 7 bars.

The rooms are spacious, well-appointed and luxurious. There is a well-equipped gym, lovely spa and amazing pools to enjoy.

Entertainment wise there is so much to do there! There is a daily list of activities you can choose to participate in if you would like- including thinks like yoga, aerobics and archery.

For kids, there is a supervised indoor and outdoor kids club and play area where you can leave kids aged 4 and up (younger kids have to be with parents) to play while you get some much needed R and R.

This was our first time trying an all-inclusive resort. It meant that once we had paid we didn’t have to worry about much else except enjoying our holiday. We wondered why we hadn’t tried it sooner. It was just what we needed with delicious food, fun activities and childcare options - a parents dream!

New Year Celebration

We rang in the new year at this fabulous resort and it was amazing! The hotel put on a gala night with 3-course meal and live entertainment.

They had a playroom adjacent to the main gala and room with various entertainment acts and activities to entertain kids while parents enjoyed the gala night.

There was an amazing count down and over the top fireworks at the end of the night to ring in the new year. It was absolutely perfect. It you’re looking for a fab place to spend new year look no further!

The Land of Legends Theme Park

An added bonus with our hotel was that it included complimentary entry and transfer to and from the amazing Land of Legends Theme Park- a definite must-see when you are in Antalya especially if you have kids. We went on two separate occasions.

The Theme Park consists of a water park and a main park. The water park is closed during the winter months. but there is still so much to see and do in the main park including: Dolphin shows, 4-D rides and a hyper coaster to make a few. The park is also surrounded by an amazing shopping avenue and there are lots of dining options so you will have definitely have a blast!

Other things we got up to

Upside Down House for some amazing pics

Düden Waterfalls

We also did a bit of shopping at the Mall of Antalya.

Our Thoughts and Tips.

Most of the hotels in Antalya are all-inclusive meaning all food, drinks and activities are included in the price with a few exclusions (always check the hotel’s website). This also means your holiday can be as action packed or as chilled out as you would like. You can stay in the hotel/resort the whole time a or snooze to explore.

There are tonnes of things to do and see in Antalya in addition to the ones we did. I have created an Antalya highlights page with links to what we did and some other places you can explore.

The hotels have what is known as a summer /winter concept depending on when you go. The summer concept is much fuller with all the bars and restaurants open and lots of activities day and night while the winter concept is a bit more limited. However this difference is reflected on the price so travelling in the winter months is much cheaper. Whenever you do decide to go though I’m certain you will have a blast!

If travelling from the UK Jet2holidays have some great flight and hotel combo deals which include transfers to and from the airport.

We did not know what to expect with our trip to Antalya but we truly had an amazing time. The hotel was gorgeous, food was lovely and the activities for both adults and kids were perfect. We would go back without a second thought.

Our Hotel

We stayed at the amazing Oriental Residence Bangkok. It is a 5* apartment style hotel with beautifully decorated rooms, amazing food and a Michelin star restaurant. It is close to Lumpini park as well as a short drive away from MBK Centre and Siam Paragon mall.

We stayed in a 3 bedroom apartment as there were 7 of us and we needed the space. This was the perfect choice as each room was en-suite and there was a fully equipped kitchen as well as a nice living and dining area we could all spend time in together.

The rooms were cleaned perfectly and towels and toiletries replenished daily. It felt like a home away from home but much more luxurious (and without the house work lol).

The breakfast buffet was amazing and food was delicious with lots of variety. The concierge was very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful - we booked all our tours and shows with his help.

I would definitely recommend this hotel if your are travelling in a big group but also if you are travelling as a couple or even solo; they have a variety of room types to suit everyone.

(Image taken from https://www.oriental-residence.com)

Temples and Palace Tour

On our first day we had a private guided tour of all the main temples and palaces. This was the best choice for us as it was flexible, especially as we had 2 kids with us.

It was also the best way to learn about the culture and history of Bangkok while also seeing the top sites. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly so that helped too. We booked the tour through the concierge at the hotel.

Temple of the Golden Buddha

Principal Buddha of Wat Pho

Temple of the Reclining Buddha

Temple of the Emerald Buddha

Calypso Cabaret

Something fun and a bit unusual that we did was watch a cabaret style show. We got all dressed up and watched The Calypso Cabaret show at the Asiatique night market.

The show was put on by some very gorgeous ladyboys. It was fun with lots of different tribute acts including Bollywood and a Rihanna impersonation.

The night market itself is good to explore with lots of little shops around. Dotun and Fj even got a fish pedicure there!

Fish Pedicure

Siam Niramit

We watched a stunning show about the culture and history of Thailand : Siam Niramit. The highlight of the show was that they had real life elephants and Fj got to take pictures with one of them at the end of the show. A real treat because he is obsessed with animals. This is a definite must-see in Bangkok.

A bit of shopping

We also did a bit of shopping. We went to MBK centre which is great for cheap thrills and bargains and Siam Paragon mall which is more modern and luxurious.

MBK Center

Siam Paragon

Kids activities

Wherever we go we always try to do lots of fun things with the kids. On this trip though , it was all about FJ as Deji was only 6 months old so he wasn’t too bothered.

We went to Imaginia Playland at the Emporium Mall.

Sea life Bangkok Ocean World at Siam Paragon Mall.

Our Thoughts and Tips.

Our trip got off to a stressful start as our luggage did not arrive. We managed ok though because we had enough clothes in our carry on and the hotel provided toiletries.

So the first tip is if you are travelling long haul particularly with kids- take some extra clothes and underwear in your carry-on in case of any eventualities.

If you would like the luxury and amenities of a hotel and are travelling in a big group, staying in an apartment hotel is a cost effective option - ours was absolutely perfect!

The weather when we went (October) was very hot and humid so be sure to research the weather when you are going and pack appropriate clothing and protection and always stay hydrated.

We thoroughly enjoyed Bangkok and the activities we did were just a tip of the iceberg. There is so much more to do and see in Bangkok and Thailand. We would love to visit Phuket and Koh Samui next.

Couple’s Time.

I decide on a whim to book a couple’s only trip for Dotun’s birthday. We had always wanted to visit Barcelona and it seemed like a good idea.

Although we were a bit skeptical about travelling without FJ for the first time, (Deji was not born at the time) we knew he was in capable hands with my sister in law and a friend both looking after him.

The fact is we needed some alone time and it was only for 3 days so I went ahead and took the leap!

Our Hotel

After doing a bit of research I settled on The Catalonia Magdalenes Hotel. It is a 4* luxury hotel located in the Gothic quarter, close to Las Ramblas, Plaça Catalunya and The Catherdral. This made it the perfect hub for exploring the city especially as we there for a short time.

The rooms are modern and stylishly decorated. There was a lovely breakfast buffet with lots of great options including Spanish omelettes of course (what’s not to love?).

There is complimentary WiFi, a hammam-style spa, fitness centre as well as a terrace with pool and snack bar (open in summer months).

A nice little addition was that we had free snacks and drinks in the evening by the bar. It was nice to have a light bite to eat after a full day of exploring everyday.

The staff were also really nice and helpful. Always ready to answer any questions we had and point us in the right direction.

(All images except the yummy food taken from the hotel’s website).

https://www.cataloniahotels.com/es/hotel/catalonia-magdalenes?mb=1

Day 1

For Dotun’s birthday the lovely staff at the front desk recommended a restaurant for us to go to.

They also kindly brought a cake and bottle of fizz to our room a birthday treat which was such a nice gesture.

We had a yummy seafood paella for lunch - is it even a trip to Spain without eating paella?

The food was delicious and we basically just chatted and enjoyed our time together.

Day 2

We spent a full day touring the city using the Hop-on/ Hop-off bus. For us, this was the best way to see all the top sites and take some lovely pictures particularly as we had limited time. I would definitely recommend this. Unfortunately I lost most of my pictures from this trip so I’ve put on the fair few I could find.

La Sagrada Familia

Park Güell

La Sagrada Familia

Day 3

We spent our last day walking and exploring around our hotel. We walked along Port Vell and did a little bit of shopping along La Rambla- we bought some souvenirs and I even bought some clothes (I can’t help myself lol).

We also visited the Boqueria market where had some yummy fresh juices and tasty nuts.

Our Thoughts and Tips.

We thoroughly enjoyed our short but sweet city break to Barcelona. It made us realise that it’s ok to take a break and ask for help sometimes. Time alone as a couple is so important and we definitely need to do more of it when possible. So I suppose the first tip is to make time to spend quality alone time together as a couple.

If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or any special occasion always mention this to your hotel. Most hotels will usually give you a cake, a bottle of bubbly or even more.

Although we didn’t experience this ourselves we were told by the hotel staff to be wary of pickpockets and keep our wallets/ purses close which we did. So definitely keep this in mind if you visit.

Finally, definitely take a city tour! It was the best way to see all the top sites and take amazing pictures (even though I don’t have many to share). There are so many options for tours we did the traditional hop-on/ hop-off but sites like tripadvisor and viator have lots of different options too so take a look.

We would definitely return to Barcelona but next time with the kids in tow! xx

Our favourite Creekside Hotels

Mini Guide

The Emirates website is a great resource for Dubai covid requirements as well as flight and hotel information and inspiration.